Andean Community Countries Lead Tourism Growth Projections in the Region for 2026

• While global tourism is projected to grow by 3.2% and Latin American tourism by 4.1% in 2026, the Andean countries lead the growth outlook for the tourism sector this year: Ecuador is projected to lead with 11.6 %, Bolivia with 10.3 %, and Colombia and Peru with about 6 %.
• The I Andean Tourism Forum established a roadmap to consolidate the “Andean Trails” tourism brand as an international multidestination.

Quito (Ecuador), June 9, 2026.- With the goal of consolidating the tourism sector as a core driver for the economy, job creation, and strengthening regional integration, the General Secretariat of the Andean Community, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and the Pro Tempore Presidency of Ecuador organized the 1st Andean Tourism Forum on Tuesday, June 9th. The event took place in the city of Quito and brought together authorities, experts, representatives from the private sector, tourism associations, and specialists in the field.

The 1st Andean Tourism Forum has been a regional space for exchange and reflection that will contribute to positioning the tourism brand “Andean Paths” in order to highlight the cultural, natural, gastronomic, and artisanal value of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

The meeting took place at a time when global tourism demands adaptation to digitalization, new traveler habits, and the urgent need to incorporate sustainability-related approaches. In that context, a roadmap was defined at the I Andean Tourism Forum to consolidate the “Andean Trails” brand, which promotes greater collaboration between public and private stakeholders. Along those lines, the goal is also to encourage the development of competitive tourism products and the preparation of destinations for marketing in international markets.

According to the latest projections from the World Travel and Tourism Council, the outlook for tourism in the Andean region is very encouraging. While global growth in the sector is expected to reach 3.2 % in 2026, Central and South America are projected to grow by 4.1 %. The Secretary General of the Andean Community, Ambassador Gonzalo Gutiérrez, noted that the Andean countries have very strong growth prospects this year. He explained that Ecuador would lead the way with 11.6 %, followed by Bolivia with 10.3 %, and Colombia and Peru with around 6 %.

“These figures confirm that the Andean Community has an extraordinary opportunity to attract more visitors, promote investment, generate employment, and translate that growth into greater benefits for its 116 million citizens,” the Secretary General mentioned. He explained that “this favorable scenario is due, among other aspects, to a profound transformation of tourism in which travelers seek new destinations and differentiated offerings.”.

Along these lines, he underscored the importance of the Andean Community promoting “Andean Paths,” the first subregional tourism brand, in the current context. This initiative seeks to position Andean countries as multidestination tourism spots in the global market.

In his speech, the Secretary General of the Andean Community, Ambassador Gonzalo Gutiérrez Reinel, also announced that the Caminos Andinos web platform is available in English, and also, thanks to the support of the CAN Observer Countries, China and Morocco, the website has been translated into Mandarin Chinese and Arabic.

For his part, Gustavo González, Undersecretary of Regulation and Control of the Vice-Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Ecuador, representing the Pro Tempore Presidency, affirmed that «the tourism of the future will be increasingly collaborative, sustainable, and inclusive, and that is the vision driving the Andean countries to promote Andean Pathways as a regional tourism offering capable of competing in international markets.” In turn, Ignez Tristao, the Inter-American Development Bank's representative in Ecuador, highlighted the need to harness the Andean Community's enormous potential to generate more growth, employment, and investment through a regional agenda that strengthens competitiveness, connectivity, and sustainability of destinations in the subregion.

The event also featured a ministerial panel of the four member countries of the Andean Community. Participants included the Vice Minister of Promotion of Sustainable Tourism of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Andrés Alberto Aramayo Bejarano; the Director of Sector Analysis and Promotion of the Ministry of Tourism of Colombia, Candelaria Romero; the Undersecretary of Regulation and Control of the Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador, Gustavo González; and Fernando Munive, Director General of Tourism Strategy of Peru.

Andean Community Tourism
In 2025, the Andean Community received approximately 12 million non-resident visitors. In this context, it is strategic for Andean countries to strengthen the promotion of domestic tourism, considered a key driver for revitalizing destinations and localities, generating income in accommodation, food, transportation, leisure activities, and tourist experiences.

Tourism is a priority sector for development as a source of employment and economic growth. In the Andean Community, 80% of the sector consists of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), which provide employment opportunities for tour operators, guides, hoteliers, community-based tourism entrepreneurs, indigenous and rural communities, artisans, and chefs, among others.

To date, Andean tourism has contributed an average of 2.5 % to the region’s GDP and has generated approximately 4 million jobs, establishing itself as a key sector for the economy and regional development.

With the joint effort achieved at the First Andean Tourism Forum, the region is not only preparing to capitalize on these positive projections, but it is also consolidating a development model where cultural and natural wealth is enhanced and made visible through the «Andean Paths» project.