Ecuador Tourism Continues in Quito and Galápagos as Security Measures Tighten Across High-Risk Areas

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Ecuador tourism continues in Quito and Galápagos as security measures tighten across high-risk areas, with airports and established visitor destinations remaining accessible while authorities respond to organised crime, unrest and other security threats in specific parts of the country. Current official guidance shows that Ecuador remains open to international visitors, but travellers face sharply different risk levels depending on where they go.

Ecuador Remains Open to International Travellers

Ecuador continues to receive international visitors despite an increasingly complex security environment that has prompted tighter government measures and updated foreign travel advice.

The country’s official tourism platform continues to provide visitor information for its four major tourism regions: the Galápagos Islands, Andes, Pacific Coast and Amazon.

Major aviation gateways also remain part of the country’s tourism network, including Quito’s Mariscal Sucre International Airport and Guayaquil’s José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport.

Domestic airports serving Cuenca, Manta, Baltra and San Cristóbal provide additional connections.

However, describing the whole country as operating normally would oversimplify current conditions.

Security risks vary substantially between regions, making destination-specific planning increasingly important.

US Keeps Ecuador at Level 2

The latest U.S. State Department Travel Advisory, issued on August 18, 2026, keeps Ecuador at Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution.

The advisory identifies four principal risks:

• Crime
• Terrorism
• Civil unrest
• Kidnapping or hostage taking

The national advisory level did not change in the August update, but additional information about higher-risk locations was added.

Some areas carry considerably stronger restrictions than the nationwide Level 2 designation.

Ecuador Travel Situation at a Glance

Travellers therefore need to look beyond the nationwide advisory level and check the specific destination they plan to visit.

Quito Remains an Important Tourism Gateway

Quito continues to function as one of Ecuador’s principal international gateways and tourism centres.

The Ecuadorian Ministry of Tourism continues to promote the capital as a visitor destination, including its UNESCO-listed historic centre and its role as a starting point for journeys into the Andes and other parts of the country.

Quito’s international airport also remains central to Ecuador’s aviation system.

The capital should nevertheless not be treated as entirely insulated from national security developments.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office notes that organised criminal groups have previously carried out small explosions and false bomb threats in Quito and Guayaquil.

Travellers are advised to follow police and local-authority instructions if an incident occurs.

Galápagos Tourism Access Continues

The Galápagos Islands remain one of the clearest examples of Ecuador’s tourism system continuing to operate.

Ecuador’s official tourism portal continues to provide detailed information on reaching the islands.

Visitors travel by air from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra or San Cristóbal.

Foreign tourists must comply with additional Galápagos entry requirements, including the Transit Control Card and applicable protected-area procedures.

The islands remain geographically separated from many of the mainland locations facing the most serious organised-crime problems.

That distinction is important for travellers evaluating Ecuador as a whole.

Security conditions in one coastal province should not automatically be assumed to represent conditions in the Galápagos, Quito or every Andean tourism destination.

Guayaquil Requires Much More Careful Planning

Guayaquil presents a more complicated picture.

The U.S. State Department divides the city into different risk areas rather than applying one uniform assessment.

It advises Americans not to travel to Nueva Prosperina and Pascuales districts and to areas south of Portete de Tarqui Avenue because of crime and terrorism risks.

For areas north of Portete de Tarqui Avenue, the State Department recommends reconsidering travel.

The advisory cites violent crime involving armed robberies, targeted killings, kidnappings, bombings and assaults.

Guayaquil’s airport remains an important aviation gateway, including for travellers connecting towards the Galápagos, but the security conditions in parts of the city mean airport operations and wider urban tourism should not be treated as the same issue.

Coastal Ecuador Faces the Strongest Warnings

Some of Ecuador’s most serious current travel warnings apply to the coast.

The U.S. State Department advises against travel to several specific locations and recommends reconsidering travel to broader areas of provinces including El Oro, Los Ríos, Esmeraldas, Manabí, Santa Elena and Santo Domingo.

The UK government’s advice is broader still.

As of September 20, it advises against all but essential travel to the coastal provinces of Esmeraldas, Manabí, Santa Elena, Guayas, El Oro, Los Ríos and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas.

The UK guidance makes an exception for airside transit at Guayaquil Airport.

The principal concern is organised crime connected with drug trafficking and gang activity.

Northern Border Carries Additional Risks

Travellers planning journeys near Ecuador’s border with Colombia also need to examine current advice carefully.

The UK advises against all but essential travel within 20 kilometres of the Ecuador-Colombia border, with limited exceptions including Tulcán, the Rumichaca border crossing, the Pan-American Highway and El Ángel Ecological Reserve.

Security conditions can also change rapidly outside that immediate zone.

The UK specifically advises travellers visiting areas including Cuyabeno and the Napo River to use reputable official guides, travel during daylight hours, maintain communication systems and have an emergency plan.

That advice is particularly relevant for adventure and Amazon tourism.

US and Ecuador Maintain Security Cooperation

Security cooperation between Ecuador and the United States is well established.

The two countries have worked together on counternarcotics operations, transnational organised crime, border security and military capacity.

A bilateral agreement concerning operations against illicit transnational maritime activity and a Status of Forces Agreement entered into force in February 2024.

Previous bilateral dialogues have also covered training, equipment, counternarcotics work and broader citizen-security programmes.

These agreements provide important context for the countries’ security relationship.

However, there is not sufficient official evidence to say that a newly introduced joint U.S.–Ecuador tourism-security protocol is directly responsible for keeping mainstream tourist destinations operational in September 2026.

Those should be treated as separate claims unless authorities announce a specific tourism programme.

Ecuador Has Declared a New State of Exception

Current security measures also need to be understood in the context of Ecuador’s domestic response.

On September 15, 2026, the Ecuadorian presidency issued a new state of exception covering several provinces.

The measure applies to El Oro, Esmeraldas, Guayas, Los Ríos, Manabí, Pichincha, Santa Elena and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, as well as selected cantons elsewhere.

The government cited serious internal disturbance.

For international visitors, a state of exception does not automatically mean that all tourism activity stops.

It can, however, lead to additional security operations, restrictions or changing local conditions.

Travellers should therefore monitor developments immediately before and during their journey.

Tourism Operators Have an Increasing Role in Trip Planning

Ecuador’s own tourism authority advises visitors to check the status of their destination and contact tour operators or travel agencies when planning journeys.

That guidance has become particularly relevant as security conditions vary by location.

Established tourism companies can help travellers understand:

• Current conditions on specific routes
• Appropriate transportation
• Local security considerations
• Recommended departure times
• Guide requirements
• Changes to itineraries
• Emergency communication procedures
• Airport and transfer arrangements

For remote destinations, local operational knowledge can be especially important.

Security Does Not Affect Every Destination Equally

The most important consideration for prospective visitors is geography.

Ecuador is not experiencing one uniform security condition.

The Galápagos Islands present a very different travel environment from parts of coastal Guayas or Esmeraldas.

Quito differs from the Colombian border zone.

Andean tourism areas can face different risks from port cities affected by organised crime.

Current travel planning therefore requires a destination-by-destination approach rather than a simple conclusion that Ecuador is either completely safe or completely unsafe.

Tourism Industry Continues to Promote the Country

Despite the security challenges, Ecuador’s Ministry of Tourism continues to actively promote international travel.

Its September 2026 communications continue highlighting Quito and the Galápagos, which were among the first sites entered on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1978.

The official tourism platform also continues promoting travel across the country’s four tourism regions.

This indicates that Ecuador has not suspended its national tourism activity.

At the same time, official foreign advisories make clear that some areas require heightened precautions or should be avoided.

Both realities can exist simultaneously.

What Travellers Should Do Before Visiting Ecuador

Visitors considering Ecuador should use current government information rather than relying on broad claims about national safety.

Practical precautions include:

• Check the latest advisory for the exact destination.
• Confirm itineraries with established tourism operators.
• Avoid areas subject to Do Not Travel warnings.
• Follow instructions from Ecuadorian police and authorities.
• Use reputable transportation.
• Avoid unnecessary travel after dark in higher-risk locations.
• Maintain communication with hotels, guides and operators.
• Allow flexibility if local security conditions change.

Travellers heading into remote Amazon areas should pay particular attention to communications, guide arrangements and emergency planning.

Ecuador Tourism Remains Operational but Conditions Are Uneven

The current picture is therefore more nuanced than either a tourism shutdown or a complete return to routine conditions.

Major tourism destinations remain accessible.

International and domestic airports continue providing connectivity. Ecuador’s tourism authorities continue promoting travel. The Galápagos remain open to visitors, while Quito continues functioning as a major cultural and aviation gateway.

At the same time, organised crime and violence have resulted in serious warnings for specific coastal and border areas.

The appropriate question for travellers is therefore not simply whether Ecuador is open.

It is where in Ecuador they plan to travel and what the current official guidance says about that location.

Conclusion

Ecuador tourism continues in Quito and Galápagos as security measures tighten across high-risk areas, with major visitor gateways and established destinations remaining accessible while authorities confront organised crime and unrest in specific coastal, border and urban locations. U.S.–Ecuador security cooperation continues across counternarcotics, organised-crime and defence programmes, but travellers should not interpret that cooperation as a nationwide guarantee of tourism safety. Ecuador remains under a U.S. Level 2 advisory, with stronger warnings applying to particular destinations, making current local guidance, reputable operators and destination-specific planning essential for international visitors.