Ecuador: Amazon, Andes, Galapagos Islands open for tourism says Ministry of Tourism

LATIMES.com/Mary Forgione reported Ecuador’s popular destinations, such as the Amazon, the Andes and the Galapagos Islands, are open for tourism despite April 16’s deadly magnitude 7.8 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks, the country’s Ministry of Tourism announced Thursday.

The tourist areas are unaffected, and the international airport and city services in the capital, Quito, which felt the quake, remain fully operational and ready for travelers, officials said.

“We are relieved to be in such good condition, but our hearts go out to our fellow citizens at this time,” Quito Mayor Mauricio Rodas Espinel said in a statement. “The best way to assist in the recovery and rebuilding efforts is to embrace foreign visitors.”The quake hit in the southwestern coastal area of Manabí, about 250 miles from Quito. The death toll now stands at more than 580 people.

Martha Honey of the Washington-based Center for Responsible Tourism said U.S. travelers shouldn’t cancel their vacation plans if they want to see the country — and help Ecuador. Read Article

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