Diagnosis of the tourism offer in the province of Imbabura

Abstract

This research develops a baseline of the tourism available in Imbabura for the purpose of implementing actions that improve the current indicators. All the data collected come from private businesses registered in the land registry (census) compiled by the Ministry of Tourism in the province of Imbabura. A group of previously trained university students administered a questionnaire to managers and business owners. The subsectors under study were: accommodation, food and beverages, travel agencies or intermediation, and tourist transportation. By using this information, it is intended to diagnose the current situation in the province to strengthen it from an administrative, sustainable and marketing perspective, uniting academia, public and private sectors. The results show that the tourism industry in Imbabura requires effective marketing strategies and environment to enhance the sector and position the province as a brand. Tourism must be aligned with the Geopark initiative, a project that focuses on education, conservation, and geotourism.