Responsible tourism in Ecuador
Our Ecuador Holidays
Galapagos adventure holiday
An active Galapagos Islands adventure holiday
Galapagos cruises
Cruise the Galapagos Islands on sailing boats and yachts
Galapagos activity & wildlife holiday, land based
Tailor-made land-based activity holiday in Galapagos
Budget Ecuador and Galapagos holiday, 23 days
Experience all of Ecuador for travelers on a budget
Ecuador holidays, Andes to Amazon
Ecuador's landscapes & wildlife
Galapagos land based adventure holiday
Amazing wildlife, both on land and underwater
Galapagos multi activity holiday
An amazing adventure Galapagos Multi-sports
Ecuador adventure holiday, tailor made
From volcano-top to Amazon basin and everything in between!
Ecuador wildlife sanctuary volunteering
Volunteer with amazing Amazonian wildlife in a jungle haven
Ecuador tailor made holiday
See the top natural and cultural highlights of Ecuador
Galapagos holiday cruise options
Excellent selection of small and midsize Galapagos cruises
Galapagos family holiday
Follow in the footsteps of Darwin on this family holiday
Climb Mount Cotopaxi, Ecuador
Climb three stunning peaks, included Cayambe Volcano (5790m)
Ecuador walking holiday, tailormade
Explore the heart of the Andes on fascinating day walks
Ecuador ecolodge, Napo Wildlife Center
A luxurious eco-lodge in wildlife rich Ecuadorean Amazon
Classic Galapagos Island hopping
Highlights of the Galapagos, discover the main Islands
Ecuador highlands tour & Galapagos cruise
Experience Ecuador's stunning highlands and the Galapagos
Flexible Galapagos Islands tailor made tour
Your choice of four to eight-day land-based adventure
Galapagos cruise plus Ecuador and Peru
Combine two truly outstanding places in South America
Galapagos activity holiday
Trek, bike, kayak and snorkel on this fantastic adventure
Ecuador & Galapagos holiday, tailormade
Discover the Andes, Amazon and Galapagos
Quito to Cartagena, Colombia overland truck tour
Experience the wonders of Colombia and Ecuador overland
Galapagos luxury cruise
Cruise the Galapagos on a vessel custom made for the islands
Galapagos & Ecuador tailor made holidays
Top wildlife experience in mainland Ecuador and Galapagos.
Galapagos cruise and Ecuador tour
Explore the Amazon, Cloud Forest, Andes & the Galapagos!
Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands wallking holiday
-Exploring Andean Ecuador and the Galapagos.
Anchorage to Tierra Del Fuego tour by overland truck
Epic overland trip from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego
Quito to Rio overland tour
Epic trip through the beautiful countries of South America
Culture & Nature
Going local – it's in the constitution
The one thing that strikes you in Ecuador is that responsible tourism comes naturally. So much of it is locally run and environmentally aware. This is due to a combination of factors. First, they seem to be innately socially conscious people and proud of that heritage. Second, the people took on the oil industry and its devastating impacts on people and place, in an unprecedented case to protect their indigenous lands in the 1990’s. And thirdly, in 2008, a new constitution was ratified by the people which included a Chapter: Rights for Nature. This acknowledges that nature in all its life forms has the right to exist, persist, maintain and regenerate its vital cycles, and that the people have legal authority to enforce these rights on behalf of ecosystems.This explains the reassuring proliferation of eco accommodation in Ecuador. In nearly all cases, when you look for somewhere to stay, it will be locally managed, environmentally responsible, with local employees and serving local food. These range from plush haciendas to small, locally run lodges. Gleaming examples include the famous Black Sheep Inn, Napo Wildlife Center and Kapawi Ecolodge of course, but these are just like the elders in a one great big family of businesses looking out for one another.
However, times are a changing in Ecuador at the moment. The current government is threatening to overturn some of the 1990’s social and environmental achievements, announcing in 2013 that that it will auction more than three million hectares of Amazonian rainforest to Chinese oil companies. Not only do local people object, but international campaigners are watching on with interest too. For more information, see Amazon Watch’s website. The Pacific coast is developing too, with a push to attract outside investment, in particular from expats who want somewhere cheap to retire to. Expats who want nothing more than a second tourism income to top up their retirement fund. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, of course, with many destinations kept afloat by expat tourism businesses. However, just to be wary that on the coast, in particular, the community vibe might be dissipated with time. But hopefully not.
Volunteering – who does it help?
Responsible tourism tips
"I think sometimes people can be disappointed when they go to Cotopaxi volcano. It is the one everyone wants to see, and there are superb images of it in all the brochures. But the weather is changeable here, and the experience not always what tourists had hoped for. I often recommend going to see Antisana volcano instead, which is easier to get to but yet less visited, and the weather is usually better too meaning you can see more, even the condors flying overhead."
"When I’m in Ecuador, I always feel as if I am being wrapped warmly up in an old culture. I really feel that there. It is not put on for tourists. It is not a cultural museum or show. It is real. Even when you see the Quechua communities in the tourist markets, they are not there to pose for photos, they are there doing a day’s work of trading with each other. Cultural tradition is something that is strong here, so I would ask that tourists just try to fit in around that. Don’t take endless photos as these people aren’t on show, they are just being themselves."
"The tourist should change his or her mindset when travelling to Ecuador – you need to learn about the culture and keep learning throughout your travels. For example, when I go to Europe, I know that everything is on time – so I need to change my mindset. One other thing that bothers me is the haggling over accommodation prices. I ask tourists to respect what is on our websites and not just turn up and demand a lower price. Because when they do this, it means that they are forcing each hotel to keep lowering its prices to compete, and it becomes unfair. This might work in the city, or in Europe, but here in rural Ecuador it is becoming a problem. We would like people to simply accept the prices that we have all put on our websites please."
More about Ecuador
