Tourist entrepreneur with unconditional love to Guayaquil
GUAYAQUIL. Ilse was a passenger on a Galapagos cruise when she offered to replace the cruise director because she was ill. She fulfilled her role so well that the officers on board asked her to join the working group. From that moment until today she is in the tourism industry, which considers her one of the main professionals in the receptive operation of Guayaquil.
Tugendhat studied Tourism in Israel; she was professor in a tourism university and worked in the sales department of important companies, among other occupations, until she stablished Traveltips. Its objective: to promote and sell Guayaquil as a tourist destination and operations center for the rest of the country.
1.- ¿WHAT WAS THE MAIN REASON THAT INSPIRED YOU TO BE A TOURISM ENTERPRENEUR?
Since I was a child, I liked to travel all over the country and discover wonderful places, for its simplicity and natural charm. I have always traveled outside the country and I was very proud to tell everybody what we have here, and my passion for sharing it with the world led me to this activity.
2.- ¿WHAT ANALYSIS COULD YOU MAKE OF THE CURRENT TOURISM COMPARED WITH PREVIOUS TOURISM?
If we talk about Previous, as it was 30 years ago, I would say that “previously”, tourism was made with passion and dedication. Today I find that the situation has changed, because tourism is seen as the great industry that will make new millionaires and does not keep much tourism awareness in service and respect for what we have in the country. It is intended to apply laws for those who make conscious tourism, but do not consider the lot of inconveniences that we have to face daily when we handle an operation with visitors.
3.- ¿ STRATEGIES DO YOU THINK SHOULD BE IMMEDIATELY APPLY TO TOURISM?
If we talk about tourism, we must know that it is a fairly broad field. There is national, outbound and receptive tourism.
In relation to receptive tourism, which is the activity I have worked so far, I agree that is should be regulated, however I believe that the reality does not go according with certain rules and standards that the authorities intend to implement. For example, the shortage of tour guides to meet the needs of foreign visitors. Today, there are not enough people with driver’s license who are truly qualified to take care of foreign tourists, because not only they lack the knowledge of a third language, which is essential, but many of them are not interested in working under the demands of the tour operators, who are the ones who ultimately negotiate the arrival of foreign visitors.
I believe that agility in the processes of regulation and control must be immediately implement, but without losing the perspective of the reality of the current receptive tourism. And as for the country´s promotion as tourist destination, I believe that the regional authorities are doing a good job with the support of the Ministry and private sector.
4.- ¿YOU THINK THAT TOURISM NEEDS REINVENTING?
Not necessarily, what must be done is to refine the destination and improve the services. I believe that the authorities must give the necessary courses to train the tourism providers at all levels. For example, for tour guides, there is a new regulation for those unlicensed translators but with vast experience, who can be regulated by attending courses given by MINTUR, however, the Ministry does not consider yet an agenda to dictate them.
5.- ¿(ACCORDING TO THE PREVIOUS QUESTION) WHAT DO YOU PROPOSE?
An approach of the MINTUR with the tour operators, in order to have a better understanding of the needs of those who have to deal with day to day difficulties, and consensus to get the regulations for guides and transporters who are an important part of the operation.
6.- ¿DO YOU THINK THAT THE INTERPRETATION OF THE HERITAGE CAN BE A LINK BETWEEN CULTURE AND TOURISM?
Of course….
7.- ¿WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE GROWING OF ECOTOURISM IN PROTECTED AREAS?
I do not really think we do Ecotourism in our environment. But we do have sustainable tourism programs, but talking about ecotourism involves extreme care with ecology and here in Ecuador, very few companies are really able to implement all the conditions for Ecotourism. Those who call themselves as ecotourism agencies, somehow go on that path but they lack much to be truly in ecotourism. Ecotourism does not mean poor service; it is much more than that.
8. ¿WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS DO YOU WANT TO GIVE TO YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE STUDYING TOURISM AND HAVE THE GOAL TO STRENGTHEN TOURISM IN ECUADOR?
I have been a university tourism professor for some years, and I always suggested my students that they must relate TOURISM with service. This is a profession of delivery and service. Therefore, my main recommendation is that do not lose perspective because you want to make money quickly. Tourism deserves care and respect, but above all a great responsibility on those who work in this activity in any of its areas. (GSE / COLIBRI).
Source:
La Nación Ecuador
