The rural tourism district: the development model for Pedernales – Province of Manabí (Ecuador)

Abstract

Tourism is an activity that revitalizes the economy, if managed in a socially responsible manner achieves equitable distribution of wealth. The proposal of rural tourism district seeks a balance between the welfare of the territories and the satisfaction of tourists. It could be considered as a methodology that incorporates business management and social projects tools with a value creation model that identifies essential characteristics that are in tourist demand. From a geo-referenced tourist inventory on the cartographic base provided by the Military Geographical Institute (Instituto Geográfico Militar), the characteristics of each place, tradition or event are determined that can be considered as a further attraction. Next, situational analysis is performed by applying the SWOT matrix and the viability of tourism projects based on logical framework matrix is determined. The use of multicriteria matrices allows the identification of suitable places for rural tourism attractions and the central place theory allows the organization of these attractions in districts. Research provides the basis in the process of rebuilding the tourism sector in the Pedernales canton, devastated by the earthquake of April 16, 2016