Vinicio Alvarado has been appointed Minister of Tourism by President of Ecuador Mr. Rafael Correa. As head of the Ministry of Tourism, Alvarado is charged with strengthening the image of Ecuador through tourism, recognized as a strategic priority in President Correa’s third term.
Minister Alvarado has outlined the five strategic pillars for tourism development, including the enhancement of:
-Security, to gain travelers’ trust;
-Quality, to continue the improvement of tourist services;
-Destinations,to highlight the wide variety of experiences that Ecuador offers;
-Connectivity, to generate greater efficiency; and
-Promotion, to increase demand and share the country’s offering with tourists worldwide.
He also discussed the development of six programs to strengthen Ecuador’s tourist offering, such as the National Program of Tourist Destinations, which will inventory standardized information about the country’s attractions, such as services, information offices, trails, and lodging.
Other programs include Tourism Signage, which aims to post 6,000 signs with tourist information by 2016; Excellence in Tourism, featuring training opportunities; and initiatives geared towards providing credit, strengthening institutional structures, and advancing promotion for tourism development.
Alvarado previously served as the Head of the National Secretariat of Public Administration, a position that he has held since 2007. He holds a Masters in Business Administration from the Institute of Business Development and a Doctorate in Social Communication from the National University of Loja, as well as a degree in Social Communication from Vicente Rocafuerte Secular University.
He has extensive professional experience in advertising, having served as President and Creative Director of Advertising at the Agency Creacional, Senior Counsel at McCann Erickson and Publicidad Andina BBDO, and Director of Radio Linda.
Alvarado has also served as Director of the School of Advertising and as a member of the faculty at prestigious centers of higher education in Ecuador.
Former Minister of Tourism, Mr. Freddy Ehlers, has been appointed as Secretary of the Presidential Initiative for Human Development.