Recent studies have underscored the importance of tourism in enhancing individuals’ mental well-being through engagement with nature. This article examines the impact of nature-based tourism on alleviating symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress among a group of 67 university students who exhibited extremely severe levels of these disorders. Participants were assessed both before and after a nature tourism experience in the Tinajillas Río Gualaceño Protected Forest, Ecuador. Mental health changes were evaluated using the DASS-21 scale, with assessments conducted pre- and post-activity, revealing significant reductions in depression, anxiety, and stress levels, with large and clinically relevant effect sizes. However, a 6-month follow-up indicated that these long-term benefits diminished and no longer held clinical significance, suggesting the need for more frequent interventions to sustain positive effects. This study concludes that nature-based tourism serves as an effective non-pharmacological intervention for improving mental well-being in the short term, although its sustainability requires continuous interaction with nature. These findings provide empirical support for nature-based tourism as a mental health strategy and highlight the importance of integrating it into public health policies and tourism management strategies.

Recent studies have underscored the importance of tourism in enhancing individuals' mental well-being through engagement with nature. This article examines the impact of nature-based tourism on alleviating symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress among a group of 67 university students who exhibited extremely severe levels of these disorders. Participants were assessed both before and after a nature tourism experience in the Tinajillas - Río Gualaceño Protected Forest, Ecuador. Mental health changes were evaluated using the DASS-21 scale, with assessments conducted pre- and post-activity, revealing significant reductions in depression, anxiety, and stress levels, with large and clinically relevant effect sizes. However, a six-month follow-up indicated that these long-term benefits diminished and no longer held clinical significance, suggesting the need for more frequent interventions to sustain positive effects. The study concludes that nature-based tourism serves as an effective non-pharmacological intervention for improving mental well-being in the short term, although its sustainability requires continuous interaction with nature. These findings provide empirical support for nature-based tourism as a mental health strategy and highlight the importance of integrating it into public health policies and tourism management strategies.

El presente trabajo constituye una de las pocas investigaciones realizadas sobre los museos de la ciudad de Cuenca, pese a ser instituciones que preservan bienes patrimoniales y son atractivos turísticos. Por ello, se ha emprendido un programa de investigación de inicia con el estudio de la percepción de los visitantes locales, nacionales y extranjeros en seis museos de la ciudad de Cuenca. Las percepciones expresadas mediante comentarios escritos espontáneamente por los visitantes ecuatorianos y extranjeros (de 91 nacionalidades) en el libro de visita de los museos, durante el año 2016, constituyen el insumo fundamental de información. Desde una perspectiva cualitativa, recurriendo al análisis de contenidos, se examinan las impresiones consignadas por los visitantes. El estudio muestra que el patrimonio es percibido como herencia, se asocia con memoria y ante todo se valora su conservación en la medida que garantiza la continuidad de la muestra y con ella la posibilidad de guardar su contenido para la posteridad. Se advierte una tendencia romántica que subyace en los comentarios: el museo espacio donde l pasado a través de la muestra perdura de forma inmutable.