As part of the 2nd Exchange on Sustainable Tourism, National Geographic Traveler magazine recognized Quito as one of the top-20 destinations to visit in 2013. The event was enthusiastically applauded and now has become the pride of all Quiteños and Ecuadorians alike.
Adelina Carpenter, National Geopraphic representative, stated that "it is a double pleasure to be in Quito and a source of much pride for National Geographic to put its seal of approval so many more people come to this city". Adelina gave this award to Councilman Paul Ponce, representing the Mayor of the Metropolitan District of Quito, who thanked this distinction as a great way to make Quito visible for travelers seeking new destinations.
In addition to this recognition, the capital of Ecuador and its attractions have been described in a two-page article in the December 2012 and January 2013 editions of the prestigious National Geographic magazine, expected to reach approximately 175,000 readers.
This recognition in Traveler represents an opportunity to promote tourism within our city and position it as a gateway to the diverse country of Ecuador.
Meanwhile, Luz Elena Coloma, the Quito Visitor’s Bureau manager, thanked this award on behalf of the city and its tourism sector and emphasized that this is a truly energetic, lively place with astounding intangible heritage that lives in the hands and hearts of hundreds of Quiteños working every day to cultivate the essence of the city.
Other worldwide destinations to make the list include: the Crimean Peninsula, the Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia, Marseille in France, Kyoto, Brittany, Bodo in Norway, Thessaloniki in Greece, St. Augustine in the USA, Bagan in Myanmar, Valparaiso in Chile, Malawi in Africa, New York’s Hudson Valley, Ravenna in Italy, Memphis, Grenada, Raja Ampat in Indonesia, Uganda, Jarash in Jordan and the Missouri River Breaks in Montana, USA.
In addition, during the event the "Distintivo Q" quality certificates were presented to the third group of participants, made up of 26 tourism establishments recognized for best practices and general quality of their tourism products, which join the 63 tourism companies that already have this distinction.
All these activities coincide with the inauguration of the II Exchange on Sustainable Tourism in Ecuador, an encounter that ends this November 27, which will facilitate commercial negotiations between more than 70 companies offering tourism services with sustainable outlooks. As part of the program, Kimberly Conagham of Traveler magazine will give a lecture at 11 AM on "The American traveler profile and how to get to the U.S. market?"
The event takes place in the Eugenio Espejo Convention Center and was organized by the Mayor of the Metropolitan District of Quito and the Quito Visitor’s Bureau, the Government of Pichincha, Rainforest Alliance, the GEF-CAF Biocomercio project, the Pichincha Tourism Association (Cámara de Turismo de Pichincha) and the National Receptive Tour Operators Association in Ecuador.