The objective of the work was to assess and identify potential perspectives for the development of agrotourism activity in the Hacienda Guachinango del Valle de los Ingenios in the Trinidad municipality, so that the methodology applied and the results achieved can serve as a reference for application in other similar contexts in the country and in the Central American area. For this, the analysis and synthesis of spatial elements, discussion groups, the interpretation of descriptive statistics, and the study of the natural and social environment were applied. The diagnosis of resources was carried out in this work to determine the degree of competitiveness and attraction of the agrotourism product, and it was possible to establish the most convenient strategies to follow, considering the real possibilities of prospective development of the place studied. It was concluded that the proposal to develop agrotourism in Hacienda Guachinango constitutes a viable option to design and introduce a strategy for growth and socioeconomic reactivation based on the use of the natural, historical, cultural, and social potentialities of the small families dedicated to agricultural work.

The objective of this work is to offer an analysis related to tourism demand as a sustainable projection for the tourist destination. The behavior of demand as a key element for subsequent decision-making in management models and strategic proposals for sustainable development centered on the tourist destination constitutes the central element of this work. The study is based on an analysis of tourist activity in the city of Trinidad. In accordance with the quantitative paradigm, an analysis of internal and external secondary information on tourism was carried out based on the results of the surveys, interviews, Likert-type scalograms and semantic differentials completed by the actors involved in the tourist activity in the studied territory. Qualitative research, which is considered a subjective view of the actors involved in the work, was also employed. The main indicators of the tourism demand for the destination and the imbalances that cause dissatisfaction are shown, such as the lack of systematic studies on tourism demand and few coordinated actions between the public and private sectors to satisfy it. It is concluded that the character of Trinidad as a Cultural Heritage of Humanity destination continues to exert an important influence on the demand for tourism in the destination. As a result, it is necessary to delve into new proposals to ensure that tourism in the local context is an economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable activity. For this, the lack of coordination between the state and private sectors must be overcome.

Sustainable development has become the aspiration of many developing countries like Ecuador. The introduction of Bachelor of Tourism studies at the Technical University of Manabí is compatible with this interest and provides a challenge for teachers in the application of integrative and innovative teaching methods, which promote the training of professionals with high scientific, technical and professional rigor in the exercise of different professions. To achieve this, the pedagogical group started from three fundamental principles, which are based on the application of teaching work methods and procedures, based on the establishment of the interaction between the various factors that directly and indirectly influence the training process of professionals in the tourism sector. The results, both in the comprehensive evaluation processes of the academic performance of the teachers and in the level of satisfaction of the students of the course, support the application of these teaching–learning methods and highlight the convenience of extending these experiences and research results to other vocational training centers for tourism activity.

The objective is to present the theoretical contributions offered by the methodology for studying sustainable tourism in protected natural areas, capable of promoting environmental protection and sustainable local development in communities. This research was carried out in Machalilla National Park. The deductive method was applied, which allowed for the analysis of the problem, the consultation of general theories related to the topic studied, and the establishment of premises and objectives that led to conclusions on the topic studied. A mixed research approach was used, integrating contributions from the analyses carried out for the treatment and processing of information. The techniques used included a survey of tourism stakeholders, a semantic differential for tourists, and an expert evaluation method to validate the proposal under study. The theoretical and methodological systematisation of tourism sustainability in protected natural areas was achieved. The results show the need to broaden the scientific debate and transfer knowledge on the relevance of sustainable tourism as an alternative for sustainable development in rural communities.

El objetivo de este estudio fue diseñar un modelo de gestión para el desarrollo del turismo rural comunitario de las parroquias Membrillo y Quiroga del cantón Bolívar. La investigación fue exploratoria, descriptiva y de enfoque cualitativo, mediante un análisis integral de la localidad para identificar la potencialidad turística de las comunidades rurales en estudio. Se formuló un proceso metodológico que constó de dos fases: en la primera fase se efectuó el análisis integral del territorio dando como resultado la identificación de comunidades con mayor potencialidad turística rural obtenida a través de herramientas como, revisión bibliográfica y trabajo de campo, matriz de potencialidades, matriz FODA; en la segunda fase se diseñó el modelo de gestión basado en el turismo rural comunitario, siendo necesario definir la verificación de indicadores, acciones y medios de confirmación para ser validadas a través del método de expertos. En conclusión, el modelo contribuye como referente de gestión para que las comunidades rurales lo utilicen como herramienta guía que impulse el desarrollo y puesta en valor del turismo sostenible en el territorio.