More than 40% of the travel agents who have signed up for the Ecuador Ministry of Tourism's new Ecuador Specialist program are home-based travel agents.
The response to the program, which launched last month, has been “overwhelmingly positive,” said Alejandra Zea, a spokeswoman for the ministry.
“In just over a month, over 300 agents have registered for the course and are taking advantage of the many resources the program has to offer,” she said in an email interview.
The specialist program includes news updates, travel promotions, fam trip opportunities and giveaways.
The launch was accompanied by the new 2013–14 Ecuador Desk Reference Guide, which provides destination information, including a list of operators that sell Ecuador and tips for selling Ecuador by region.
One of the ministry's goals for the program is to expand U.S.travel agents' knowledge of Ecuador, which is famously known for its biggest tourist attraction, the Galapagos Islands.
“One of the most important takeaways from the course is the extraordinary diversity of the destination beyond the Galapagos Islands,” Zea said. “Ecuador offers an incredible snapshot of the best of South America in one small country, from the Amazon to the Andes and the Pacific Coast; we consider the Galapagos to be the cherry on top. In only a 30-minute flight, you can travel from the beach to the Andes, or the Andes to the jungle.”
The Ecuador Specialist program provides information on each region of the country, identifying the target market for each along with tips on how to sell the area’s unique offering.
In May, the Ministry of Tourism hosted the Discover Ecuador road show, visiting San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington and New York.
“The event provided us the opportunity to connect with hundreds of agents on an individual level, helping them to build relationships with Ecuadorean suppliers and learn more about the latest updates from the destination,” Zea said. “We will continue hosting this type of event in the future to build relationships face to face, providing a direct connection to the destination.”
Visit www.ecuador-specialist.com or contact [email protected].