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Today I am going to tell you about what I learned about Ecuador visiting Peru on a recent trip to the neighboring country., with whom we share so much ancestral history, like black war memories that have remained in the past.
The objective of this post is not to generate controversy, much less to see less of our beautiful Ecuador., rather, has the objective of showing the world the good things they have done in Peru and like all countries we can learn from them.
from now on, I apologize to the Peruvian readers who read this publication, since you will see very personal opinions, but in the end, if you read carefully, they speak very well of the country.
for Ecuadorians, any negative situation, It is an opportunity to continue improving and look forward.
we start…
What I learned about Ecuador visiting Peru
If you follow my social networks Twitter or mainly Instagram, surely you saw that a few days ago I visited Peru, focusing the trip to Cusco and its surroundings with a brief visit in Lima.
On this personal trip with my girlfriend, I was able to fulfill a dream I had since I was a child, know Machu Picchu, since it is a unique place, full of magic and history that I hope to be able to write about it very soon along with flight reports, Cusco airport and other topics about the trip.
Okay, oblivious to the subject of knowing Machu Picchu, I wanted to see and try to understand the reason why Peru is a country in the process of becoming a true tourist power.
First, you have to see some points:
- Peru during the 2017 He received 4.032.339 million tourists, a 7.7% more than him 2016.
- Ecuador during the same year received 1.617.914 million tourists, a 14% more than him 2016.
Ecuador's figures when compared to Peru are encouraging in terms of growth, but Peru gets us more than twice as many annual visitors.
Of course, Peru is a huge country, doubles us in population and it is 8 times larger in surface, but the way i see it, in tourist attractions, we are very similar.
Peru has its strong, among others to Cusco, Machu Picchu, Lima, Ica, Nazca Lines, huacas, Titicaca lake, northern beaches, amazonia, etc.
Ecuador has its strong, among others to Galapagos, Cuenca, Quito, Ingapirca, Beaches, amazonia, Guayaquil, Bathrooms, Quilotoa Lagoon, etc.
Please remember that these are only some examples of Ecuador and Peru to be able to compare similar tourist attractions in similar conditions..
Going back to what I learned after a brief introduction to put things in perspective, Peru has the number of tourists it has because of the great marketing work they have done in the world and also in their own country..
Peru, in my personal way and according to the ones I traveled , it has small roads, with limited signage and are considered one of the most dangerous in South America. Here, the Government has invested in improving highways, converting them from three to four lanes with signs and lighting.
The attractions that I knew as Machu Picchu and the Mountain of Colors, they have second-order dirt roads with little or no maintenance despite the high flow of tourists, while destinations in Ecuador such as Laguna Quilotoa or Cotopaxi have paved roads and new.
Another great detail are the airports. The Marshal Sucre of Quito it is impeccable, large, new and clean, Meanwhile he Jorge Chavez is collapsed, dirty and there is a bad smell in some sectors. this airport, the main one in Peru moves more than 20 million passengers and the construction of a new terminal is underway, tower and track, although they are late.
The Cusco Airport is also collapsed and its infrastructure has already completed its operational life, but there are improvement plans, while Ecuador in recent years has modernized the 90% of its airports to encourage internal and external tourism.
Peru has delicious food from ceviche to alpaca. Ecuador also has a variety of food by region, but low in gastronomic exploitation.
For me, these 3 points that are road infrastructure, air transport and food are what generate the differences between these countries, but where marketing and constant promotion are the great differentiator.
As I think everyone well knows, Peru as well as Colombia, they have millionaire advertising campaigns and it's not just advertising and that's it, is knowing how to do it and sell things well. A simple plate of potatoes, with the right marketing, it can be the favorite dish of tourists and they will travel thousands of kilometers to eat it, you just have to sell and know how to sell the idea.
Peru does not only spend to advertise its country brand in the world, also do it locally. I was surprised to see so many Peruvians in each attraction I visited., knowing their country and being amazed at the wonders that the world pays thousands to know and that they have so close. There is a tourist culture.
Here comes the aeronautics again, Peru has a large commercial air market, with 7 airlines, Of course, in Ecuador we could not have so many due to the size of the population., but we do need more competition, more offer and why not, a low cost as there is in Peru.
Precisely the low cost effect was what they told me 3 Peruvian tourists that motivated them to visit Cusco, cheapest tickets on all airlines, more options for everyone to know their country.
If Ecuador has better roads that reduce times, best airports, a great gastronomic variety, What's up? will we achieve the 1:1 in tourists?
It happens that Ecuador stopped promoting itself as it did a few years ago, any marketing campaign is made up, usually, by expectation, launch, maintenance, etc. If Ecuador invested so much, people began to hear of the country, should be followed, do not stop, improve the campaign, make known all we have, but not only the main, but all as one big set.
People don't mind arriving at a crowded and dirty airport, he cares that the experience is complete, perfect and they want to come back, I am not saying that this does not happen in Ecuador, but the promotion does not help us.
Too, Ecuador is an expensive country when compared to our neighbors. there a 1 dollar, son 3 soles then we do 3 more times, but if a tourist comes to Ecuador the answer is easy. Ecuador must align itself as a whole, It's not just promoting, is to encourage people to invest in tourism, improve the service, that for example in Peru customer service is superior in Ecuador, there they do everything to make tourists fall in love and it works.
If Ecuador invests in tourism, but a spirit of society focused on it is not generated, we will not see drastic growth as the authorities seek, no we will see more airlines arriving and the 1:1 it will not happen.
We could talk about more details like how many airlines or flights Peru has, but I don't want to go deeper, I just wanted to focus on these points, of others we could compare, but the goal is to put some themes, that you don't need to have the best in the world for people to arrive, you just have to know how to sell.
I learned that with little, but knowing how to use it, much can be done and that my dream of going to Machu Picchu was better than expected by far. Hopefully one day Ecuador can follow the same tourist trend that works effectively for Peru.
I await your comments.
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I sincerely apologize for this comment! But I am testing some software for the glory of our country and its positive result will contribute, to strengthen Germany's relationships on the global Internet. I would like to sincerely apologize again and best regards 🙂
Greetings!
Well I am North American but I have lived several years in both countries.
like any country, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.
I would say that Ecuador has extraordinary potential. But it's not exploited. I think of tourism mainly, among others.
I would say too, very generally, that Ecuadorians are less stressed than Peruvians, and that his presence can be very cool. but on the other side, many Ecuadorians are xenophobic (I'm not saying racist, It is not the same). even between them, since "regionalism" in Ecuador is something cultural and a bit negative (the people of the mountains speak a lot against the people of the coast). Then, foreigners are not always welcome in Ecuador, in the mountains in particular.
Instead, I think Peruvians have a better opinion of North American foreigners.
from what i saw, academic education is something important for Peruvians. Also, Peru produces many good level engineers. Instead, I know that in Ecuador the entire education system is in a very bad state. Including the universities. Young people do not learn the basics as they learn in other countries. Then, obviously that causes prejudice to Ecuador.
Also, In general, Ecuadorians do not want to work on weekends.. which is very bad for the economy. It's okay that they want to spend time with family. But that has economic repercussions that slow down Ecuador a lot.
Even hospitals lose their doctors during carnival or holidays. which is totally absurd, and that gives a bad image of Ecuador.
In Peru, things can be very dangerous even outside the street. In other words, there is a culture of accountability or intimidation, much more present than in Ecuador. If it exists in Ecuador. But in Ecuador people are more consensual and avoid serious confrontations.
Something paradoxical at the level of security: in Lima, there are neighborhoods where you can walk safely at 3 from the manana.
Instead, in Quito or Guayaquil, or even in Cuenca, at night it is dangerous in any neighborhood. There is really no security delimitation.
but on the other side, the dangerous neighborhoods of Lima are more dangerous than those of Quito or Guayaquil.
There are things in the mentality of both Peruvians and Ecuadorians that are very crooked from a North American point of view..
– Peruvians and Ecuadorians make a lot of problems with everything that is familiar. here in north america, the family never gets into couples. But in Peru as in Ecuador, parents, brothers, cousins, to the neighbors, they get into the conjugal relations of the rest, and that disturbs the relationship a lot.
– in both countries, there is a very hypocritical culture of deceit. That is to say that Peruvians and Ecuadorians highly value marriage and family.….but they all deceive themselves with lovers.
Finally, in Ecuador, there is a huge scam problem. Everyone cheats and steals, even among families. I saw so many incredible things.
Worst, is for tourists and retirees living in Ecuador: everyone scams them. Let it be the taxi drivers, even the girl at the mini-market checkout, the workers, etc.
The what, every day they tried to scam me in Ecuador. I think they never did. But I know several tourists and expats who were scammed very ugly.
It seems to me that Ecuadorians are stupid to do that, since that gives a very bad reputation to the whole country. At the end, again, not good for the economy.
In fact, I am an entrepreneur with employees. I brought a lot of money into Ecuador and gave well-paid jobs. But I withdraw from Ecuador therefore.
So Ecuadorians should make a collective effort to condemn all those fools who take advantage of foreigners to swindle them..
Another thing: Ecuadorians believe in an exaggerated way. Like in food for example. I say this as someone who has traveled: Ecuadorian food is very simple and bad. Only on the coast can you eat something acceptable, for the shellfish. but still there. it really is ugly. There is very little variety, no taste, they don't know the sauces, and they cook the meat like shoe insoles. But the problem, is that for I don't know what reason, Ecuadorians are convinced that their national food is very tasty and that people come from all over the world to taste it. I don't know who made them believe that.
Instead, Peruvian gastronomy is much more varied, and it's one of the best I tried in my life.
Both Peruvians and Ecuadorians are a bit envious of each other. And both lack a lot of honesty in all their relationships. In North America or Europe for example, lying is something very frowned upon and that can totally destroy someone's reputation instantly. Instead, in Peru and Ecuador, the lie, lack of honesty, and the deception, it's something daily. Again, that doesn't lead to anything, and it can only harm both countries. And the best proof of that, It is the political history of those 2 paise (Like others in Latin America), filled with corruption and political and economic problems.
Ending on a positive note:
Peru: its people have enormous potential, and the Peruvians are ingenious. That could take them higher to the economic level then social. But mindsets must change.
Ecuador: a country that could be a paradise, if the community and the politicians made the efforts, and if they were better organized. Also, mentalities should change. The great enemy of Ecuador and that prevents it from developing well, It's just a matter of mentality and culture that are dysfunctional.
I do not want to offend anyone.
It's just my analysis, from someone who lives in both countries, and that he met several others. So I can see the contrast between the countries and compare more easily.
As I said, each country and each people has its strengths and weaknesses. mine has theirs too.
Thank you very much for your valuable contribution., great.
Nice and objective article!, but it is not that we are pure marketing the places are very beautiful, the locals really like to work in tourism and the food is delicious maybe even our best marketing is the same tourists who came to Peru and commented on it. Hahahaha and it's not just any potato, the food in general in Peru is delicious by tradition that it is difficult for us to diet… I have gone on vacation to Ecuador several times and there are things that I have quite liked, such as the tranquility, kindness and civility of you., new year traditions. some beaches and that take care of their natural reserves.
Thank you Mary for commenting., It's good that you liked the article and to be able to know the opinion of our neighbors.
Peru has invested in its infrastructure as it went, logically according to budget and priorities. instead of equator, did so much but why? Now Ecuador is the second most indebted country in Latin America, and it is very likely that they will not get out of that debt, in several decades. On the other hand, Peru is positioned very well economically.….things have to be invested intelligently, not on the run , at all costs for the competition, because if there are no repercussions. Peru put its money on what it had and all those things you mentioned about the airport and highway, they are gradually fixing, but it is being done….in its path so as not to be indebted. 'Cause that's the thing….reach the goal as of place, but safe and sound ?.
Nicholas excellent your article, Both countries are multi-ethnic and multicultural with good tourist attractions. Peruvians invest in traveling and getting to know their country first., how do you say a big country 20 largest country in the world and as you realized the people are very friendly with the visitor they treat them as if they were at home I would have loved you to visit paucartambo (cusco) the second place in the world where you can see the sunrise is spectacular,
then chonta the limatambo(cusco) where the landscape and the spectacular beauty of the flight of dozens of condors is admirable the other place is Choquequirao twin sister of machupicchu is almost identical also in cusco. thanks for your visit
Thanks Jules for commenting..
Hello there.
I am Peruvian, born in Lima, raised in Huancayo. I don't know as much as you, but I've been to Guayaquil and Cuenca.
Cuenca and Huancayo are very similar, well to Huancayo that I left more than 27 years ago.
Guayaquil visit him in the 2012, and although it was nice, it is a very small city, so small that I visited all its tourist places in two days. When do I compare Guayaquil, I have to do it with Lima because they are the most populated cities in their respective countries. Lima, I've gone, infinite times, the last one in January 2020, and my cousins have taken me to know places that I did not know, and that I go to Lima at least once a year, I live in California.
There is not point of comparation, we have machu picchu, Sacsayhuaman, the highest lake in the world, the highest railway in the world, the largest river in the world is born in Peru, the Nazca lines, pre-inca cultures (too many to name here), not to mention the music (creole: waltzes, polcas – Afro-Peruvian: celebration, landing, Zamacueca, alcatraz – sailors, fools – different types of andean music, and amazonian music), and logically, gastronomy could not be missing. Honestly, there is no point of comparison between the two countries.
We could debate for hours, everything you mention about Peru, Ecuador has its counterpoint, from gastronomy where it is impossible to compare a ceviche from one or another country, to Galapagos, Cotopaxi, Mindo, Devil's Nose, Beaches, etc.
Dear Nicholas (let me dear),thank you for your comments,as you say Peru has great attractions,but services have not kept pace with growth,I take a taxi in Lima and the entrance along with parking at the airport are complicated,just to mention an example,talking about your country(which I have not yet had the pleasure of knowing)I have heard very good comments,especially Galapagos,Cuenca,Quito and Guayaquil,I'm sure when I go I'll get the same good impression,greetings from Lima
Thank you Carlos for your comment..
Peru hasn't changed much, but they have incredible growth and it is because of the fact that they have a wonder of the world ( that really is a great wonder ) , Ecuador is a very beautiful country full of many wonderful landscapes, but it does not have the old architecture that the tourist looks for, which makes me think that they should invest in what most attracts the attention of tourists …. For example, I never knew about the Gocta falls in the Peruvian Amazon. .. its beautiful, but surely there are better .. but Zazzz … they made him famous .. and there are many tourists … that must happen in Ecuador … as your article says .. the tourist cares very little about the AirPort and cares much more about the destinations
Thanks for commenting Caroline..
Hello there, a couple of years ago I visited Cusco and its surrounding attractions. I thought the attention was great in every way. I remember we were late for a tour because the train was late and I thought, they let us vote, we were scammed, We discussed the inconvenience and people from other tour operators helped us, made a couple of calls and got us transportation at no extra cost.. People go out of their way to make tourists have a good time. Peru tourist mind an unforgettable experience.
Just like Ed, Peru is another world in terms of tourist attention, enviable.
Good article, reminded me of my trip to Peru. I visited ago 20 years Lima and Cusco. What a pity that the airport has not been improved yet and the impression I had of the secondary roads was the same as you describe.. From what I know, Peru has had a campaign for several years to promote Cusco as a high-end international tourist product., to attract more and more luxury tourists.
So is, on 20 years has changed little and continues to grow, that's amazing and totally remarkable.
I like your article Nico , your analysis is of great contribution to the people in charge of this issue in Ecuador.
A big hug from your uncle Julito from Chile .
greetings julito!
when i went to cusco, the airport left the worst impression on me, bathrooms smelled terrible and were dirty, they had no paper. I thought it would be easy to find safe transportation, but very little signage (Or I didn't see any), we went out and in the street we took a taxi, the sector did not look so safe to say. In Cusco the attention in general good, what I did not like was that in several churches, there was a cost to enter, and that it is necessary to accept a debit card without charge to avoid looking for exchange houses. In Ecuador, airports have good signage and safe transportation possibilities, but we lack the tourists. A fine, Macchu Picchu worth it
Precisely, signage in Peru is generally very limited. About the taxis they recommended that it is always better to take them outside the airport, it is cheaper and security I felt that it is a very safe city, so the taxi in the street did not complicate me.
the churches yes, they cost, like almost every attraction in Peru, but up to a level i understand, since they maintain them well and if it is to preserve history I am in favor. as a guy, I prefer to withdraw all the money from the ATM and not use the exchange office, despite the commission, earn a few soles since it is the official change.
Machu Picchu is amazing.