Educational cooperation, tourism, and public diplomacy: a perspective from ecuadorian digital media in El Salvador

Abstract

The article analyzed educational cooperation between Ecuador and El Salvador, as disseminated by the Embassy of Ecuador in El Salvador, which presents potential conditions for articulation with educational tourism and public diplomacy. A qualitative, exploratory, and documentary study was conducted based on the analysis of social media posts published by the Embassy of Ecuador in El Salvador between 2024 and 2026, within an observation period that began in November 2023. The content was classified into three categories: higher education, scholarships, and academic mobility; specialized professional training; and school and cultural education. The results revealed a diversified educational agenda: 44.4% of the posts corresponded to higher education, scholarships, and academic mobility; 44.4% to specialized professional training; and 11.1% to school and cultural education. The analysis showed that the posts primarily documented institutional and training activities, while explicit connections with territorial experiences and mechanisms for tourism conversion were limited. Based on these findings, a bilateral education and tourism corridor model is proposed, comprising five product lines, a governance architecture, and a system of indicators designed to assess its potential contribution to destination awareness, recommendation, return visits, and the continuity of partnerships.