development, thanks to the in-novative urban renewal pro-jects which have restored manyof its historical neighborhoods,parks, avenues and squares, aswell as its transportation system

and port. Since his elec-

tion in 2000,Mayor Nebothas spearhead-ed many cam-

paigns to attract tourists andput his city on the internation-al map. One of his projects, themagnificent Malecon 2000promenade, also known as theSimon Bolivar Boardwalk,stretches for two miles alongthe waterfront, and boasts botha convivial daytime atmosphereand a vibrant nightlife scene.Restaurants and shops are in-terspersed with gardens, mon-uments, public art, and playareas, anchored by a theatrecomplex and a world-class mu-seum. Beautiful old barrios, orneighbourhoods, have beencarefully restored to preservetheir charm; Las Penas, for ex-ample, has a rich artistic her-itage reflected in its scores ofart galleries.

Street lighting, public safetyand transportation have alsobeen improved. In August 2006,the city's first rapid transit sys-tem, Metrovia, opened to pro-vide a quicker, high-capacityservice for locals and touristalike. The city has also seen theconstruction of a new terminalat the José Joaquín de OlmedoInternational Airport at a cost

of $70 million – an investmentwhich has seen the airport at-tract numerous accolades forbeing one of the best of its kindin the world.

Mayor Nebot´s and his ad-ministration are also responsi-ble for the “future” Daularairport, destined to be in oper-ation between 2017 and 2021,just as the JJ Olmedo airportreaches the limits of its operat-ing capacity. The new airportwill have three simultaneouslanding lanes built to handle theword’s largest aircraft (only sixother airports in the world, allof them in the United States,can boast this feature.

Meanwhile, Guayaquil’s port,is already one of the busiest inthe region, and has been thesubject of major expansion andcontinued investment. Alongwith the airports, it is regardedas a catalyst for further growth.The transport link are natural-ly fundamental to Guayaquil’sposition in the global market, assummarised by Mayor Nebot’spragmatic attitudes.

“You cannot ignore or pre-tend that globalization does notexist – it is there, beyond goodor bad. It is there, and what youhave to do is have the ability toreap its benefits ,and minimize

its disadvantages.”But between its geographic

location, infrastructure, fierce-ly independent mindset and dy-namic work ethic, there seemsto be little to prevent Guayaquilfrom succeeding in its dreamof becoming Latin America’smain commercial hub.

“In the struggle for survival, thefittest wins out at the expenseof their rivals because they suc-ceed in adapting themselves bestto their environment.” Charles Darwin

Never has a statement beenmore apt than when referring tothe city of Quayaquil in Ecuador,which has evolved to becomeone of the most importantemerging cities in South Amer-ica, and is poised for furthergrowth and increased strategicregional influence.

Larger than Quito, the capi-tal of Ecuador, Guayaquil isamong the fastest-growing citiesin South America, with a pop-ulation of more than three mil-lion in the metropolitan area,indicative of a growth rate ofnearly 12% over the past fiveyears. It is making giant stridestowards becoming a major com-mercial hub for the whole LatinAmerican region: Ecuador isthe world's largest banana ex-porter, and a major producer ofshrimp and canned fish, prin-cipally tuna. Much of the wealthderived from these activities

passes through Guayaquil – theprincipal port for the country.

In contrast to the rest of thecountry, which has often beenhamstrung by power strugglesand public suspicion of mod-ern business practices,Guayaquil has a relentlessly up-beat and open attitude to com-merce. While many might say“Live and let live,” Guayaquiland its current major JaimeNebot prefer to say “Work andlet work.” Being a port city, it isacutely aware of the value offree trade and free enterprise.

Mayor Nebot is a staunchsupporter of free enterprise,never afraid to air his deeplyheld beliefs. “It’s only possible toattract investment throughstimulation and trust. InGuayaquil we are easy goingwith investment; we don’t tellthe investor what to do, but westand by in the development oftheir business.”

He continues: “The Statemust guarantee legal certain-ty, and cannot change the rulesof the game every day to itsbenefit and to the detriment ofthe investor. The state has to

guarantee and protect compe-tition and improve competi-tiveness; for that the state mustencourage production. Thestate must abandon any re-strictive practice to this com-petitiveness. The state mustguarantee access to markets.”

An example of the strength,resilience and confidence of thebusiness environment inGuayaquil is provided by theUK’s Investment and ForeignCommerce Office for LatinAmerica Director, Tony Lamb,who said recently in his visit toEcuador that they had identifiedthe biggest investment oppor-tunities as being in Guayaquil.After talking with UK’s investorspresent in the country, the com-pany are moving part of their hu-man resources to Guayaquil.

Defending the city’s autono-my, Mayor Nebot has said:“Guayaquil will never give upthe right to the freedom to de-cide, the fairness to receive orthe creativity to progress.”

Nebot’s philosophy is payingdividends. In recent years,Guayaquil has been recognisedby the UN as a model for urban

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“IF YOU DEFINESUCCESS AS THEABILITY TO MAKEDREAMS COMETRUE, THAT ISWHAT WE DO INGUAYAQUIL”

“Work, and let work...” Guayaquil, the commercialcentre and major port ofEcuador, is a haven of free enterprise, free trade and free expression

JAIME NEBOT,Mayor of Guayaquil

This supplement to USA TODAY was produced by United World Ltd.: Suite 179, 34 Buckingham Palace Road - London SW1W 0RH - Tel: 44 20 7409 3106 - ourworld@unitedworld-usa.com - www.unitedworld-usa.com

Monday, October 24, 2011

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GUAYAQUIL

Guayaquil is the city that hashad more sustainable devel-opment in Latin America inthe last decade according toCAF (Corporación Andinade Fomento). In 2003 thecity was named “Model cityof Human Development andGovernance” by the UnitedNations.

The port is now a thor-oughly modern metropoliswhich boasts numerous mu-seums, historic neighbour-hoods, sprawling parks, anda beautifully renovated wa-terfront strip – the city´spiece de resistance. TheMalecón 2000 – a prome-nade running two miles alongthe Guayas river – is part ofGuayaquil´s urban reformscheme initiated eleven yearsago by the Leon Febres-Cordero administration; cur-rent mayor Jaime Nebotcontinued the work and hasbrought the project to a suc-cessful conclusion.

Although the scheme be-gan with the restoration andrenovation of the waterfront,initially aimed at attractingforeign investment, the workhas also resulted in the up-grading of various informaland marginalized communi-ty facilities.

For example, the Malecón2000 resulted in the upgrad-ing of Las Peñas by the sim-ple action of painting thefacades of houses. When LasPeñas regained its identityand the attention of the city,residents established infor-mal businesses in the cornersof their homes. Small cafes,bars, cigarette shops sprungup on a regular basis afterthe townsfolk were given theopportunity to participate ina series of workshops onstarting a business and howbest to treat tourists. Anotherexample of a positive knock-on effect was project ViernesSanto, a small sports and wa-ter park which consists of aswimming pool with foun-

tains and playground. Otheramenities include a bike lane,some basketball and soccercourts , bathrooms, foodkiosks and a trail that bor-ders the entire perimeter.

These examples show howGuayaquil is a prime exam-ple of efficacious governanceand how urban regenerationcan help bring a region’s po-tential, for both business andtourism, to the fore.

Lauded internationally forhis efforts, Mayor Nebot is apopular and formidable fig-ure in Ecuadorian politics.His signature policies as may-or have improved both thecity’s physical appearance andits economy, earning him areputation as an urban inno-vator. “There has been a greaturban regeneration. Thereare unique places like theGuayas riverside, the SantaAna hill, the Estero Saladowaterfront, plus museums,

churches, parks, a magnifi-cent hostelry industry, excel-lent food, hotels, casinos andnightclubs all makeGuayaquil a city worth visit-ing,” he said.

Today, there’s a feeling ofa new and proud identity inthe air for Guayacos that is al-most tangible as you walkthrough a city whose physi-cal and social metamorpho-sis has made it a welcomingdestination for natives andvisitors alike. And excitingthings lie ahead forGuayaquil, as the govern-ment has initiated schemes toimprove air quality and alle-viate traffic congestion,which has been helped withthe introduction of Metro-via in 2006.

This rapid public transportsystem, for which MayorNebot was awarded the Sus-tainable Transport Award inWashington DC in 2007, is

Rebirth of a city, and its spirit

The beautiful Malecon 2000 promenade runs for two miles along the Guayas river

Over the past 15 years the Mu-nicipality of Guayaquil has in-vested in a number of majorurban renewal projects: a newwaterfront promenade wasbuilt, inner city and peripher-al parks reshaped, historicalneighbourhoods and marketsrebuilt, mass transport im-proved and new housing pro-jects launched.

However, there is still a greatneed for the provision of evenmore residential develop-ments, as Guayaquil is a citywith a housing deficit. The his-torical causes for this short-age include high births rates,mass migration to the city, andmuch of the population’s loweconomic capacity.

That said, some urban de-velopment projects have al-ready been implementedsuccessfully. Mucho Lote I,was launched in 2001 andheavily promoted by the city,targeting the middle and mid-dle-low sectors of the popula-tion.

Mucho Lote 1 was built on189 hectares bordered by thePerimetral highway, BastionPopular and Francisco de Orel-lana Avenue. The develop-ment was divided into sevencategories and consists of res-idential areas, commercialzones and green spaces, as wellas various communal facili-ties. Mucho Lote I was such aresounding success similarprojects have been planned –including Mucho Lote II.

This project is based on 143hectares in the northeast ofGuayaquil, at the bottom ofthe Cerro Colorado betweenGrand Avenue Terrestrial Ter-minal Pascuales and the Daulebreeze – a privileged area ofthe city surrounded by beau-tiful countryside.

Mucho Lote II is the second

housing program to have beenestablished under Mayor JaimeNebot´s administration, whichpreviously delivered MuchoLote 1. Since his election in2000, Mayor Nebot has beenthe driving force behind plansto make top-quality housingaffordable to the general pop-ulation.

“Throughout our adminis-tration we have delivered al-most 165,000 new houses forthe low-income class popula-tion of Guayaquil,” said May-or Nebot.

Municipal representativesestimate that the new houseswill be sold at prices rangingfrom $ 10,000 to $ 30,000. Hav-ing provided the land and in-frastructure, the municipalitydoes not design or build thehouses itself – that task has

been left to Daldry Construc-ciones, and four other con-struction firms.

There are approximately9,000 new homes being builtin the Mucho Lote II devel-opment – all consisting of oneor two floors – with two plotsizes to choose from: standardcentral units of 78m2, and larg-er, corner sites standing at91m2.

The Mucho Lote II devel-opment will consist of recre-ation areas, a large linear park,a cycle path and a river em-bankment – all of which addvalue and charm to the project.When the development iscompleted, the two and threebedroom units will be sold fin-ished or unfinished, and ei-ther with or withoutlandscaping.

New homes for all

“THROUGHOUT OUR ADMINISTRATION WEHAVE DELIVERED ALMOST 165,000 NEWHOUSES FOR THE LOW-INCOME CLASSPOPULATION OF GUAYAQUIL.”

“THERE HAS BEENA GREAT URBANREGENERATION.THERE AREUNIQUE PLACESLIKE THE GUAYASRIVERSIDE, THESANTA ANA HILL,THE ESTEROSALADOWATERFRONT,PLUS MUSEUMS,CHURCHES, PARKS,A MAGNIFICENTHOSTELRYINDUSTRY,EXCELLENT FOOD,HOTELS, CASINOSAND NIGHTCLUBSALL MAKEGUAYAQUIL A CITYWORTH VISITING.”

Successful urban regeneration schemes in Guayaquil symbolize the city’s energy, pride and can-do attitude

Guayaquil’s need foraffordable housing isbeing addressed by thelaunch of the secondMucho Lotedevelopment

comprised of an elevatedtransit lane for buses alongseven core routes, and is con-sidered one of the most mod-ern systems of its kind inLatin America. In a citywhere traffic jams used tomean inevitable delays,Metrovia’s usefulness is in-valuable, as it can whisk pas-sengers from the north of the

city to the south in a mere 15minutes, or to the airportwith plenty of time left forlast-minute shopping and arelaxing cup of coffee.

Meanwhile, Guayaquil’s re-cently built Terrestrial Ter-minal at the Jaime RoldosAguilera Station has markedanother milestone in thecity’s development. This bus

terminal affords convenienttransport links in addition tomodern facilities, includinga cinema, a medical centreand a supermarket. Morethan 80 bus companies cur-rently operate services fromhere, and once the terminalis finished, it will see an es-timated 50 million passen-gers per year pass through.

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GUAYAQUIL

TOP 5industry facts

(source: Guayaquil Chamber of Industry)

It isn’t hard to see whyGuayaquil is known as thecommercial capital ofEcuador when 42 per cent ofthe country´s top 100 com-panies have chosen the vi-brant city as the base for theiroperations. Guayaquil has,since colonial times, been animportant centre of com-merce, and is today the back-bone of Ecuador´s economy– thanks to a thriving seaport,state-of-the-art airport andexcellent infrastructure.

For international compa-nies, the appeal of Guayaquillies not only in its being a largemarket in itself, but also as apoint of access to businessthroughout Ecuador and therest of Latin America.

Ecuador's economy first de-veloped around the harvest-ing of agricultural productssuch as bananas, coffee andcocoa. As different regions ofthe country were settled, oth-er resources were exploitedand production diversified toinclude lumber and oil fromthe Amazon, shrimp and fishfrom the coast, and fruits,grains and other food com-modities. Oil, shrimp, and ba-nanas are the nation's topthree exports, while the man-ufacturing sector accounts forless than 7 percent of all ex-ports. Presently 70 per cent ofexports and imports gothrough Guayaquil port.

According to the 2009ranking of the EconomicCommission for Latin Amer-ica and the Caribbean(ECLAC), of the 50 largestports in Latin America,Guayaquil is ranked ninth. In2009, the concessionaire ofthe seaport, Contecon, in-vested $100 million in termi-nal equipment and thepurchase of cranes for the op-eration of ships with greater

capacity. Trade, industry, tourism

and real estate are the enginesthat drive Guayaquil. The citygenerates 58 per cent ofEcuador’s customs revenues,over 25% of national GDP. Inthe province of Guayas, ofwhich Guayaquil is the capi-tal, the share of trade inprovincial GDP is 33.5 percent, according to CentralBank of Ecuador (figures as of2007). Real estate and busi-ness activities reached 31 percent of provincial GDP, withmanufacturing industry oc-cupying 35 per cent.

Eduardo Peña, President ofthe Guayaquil Chamber ofCommerce, says that despitethe global crisis, his is still acity that can attract new busi-nesses. "It's a city that gets upeveryday and tries to moveforward,” said Mr Peña.

“Guayaquil offers what ismost important in business:an environment, a culture andan entrepreneurial spirit, plusa local authority very open todevelopment and investment.When you do business hereyou get a yes or no very quick-

ly - it’s straightforward. Guay-acos don’t spin. Decisions aremade quickly, and that’s goodfor business.”

These sentiments areechoed by Francisco Alarcón,President of Tony Corpora-tion, a holding company with

investments in the UnitedStates.

“If you come to Guayaquiland want to know what peo-ple think of you and your pro-ject, it will take two days, nomore. You don’t have to readbetween the lines. People arevery upfront, very clear. Theyare not going to waste yourtime, and that’s something theentrepreneur, the investorhighly values.”

Nebot’s administration al-so aims for strong collabora-tion between the state andindustry especially throughpublic and private partner-ships (PPPs). In emergingmarkets such as Ecuador,rapid economic growth canoutstrip infrastructure sup-ply. PPPs allow the public sec-tor access to new sources offinance and the benefits ofprivate sector skills and man-

agement that can reduce costsand generate greater value.

So far, PPPs have played amajor role in Guayaquil’s de-velopment, running its port,water supplies and the Metro-via transit system, among oth-er examples. As HenryKronfle, President ofGuayaquil Chamber of In-dustry and President of LatinAmerica Industrial Associa-tion, remarks: “The rule isvery simple: either we havepublic-private partnershipsor we fail.”

Mayor Jaime Nebot adds:“Guayaquil is an autonomicand enterprising city that hasits own personality, its owncharacteristics and its ownway of seeing things. There islegal security, the rules of thegame are clear, and there is atendency towards a socialmarket economy.

Though it is over 475 yearsold, Guayaquil is athoroughly modern citywith a business-like attitude

A great place to do business

Guayaquil: a large market in itself, and an access point to the rest of Latin America

It is hard to exaggerate the im-portance of bananas to theworld in general, and Ecuadorin particular. Bananas are thefourth most important staplefood crop in world food pro-duction, and a primary sourceof income to the Ecuadorianeconomy, second only to therevenue produced by oil. Thebanana industry provides jobsto some 2.5 million people, ormore than one million families.The country is well known asthe world's premier exporter ofbananas, which are available allyear round thanks to the zerodegrees latitude upon whichthe country sits.

The majority of bananas ex-ported around the world de-part from Guayaquil, which isperfectly positioned geo-graphically and logistically tobest harness the fruits ofEcuador’s agrifood sector. Thecity is nestled on the Pacific

coast in the west of the coun-try within the province ofGuayas – also one ofEcuador’s major banana pro-ducing regions. Last yearmore than 265 million boxesof banana were exported, rep-resenting an income ofUS$1.900 million. This makesthe banana the private sec-tor’s leading export product,forming 3.84% of the coun-try’s GDP.

Bananas were first culti-vated in the 1700's, but onlybecame a major export itemfor Ecuador after World WarII when multinationals suchthe American Dole FoodCompany established a pres-ence there. Working hand-in-hand with the Union deBananeros Ecuatorianos(UBESA), Dole is the world’slargest producer of fruit, veg-etables and flowers.

As some 325,000 acres or

130,000 hectares currently ex-ists in the planting allocationof bananas in Ecuador, it is es-sential that companies likeDole engage in sustainable en-vironmental practices so as notto deplete the land. In fact,Dole prides itself as an innov-ative and entrepreneurial com-pany which implementssustainable environmentalpractices wherever it can. Thecompany not only looks forquality bananas, but for pro-

duce that has been pro-duced to standards that

maintain and

preserve the environment.“We consider a fundamen-

tal part of the whole processof reduction of environmen-tal impacts, to monitor andcontrol continuously and con-sistently in all our activitiesand, thereby, reducing the in-cidence of those areas thatcould produce significant en-vironmental im-pacts,” states thecompany.

Dole constantlyhelps and advis-es farmers inidentif y-

ing areas of particular envi-ronmental sensitivity relatedto their operations. “All ouremployees are aware of howthey can contribute to be apositive or negative impactto the environment, and howthese activities should be con-trolled to avoid significant im-pact to the environment, andknow how to mitigate andremedy the impact. Throughthese practices we canachieve to provide a betterquality of life for our em-ployees, producing safe andreliable products for our cus-tomers, with minimal impactto the environment. Ourpractices reflect who we are,what we do and how we doit,” states the company.In addition to using conven-tional agricultural produc-tion methods, Dole has beenexploring alternative grow-ing methods to provide con-

sumers with a choice as tohow their bananas are grown.At the forefront of this initia-tive is Dole’s Certified Or-ganic Banana Program. Inmany ways, Dole acts as aleader in the agricultural in-dustry with its research intosoil fertility, biological diseaseand insect control. The com-pany constantly seeks alter-natives to synthetic chemicalsin their production methods,even for conventional ba-nanas. Since the 1980s, Dole’spest management controlshave been integrated with cul-tural methods to reduce theuse of chemical products, andsome techniques have elimi-nated the use of chemicals al-together. Dole continues toinvestigate new, non-chemi-cal methods to protect crops,and works to implement theseprocedures as quickly as pos-sible in their farms.

The humble banana is a major contributor to the economy, with Dole Food Corporation a leading producer – both in terms of numbers and production methods

Bananas: a healthy, sustainable business

Ecuador’s tuna catch in 2011 islikely to reach 200,000 tons,making it one the biggest tuna-fishing nations in the world.Given that fishing plays such amajor role in Ecuador’s econo-my, the country has a strong in-terest in safeguarding theindustry’s long-term viability.

However, in 2010, figuresfrom the Association of TunaCompanies from Ecuador(Atunec) found that betweenJanuary and October 2010,402,868 tons of tuna was caughtin the eastern Pacific, 16% downon what was landed in the sameperiod in 2009. This was a warn-ing sign of possible depletion offish stocks.

Plus, research had found

that an average of 5% of a ves-sel’s catch could be “bycatch”– the unintended entangle-ment of marine life such as dol-phins and turtles.

Though Ecuador’s Tuna in-dustry is “Dolphin Safe”, in col-laboration with TheInternational Seafood Sus-tainability Foundation (ISSF),the industry undertook re-search into how to improve itsFish Aggregating Device (FAD)fishing methods to ensure itminimized any other bycatchand could stabilize tuna num-bers. In May 2011, Ecuadorteamed up with scientists fromthe Inter-American TropicalTuna Commission (IATTC)for an expedition in the east-

ern Pacific Ocean launchingthe next phase of a globally co-ordinated project to promotepractical techniques to reducethe environmental impact oftuna fishing.

The expedition was a suc-cess in that it made a signifi-cant contribution to theunderstanding of FAD fishingpractices. The joint researchwith the ISSF and IATTC foundthat it was better to improveFAD fishing techniques ratherthan replace them, because theproposed alternatives were lessefficient and could produce im-balances between the state of re-sources and companies thatoperate fisheries as well as im-pact consumer involvement.

Finding a balance forour oceans’ ecosystemsEcuador, the world’s leading producer of tuna, is improving its fishing practicesin order to preserve and sustain the planet’s marine resources

Between 2004-2007the industry of the

province of Guayas accounted for over 35% of Ecuador’s GDP.

The assets of the in-dustry of the province

of Guayas represented 40%of the total assets ofEcuador’s industry in 2009.

Also in 2009, the totalsales – domestic mar-

ket and exports – of industryin the Guayas region repre-sented 36% of the sales ofthe national industry.

During the 2005-2010 period, an aver-

age of 31% of the totalindustrial investments in thecountry belong to Guayaquil.

37% of the nationalindustrial labor force

belongs to the Industry ofGuayas

HENRY KRONFLE,President of GuayaquilChamber of Industry and President ofLatin America Industrial Association

EDUARDO PENA, President of theGuayaquil Chamber of Commerce

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GUAYAQUIL

Guayaquil has the potentialto become the main com-mercial/cargo hub for LatinAmerica once the DaularAirport project becomes areality. The airport is readyto be built, well before theoriginally planned timeframeof between 2017 and 2021.That’s when the Jose Joaquinde Olmedo International air-port will reach its capacityof 5 million passengers peryear. But if a major cargohaulier can be attracted tothe project, work can startimmediately.

The new airport will bebuilt in the Daular area, 12miles outside the city, nearthe highway that connectsGuayaquil to Salinas and oth-er coastal towns.

Once built, the Daular Air-port, designed in collabora-tion with US-based MITRE,will be one of the few air-ports in the world with threerunways capable of handlingsimultaneous landings –even those of aircraft as largeas the Airbus 380.

Having an internationalfreight carrier base its oper-

ations in Guayaquil would bethe icing on the cake with re-gard to the city’s plans of be-coming the main commercialhub for Latin America.

Nicolas Romero, generalmanager of Autoridad Aero-portuaria de Guayaquil,states that the J.J. Olmedoairport is a window to thecity, and that the airport isnot only recognized global-ly but has been awarded sev-eral times as the “bestairport” in Latin America as

well as being classified as oneof the best in the world.

“Guayaquil definitely hasthe infrastructure to be a lo-gistics and commercial hub,”said Mr Romero. “We have afirst class port in the region,an airport internationallyrecognized as one of the bestin Latin America, and goodinfrastructure,” said MrRomero.

Add to this Ecuador´sstrategic position that pro-vides direct access to EastAsia markets and to the Westcoast of the United States. Itsproximity to the PanamaCanal permits safe access toEurope, the eastern coast ofthe US, Africa, the MiddleEast and the rest of Asia.

As Mr Romero states, theAAG has both the locationand the finance to buildDaular airport , and he ishopeful that at least one ofthe global cargo/logisticscompanies will set up a basethere. Mr Romero points outthat that all the global cargoand logistics giants have hubsin Africa, Asia, Europe andNorth America – but nonein Latin America… andGuayaquil would be the ide-al location.

Guayaquil is, above all other things, a port city, andthe port itself is a hugely important pillar of the lo-cal and national economy. 70 percent of Ecuador’stotal import and export cargo currently passesthrough Guayaquil, making it one of the ten mostbusy ports in Latin America.

Mayor Jaime Nebot likes to point out the simi-larities between his city and Miami – another portcity that rediscovered and reinvigorated itself to be-come a thriving tourist and business destination.

The port, which lies on the banks of the GuayasRiver, 50 miles from the Gulf of Guayaquil onEcuador's Pacific coast, has been earmarked for a $70million investment next year to upgrade machinery.Contecon Guayaquil SA (CGSA) the port operatorand an affiliate of International Container TerminalServices Inc, will fund the upgrade. Contecon as-sumed management responsibility for the contain-er and multi-purpose terminal as part of a 20-yearconcession as of August 1, 2007.

Since assuming control of the terminal, CGSA hasinvested around $160m in both civil works andequipment. This has resulted in the creation of 1,700meters of linear berth, of which 700 meters are ex-clusively set aside for full container vessels. Thisyear it will invest a further $70m to upgrade oper-ations and machinery by purchasing four addition-al cranes for the port.

Guayaquil has proved to be somewhat recessionproof, reporting traffic of 900,000 TEU (twenty-footequivalent unit) in 2010, of which CGSA account-ed for 625,000 TEU. This year a further increase hasbeen forecast, which will bring the TEU traffic tothe 1,000,000 mark.

With regard to safety, Contecon have been award-ed several certifications such as ISPS Code and theBASC Certification as well as certificates in ISO In-tegrated Norms (ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001, OHSAS18001 and ISO 28000). Locally, Contecon was award-ed by the Municipality of Guayaquil with an “Eco-efficiency Recognition” and, by the Chamber ofCommerce with the “Centenario Decoration” for itssignificant contribution to the country’s interna-tional trade.

Guayaquil is home to one of Latin America’s busiestports, and Contecon, who maintain the facility, havewon awards for their efficient management

Flight into the future

The port of call

“WE HAVE A FIRSTCLASS PORT IN THEREGION, ANAIRPORTINTERNATIONALLYRECOGNIZED ASONE OF THE BEST INLATIN AMERICA.”

The planned airport at Daular can make Guayaquil themajor transport hub for the whole of Latin America

NICOLAS ROMERO, generalmanager of AutoridadAeroportuaria deGuayaquil, on the impor-tance of airports:

Why do you thinkGuayaquil is a good choiceto become the main com-mercial hub of Latin Ameri-ca?We have a first class port in the region,an airport internationally recognized asone of the best in Latin America, wehave good roads throughout theprovince, and the Guayas River Basin,one of the richest areas on the Pacificcoast, where you can grow everythingfrom bananas to coffee to cacao. Flyingconditions are perfect too: 99.9 per centvisibility, and the ability to take off andland 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Do you think building asecond airport will furtherenhance Guayaquil?Airports are big news these days as theyadd value and cause cities to grow in apositive way.Previously authorities were asked tobuild an airport as far from the city aspossible so as not to disturb people bynoisy aircraft. Now people have real-ized that when an airport is built it be-comes a center of employment andenhances the economic development ofa city.

And is that something youare striving to achieve?Currently there is a new concept usedin the United States - "aerotrópolis" -which is no longer the airport city con-cept but a concept of integral develop-ment. An example are large companiesin Silicon Valley in California are mov-ing their offices to Memphis becausethat's the big distribution center for allproducts. It’s the way forward.

So once the new airport isbuilt you would like to at-tract more businesses toset up shop in Guayaquil?Yes, for example, all the global cargoand logistics giants have hubs in Africa,Asia, Europe and North America butnone in Latin America.I think once the new airport comes on-line that Guayaquil would be the perfectbase for Latin American operations.”

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GUAYAQUIL

Headquartered in Guayaquiland owned by CorporaciónEl Rosado S.A., Supercinesis the largest cinema chainin Ecuador, and has revolu-tionized the cinema-goingexperience in the countrythrough the introduction ofinnovations such as digitalprojection, high resolutionwall-to-wall screens, stadi-um seating, and tri-amplifiedDolby® digital sound.

Eight years ago, Supercineswas the third-largest cinemachain with just 10% of themarket in Ecuador, butthanks to the guidance andvision of Martin SchwartzRivelis, General Manager ofthe Entertainment Divisionfor Corporación El RosadoS.A., Supercines has beencatapulted to the position ofmarket leader.

Today, the cinema chain isthe top exhibitor in Ecuador,claiming 66% of the market,operating 160 screens (40 ofthem digital) in 16 theatresacross 10 cities, and openingon average 25 screens peryear. By 2013, Supercines willreach 200 screens in Ecuador.No mean feat.

To celebrate his ongoingachievements, Mr SchwartzRivelis will be honored withthe International Achieve-ment Award in Exhibition atthis year’s ShowEast Con-vention at the Westin Diplo-mat Resort & Spa inMiami/Hollywood, Florida.

“ShowEast is thrilled to rec-ognize such an important andhighly regarded executive ofthe international exhibitioncommunity,” stated its man-aging directorRobert Sun-shine.

“His strategic mind andability for understanding thebusiness, along with his in-tegrity in all aspects of hislife, have made Martín a keyelement in the film industryin Ecuador and the region.”

Explaining in more detail,Mr Schwartz Rivelis added:“There are two very big filmfairs in the United States:ShowWest and ShowEast.The ShowWest takes placein Las Vegas (now called Cin-emacom), and the ShowEastis usually in Orlando – but isbeing held in Miami this year,from October 24-27. Thereare two conventions whereeveryone meets : the ex-hibitors, distributors, studiosand so on.

“Every year two awards aregiven out: the Exhibitor of theYear, and Distributor of theYear. This year I have beennamed Exhibitor of the Year.Obviously it is an award basedon the growth and develop-ment of film in Ecuador, andthe success of Supercines.”

Supercine’s parent com-pany Corporación El Rosa-do S.A. is one of the region’s

most important industrialgroups, with diverse com-mercial activities rangingfrom supermarkets, toystores, hardware stores aswell as the entertainment di-vision with its cinemas, shop-ping malls and radio stations.

Since arriving at El Rosa-do, Mr Schwartz Rivelis hassteadily expanded and de-veloped the business portfo-lio under his control, whichnow includes the theatricaland home-entertainmentdistribution for Warner Bros,Chili’s and Carl´s Jr fran-chises, Metropolis audio andvideo stores, and the Rio-centro and Paseo shoppingmalls. Notably, Metropolishas exclusive distributionrights for premium brandsincluding Apple and BoseAudio.

In 2004, El Rosado was ap-pointed as the Disney the-atrical and home-videodistributor in Ecuador, andhas since incorporated Ra-dio Disney, Walt DisneyRecords, Disney ConsumerProducts and Disney MediaPlus, under Schwartz Rivelis’management. In that sameyear, Supercines alsolaunched its exclusive VIPconcept for moviegoers inselect theatres.

In 2005, a new cinema con-cept arrived in Latin Amer-ica, also initiated by SchwartzRivelis: the GT-MAX. Thisis the largest non-IMAXscreen in the region, with 340square meters and more than400 seats per screen. Su-percines was also a pioneerin introducing the first digi-tal screens in Ecuador – and,incredibly, 25% of Ecuador’scinemas are now totally dig-ital, compared with a world-wide average of 10-12%.

Never one to rest on hislaurels, Mr Schwartz Rivelishas a number of new pro-jects lined up for Supercines,including the introductionof alternative content andspecial school programswhich will increase the the-atre’s usage during off-peaktimes.

Bringing Hollywood glamour to Ecuador

SUPERCINES WASALSO A PIONEERIN INTRODUCINGTHE FIRST DIGITALSCREENS INECUADOR – AND,INCREDIBLY, 25%OF ECUADOR’SCINEMAS ARENOW TOTALLYDIGITAL,COMPARED WITHA WORLDWIDEAVERAGE OF 10-12%.

MARTÍN SCHWARTZ RIVELIS, Executive Manager of the Entertainment Division of Corporación El Rosado S.A.

The country’s movie-goers have been well served bySupercines, which under the guidance of MartinSchwartz Rivelis has made Ecuador’s cinemas the mostmodern in the world

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The Galápagos archipelago,the jewel in the crown of theEcuadorian tourism, is lessthan two hours by air fromGuayaquil. The legendary is-lands are one of the planet’smost pristine natural par-adises. 600 miles distant fromthe Ecuadorian mainland,they shelter one of the world’sunique eco-systems, boast-ing animal, marine and plantlife not found elsewhere onthe planet.

Though particularly fa-mous for the endangered gi-ant tortoise, the Galápagos isalso home to a wide varietyof land and sea- birds, igua-nas, whales, sharks, sea lionsand penguins. In 1978 the is-lands were made a UNESCOworld nature heritage site andin 1985, a World BiosphereReserve.

Not surprisingly, Guayaquilis playing host to increasedtourism, with over three mil-lion visitors now flying in an-nually. There has been

significant tourist infra-structure development, andthe modern and efficienttransport network covering28 miles of the city can takevisitors to all of Guayaquil’smajor attractions and busi-ness centers with ease. Aswell as the large hotel brandsincluding the Marriot, Hilton,Howard Johnson, Sonestaand Sheraton, there are alsodozens of large and medium-

sized hotels, boutique hotelsand family-style lodgings.The Holiday Inn and Wind-ham hotels are coming soontoo.

The business traveler willfind the brand new conven-tion center – a versatile venuesuitable for internationaltrade fairs , exhibitions andevents – located just minutesfrom the airport. In fact ,Guayaquil’s role as a business

center was recognized in2006 when it was named “thebest city to do business in” byLatin Trade magazine, and in2003 the UN declaredGuayaquil a “Model City ofHuman Development andGovernance”.

Las Peñas, Guayaquil's old-est neighborhood, is cur-rently being restored and is acenter of cultural activitiesand expositions. The Parque

Historical combines a recre-ation of Guayaquil from theearly 1900’s, a wildlife parkand an area celebrating thetraditions and customs ofcoastal Ecuador.

Outside Guayaquil, visitorswill find nature reserves, ecoand agro-tourism activities,and spectacular beaches. Up-river and east of the GuayasRiver, tourists can follow thecacao route, watch rodeo

shows, meander throughforests, ride horses and ob-serve everyday life on a typ-ical Guayas farm. The islandsin the Gulf of Guayaquil, thelargest of which is Puná Is-land, have mangrove forests,picturesque fishing villagesand rich biodiversity. Duewest of Guayaquil lies the Ru-ta del Sol, where the Pacificattracts sun seekers andbeachcombers.

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GUAYAQUIL

JOSEPH GARZOZI, Director of Tourism of theMunicipality of Guayaquil, has pioneered the concept of“light tourism”, which allows visitors to enjoy the beautyand excitement of the city in the comfort and freedom oflightweight clothing.

Traveling light

Guayaquil is the perfectstarting point to explore thenatural wonders of theGalapagos, and culturalheritage of Ecuador.

Gateway to Galapagos, and much more

Red Mangrove Lodge, on Galapagos’ largest island, Isabela

HHooww ddiidd tthhee ““lliigghhtt”” ttoouurriissmmccoonncceepptt eemmeerrggee aanndd wwhhaatt ddooeessiitt mmeeaann?? There are many cities in theworld with a lot to offer butGuayaquil is distinguishablebecause of its privileged loca-tion near the Equator, whichmeans that the climate is uni-form throughout most of theyear. Anyone that lives, worksor visits the city can enjoy ac-tivities in casual dress. Mostclubs and restaurants do not re-quire a tie or suit. You can doseveral activities either in orvery close to the city such asurban tourism, nature, agrotourism and even adventuretourism such as paraglidingand kayaking and Guayaquilis rich in history and has an ex-cellent variety of food. Yet, allfacets of tourism are in an en-vironment that can be enjoyedyear round with lightweightclothing. This means less lug-gage, less weight to carry andless excess baggage charges -which is important as baggagecharges are becoming in-creasingly expensive.

Guayaquil is also a greatshopping destination withover 24 modern shoppingmalls and many other marketsand stores. If visitors arrivewith fewer clothes, they willhave extra space in their suit-case for purchases such asclothes, shoes and souvenirsfrom their journey.

IIss tthhee ““lliigghhtt”” ccoonncceepptt aa vvaalliiddccoonncceepptt ffoorr iinntteerrnnaattiioonnaallttoouurriissmm,, oorr iitt iiss mmoorree ffooccuusseeddoonn ddoommeessttiicc ttoouurriissmm??According to the opinions ofinternational tourists that wepolled, they love the concept.A delegation from Tourism

Vancouver came recently toGuayaquil and when we ex-plained the concept of “light”tourism they thought it wasgreat. They said people wholive in cold countries dream ofgoing to destinations wherethey can pack only casual wearand travel light.

WWhhaatt iiss ffoorr yyoouu tthhee iimmppoorrttaanncceeooff GGuuaayyaaqquuiill bbeeiinngg tthhee ffiirrssttttoouurriissmm ddeessttiinnaattiioonn ddeeffiinniinnggiittsseellff aass ““lliigghhtt”” iinn tthhee wwoorrlldd??What we are doing is creatinga new market segment. Thereare segments such “sun andbeach”, “winter sports” and “ad-venture tourism”. “Light”tourism defines those citiesyou can comfortably visit,without worrying about whatto wear. For corporate travel-ers this is particularly useful aseven at business conventionsand conferences in Guayaquilthe dress code is informal.

AAllll tthhee ccoouunnttrriieess iinn tthhee ttrroopp--iiccss eennjjooyy pprreettttyy mmuucchh tthhee ssaammeecclliimmaattee,, ssoo hhooww iiss GGuuaayyaaqquuiillddiiffffeerreenntt??Guayaquil may not be the on-ly city in the world with a sim-ilar climate but it is the firstdestination worldwide that haspositioned and defined itselfas “light”.

WWiitthhiinn tthhee ccoonncceepptt ooff ““lliigghhtt””hhooww ddooeess tthhee ssyynneerrggyy wwiitthh tthheeGGaallááppaaggooss IIssllaannddss iinntteeggrraattee??We want tourists to think ofGuayaquil as the first majorgateway city to the GalapagosIslands and to the South Pa-cific. As Galapagos is also a“light” destination, visitors canpack light and be comfortableboth in the city as well as dur-ing their adventures.

The Galapagos Islands are home to many unique species

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