Quito set to exceed 700,000 visits in 2023, trends suggest

02.10.2023 - 07:00 / breakingtravelnews.com

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.

The number of non-resident visitors to the city recorded so far this year represents 94% of the target initially set by Quito Turismo for 2023. If this trend holds, this figure is expected to reach 700,000 by the end of the year, which would mark a return to pre-pandemic levels of visitors, which have not been seen since 2020.
By 15 September 2023, 753 tourist establishments were added to the register, which brings the current number of registered premises to 5,908.

The tourism register helps establishments meet the city’s operating rules, while also boosting employment and contributing to the local economy.It is worth highlighting that before the pandemic, in 2019, less than 5,000 establishments were included in the register. Not only has this already been exceeded, but it is also expected that the number of establishments registered will continue to grow from October onwards thanks to the introduction of online registration, which will slash the time it takes to complete the process from 45 days to just ten minutes.

Tourist taxes

There are two taxes that help fund tourism promotion activities, the development of tourism products, training and the promotion of the conferences sector. The first of these is the Tourist Facilities and Services Tax, which is collected via monthly reporting by hotels and restaurants, while the second, the Tourism Tax, is collected by Quito City’s Tax Administration System and passed on to Quito Turismo each month.

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This year, up to 15 September, the Tourism Tax was responsible for raising 966,960 USD and the Tourist Facilities and Services Tax has gathered 1.10 million USD, amounts that are projected to be greater than those collected last year.

Other figures

According to information shared by the association Hoteles Quito Metropolitano (HQM), the combined occupancy rate of hotels between the months of January and August 2023 for four- and five-star hotels was 54%, with a cumulative average rate of 99.13 USD and stay length of 1.5 nights.

The country that sends most visitors to Quito is the USA, making up 28% of all non-resident tourists, followed by Colombia (16%), Venezuela (10%), Spain (9%), Peru (8%), China (4%), and Germany, Mexico, Italy and Canada (each with 2%), with the remaining 17% coming from the rest of the world.