World Travel Awards 2014 South & Central America gala ceremony to be hosted by heritage city Quito

Dubai, UAE, 13 May 2014: The world's second highest capital city Quito, Ecuador, is fast emerging as Latin America's leading tourist and trade destination after it was nominated for the second consecutive year in the South American Leading Destination at the World Travel Awards (WTA) 2014 - considered the Oscars of the Travel Industry.

Even as the World Travel Awards celebrated its Middle East gala ceremony at a glittering ceremony recently in Dubai, Latin America's historic city, Quito, considered by many as one of the oldest in the world, is all set to host the awards ceremony in 9th August this year. Quito was also voted as South America's Leading Destination in 2013.

"Ecuador and the UAE have much in common, mainly its enterprising spirit that so captivates people from all over the world," said Hussam Hassan, the UAE Head of PRO ECUADOR, the agency tasked by the Ecuadorian government to promote trade and investment development.

"Quito is being recognised for its spectacular setting, its old colonial heart of the city and its excellent museums that cover successive cultures from BC 4000 to AD 1534 with extensive collections of pre-Colombian ceramics and gold artefacts. The city has one of the largest, least-altered and best-preserved historic centres in the Americas according to UNESCO.

"With many restaurants of all kinds, including several that specialize in local Ecuadorian foods and folkloric shows, Quito has all of the attractions that make it a rich city of heritage and modern tastes that seem appealing to those who want to have a novel travel experience."

Graham E. Cooke, President & Founder, World Travel Awards, said: "We are delighted to host our first ceremony in Ecuador, a decision that reflects the crucial contribution that tourism makes to the national economy. The Ecuadorian tourism sector is enjoying solid growth as a result of the government programme to improve tourism-related infrastructure, most notably Quito's new state-of-the-art airport."

He added: "The selection of our hosts is fundamental to the success of our awards programme and Quito possesses all the ingredients to rise to the challenge of hosting our South & Central America Ceremony 2014 - a beautiful city bursting with ancient history, a thriving cultural scene and world-class gastronomy."

Quito was designated a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1978. Together with Krakow, Quito was the first city to be honored with such a title.

The who's who of Latin American travel will attend the VIP ceremony to celebrate and acknowledge their achievements over the past twelve months.

The red-carpet evening is being held in partnership with the Quito Turismo, and will include a gala dinner and top entertainment, as well as the presentation of the most coveted awards in the industry. It will take place at Centro Cultural Itchimbía, a magnificent glass-and-iron building which forms the centrepiece of Quito's Parque Itchimbia.

Tourism from the Middle East to Ecuador is witnessing a major growth due to PRO ECUADOR's association with The Department of Economic Development in Dubai, and its direct approach with the region's business community that has seen a massive growth in mutual trade over the last two years. The increasing awareness of the Latin American nation has seen corresponding interest by avid travellers.

With an average of 60% growth in Ecuadorian food-related exports to the United Arab Emirates in 2013 and a high-powered ministerial delegation to the UAE in February this year, Ecuador is all set to leverage its presence in the Middle East as the emirates' fastest growing Latin American partner.

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About PRO ECUADOR:
PROECUADOR is the Trade and Investment promotion organisation of Ecuador.  It is responsible for the business development of domestic exporters as well as the implementation of policies and rules to promote exports and investments into the country. PRO ECUADOR aims to foster strategic bilateral trade and penetrate existing and emerging markets across the world.

PRO ECUADOR has seven regional offices responsible for supporting Ecuadorian producers and exporters. It also has 33 International commercial offices, in key markets including the UAE, to promote the export supply of goods and services of Ecuadorian companies abroad.

PRO ECUADOR aims to open new markets for Ecuadorian products, identifying market opportunities, buyers, entry market requirements, and participation in trade promotion events such as fairs, trade missions and business conferences.

For media requests and enquiries:
Rose Manaog;
Action UAE;
rose.m@actionprgroup.com;
+971 55 9010301

For other requests:
Hussam Hassan;
PRO ECUADOR;
haboa@proecuador.gob.ec;  
+971 55 7279900  

© Press Release 2014