Ecuador Shines with 2022 Award Accolades

Quito, Ecuador – (March 22, 2023) – The Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador proudly highlights the recognitions Ecuador was awarded in 2022. The Ministry of Tourism’s objective is to position Ecuador as a desired destination for travelers around the world. The recognitions and awards Ecuador was honored with in 2022 represent the country’s commitment and support of their local offerings to the world.

Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants List 

The Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants List recognizes the best restaurants in the world. Ecuador received six recognitions in the 2022 list. The restaurant Nuema, located in Quito, ranked as number 24 on the list of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants. This restaurant was also awarded the Best Restaurant in Ecuador and its owner, Pia Salazar, was named the Best Pastry Chef of Latin America. The list released a preliminary 51-100 list, where Casa Julián Restaurant and Mikka Restaurant located in Guayaquil were honored alongside Quitu Restaurant located in the capital city of Quito.

National products, like tuna, quinoa, coffee from the Galápagos Islands, corn and honey prepared with a base of cacao, are regarded as traditional Ecuadorian flavors that combined with modern culinary techniques demonstrate the innovative gastronomy of the country.

UNWTO’s Best Tourism Villages 2022

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) recognized two destinations in Ecuador in their “Best Tourism Villages 2022” list. The destinations that were honored were Aguarico in Orellana and Angochagua in Imbabura. The UNWTO list recognizes rural destinations and the efforts of the tourism industry on the economic, social, and environmental sustainability of the villages that are in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations. This year the UNWTO received 136 submissions from 57 countries and in the end, Ecuador was among two of only 32 village destinations that were honored. This recognition inducts Ecuador into the global web of UNWTO Best Tourism Villages, which was created in 2021 and currently includes 115 villages from five different continents.

World Travel Awards 2022  

The 29^th World Travel Awards (WTA) honored Ecuador, the cities of Quito and Guayaquil, and the tourism companies with 27 awards in total. Ecuador received 16 recognitions in the country category and 11 recognitions in the South American category. For the seventh year, Ecuador was awarded the Leading Green Destination in South America, while Guayaquil was recognized as the Leading Urban Getaway Destination in South America and the Leading Destination for Meetings and Conferences in South America. Guayaquil also received the award for Public Company and Municipality of Tourism. The Civic Promotion and International Relations of the Guayaquil Tourism Board was recognized as the Leading City of South America in 2022. Quito, the capital of the country, was recognized as the Leading City Destination of South America.

National Geographic Magazine and Time Magazine Recognitions

National Geographic Magazine named Ecuador second on its “Best Places to Travel” list in August of 2022. Ecuador was recognized as one of the countries with the largest biodiversity in the world highlighting its diverse geography and topography.

Time Magazine included the Galápagos Islands as one of the top 50 destinations in its list of “World’s Greatest Places”, highlighting the Hermandad Marine Reserve. The marine reserve is an achievement of the efforts of the Ecuadorian Government to expand 60,000 square kilometers for the marine protection zone in the Galápagos Islands.