The cost of flying between Colombia and Ecuador will drop 20% from April 1, the Colombian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism has announced.
Flights between the two countries will be treated as “domestic,” causing prices to drop by between $50 and $100, following a bilateral agreement between Colombian and Ecuadorian aviation authorities.
The price reduction is a result of the removal of international airport tax, which can be up to $70, and the elimination of the fuel surcharge, which is approximately $30.
The agreement follows a December meeting between Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and his Ecuadorean counterpart, Rafael Correa, in which strained relations between the two countries were improved, and bilateral trade restored.
Colombian Trade Minister Sergio Granados-Diaz underlined the importance of the agreement, saying as well as strengthening bilateral integration, it would be an incentive for tourists and business travelers to visit both nations.
It is hoped that the number of Ecuadorean visitors to Colombia will increase by 18% in the first year of the price reduction, said Tourism Vice Minister Oscar Rueda Garcia.
Currently the price of an airplane ticket from Bogota to Quito in low season can vary between $315 and $1,100 depending on the airline.