Travel in city Quito

Quito is home to a wide range of community-based tourism options, which are rooted in the principle that tourism should benefit the community, help develop the local area and way of life, as well as contribute to the preservation of ethnic identity and the appreciation and transmission of the region’s cultural heritage.

How to Travel Better is a monthly column with Condé Nast Traveler’s sustainability editor Juliet Kinsman. In this series, Juliet introduces us to the sustainability heroes she meets, signposts the experiences that are enhancing our world, and shares the little and big ways we can all travel better.

JetBlue is decreasing service at its west coast hub among other notable route adjustments —  as it reassesses its network strategy following its unsuccessful Spirit merger.

Currently, 17 airlines operate at Quito airport, connecting to 18 international and 8 national destinations. An average of 15,000 passengers per day and 5.4 million passengers per year are transported through the airport.

Crystal Cruises and Abercrombie & Kent have teamed up to offer travelers a unique travel experience. 

Quito Turismo was in the spotlight for yet another year with its participation in World Travel Market, which took place in London on 6-8 November. This internationally renowned event has been a key opportunity to show the full range of tourism, cultural and gastronomic attractions the city has to offer. During the fair, Quito Turismo held more than 50 meetings with media and agents from the tourism sector, with the aim of establishing strategic alliances to promote Quito’s novelties and charms. Ten interviews were also successfully conducted with various international media channels, in addition to destination presentations that targeted more than 10 international media, providing the opportunity to learn about the destination first-hand.

Quito Turismo will be attending the new edition of World Travel Market, from 6-8 November 2023 at ExCel (London). This is one of the most important international tourism events, with the aim of promoting the capital’s top tourism products to the British market, as well as establishing relationships that will boost the flow of tourists with the European market. The outstanding work done by Quito Turismo in recent months has enabled the city to take part in the fair with its own stand, S3-405, accompanied by a select representation from the Quito tourism sector, offering the opportunity for interviews and to make new contacts and businesses. This year, Giohana Albuja, Quito Turismo technical manager, and Katia Freire, European market promotion coordinator, will be responsible for representing Quito at the fair, showing the best of the city to the press, tour operators and travel agents. Over the three days, destination presentations will be shown at the stand: Monday 6 November, 12:30-13:30 and 16:00-17:00; Tuesday 7 November, 12:30-13:30 and 16:00-17:00, and Wednesday 8 November, 11:30-12:30. Sampling will also take place at the stand on 6 and 7 November at 17:00, where visitors can taste canelazo, a traditional drink from Quito.  For yet another year, Quito Turismo’s presence at the World Travel Market reaffirms its commitment to positioning the city as a top tourism destination, driving the local economy, gastronomy, customs and traditions that make it unique.

Ecuador, a country known primarily for The Galapagos, has so much more to show off: the Andes, the Amazon, indigenous cultures, cuisine and traditions, rapids and waterfalls and birds and monkeys, and in Quito , the most well-preserved Spanish city in the world.

For more than 25 years, Alberto Avila has been making careteros, or paper maché masks, perpetuating a tradition of Indigenous communities in Ecuador. Typically worn by tribal leaders, the masks are used widely in local festivities. As Avila explains, each mask is intended to reflect “what’s inside” its creator—his first took the form of a devil, a character he identified with at the time, but he’s tranquil, nowadays, and has made more playful versions lately.

Jamaica’s position as a leader in the global tourism industry has been further bolstered after the Caribbean nation secured the post of second vice chair of the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) Executive Council.

This August, 55,769 tourists arrived in the city by air. During the eight previous months, this figure came to 459,590, some 122,499 visitors more than in the same period the previous year.

Many of South America’s greatest hits can be found in Ecuador, from Andean peaks and the Amazon to tropical beaches, Inca ruins and the wonders of the Galápagos Islands. Pretty impressive for a country that's a fraction of the size of its neighbors!

Quito’s viewpoints provide the perfect spot to take in exhilarating views of the city. Cruz Loma, Guápulo, the Basilica of the National Vow and El Panecillo hill are just a few of the spots that highlight the city’s architectural richness and the beauty of the natural spaces that surround it.

Mostly known as a travel destination for adventure-seeking enthusiasts, Ecuador is often overlooked as a family friendly destination. The country’s diversity and geographical distribution, however, make it the ideal place for families to experience the best of South America in one place. 

Quito was founded in the 16th century on the ruins of an ancient Inca city, located 2,850 metres above sea level, and is the city with the most extensive, best preserved and least altered historic centre in Latin America. These attributes led to it being declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 8 September 1978, as well as National Heritage of Ecuador.

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Extending across the Andean highlands, the Amazon, the Pacific coastlines, and even the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador is a mandatory stop in South America.

Travel in August is all about being canny. It’s a prime time to be in Europe but you need to be nimble to avoid the crowds and escalating prices across the Med and beaches radiating beyond. It's worth thinking of alternatives if you want more than a packed fly-and-flop beach break or an overheated European city visit where half the venues are closed for the summer.

For most travelers, entering the vast diversity of Ecuador’s Cuatro Mundos ("Four Worlds": the Pacific Coast, Andes, Amazon and Galápagos) requires nothing more than arriving with your passport.

American Airlines is on a roll, and not in a good way.

AirHelp, the online service that files complaints against airlines on behalf of passengers entitled to compensation for air delays or cancellations, knows a thing or two about air travel. Because it’s hard for the average person to understand air passenger rights and pursue a legal claim when they’ve been wronged, AirHelp is always going toe-to-toe with airlines and airports—and reveals once a year which ones that treat their passengers for the better (or worse).