This project constitutes a study tool and part of what could be a Strategic Plan for the Agritourism of the Coast or Coast of the country and thus promote a potential area that has not yet been very exploited by its own. The purpose is to show and explain to the tourist the production process in agricultural establishments; based on that agrotourismIt is characterized by the participation of tourists and visitors to the countryside and by contact with the family of farmers where the activity is intended to represent an alternative to ensure that the farmer benefits from the participation of his economic activity through agriculture and tourism. For this reason, a market study has been carried out in which a psychographic profile of the foreign tourist who visits the area in question has been made, which has allowed the elaboration of the Marketing Plan for it, which is aimed at promoting it, presenting and positioning its image so that its tourist capacity is exploited in all aspects.
Introduction
In recent years, many countries have focused their attention on the tourism industry because of the growth and job creation it is promoting. The case of Ecuador is not the exception since tourism was located as the third source of income among the items of foreign trade in 2001 and its growth is notorious, therefore it is considering being number one and with it studying agricultural areas. of Ecuador and thus present a project on an unpromoted tourist area. The study area, which includes the Litoral or Costa del Ecuador, has the potential for tourism development but is one of the least exploited on the entire Ecuadorian coast. Agrotourism is emerging as a type of tourist activity that offers visitors the opportunity to learn about aspects of local culture and learn about traditional practices of cultivation, harvesting and processing of agricultural, forestry and fishing products, in addition to crafts. There are already "tourist packages" in Latin America that offer visitors the possibility of staying, for one or several days, on farms where they not only rest and enjoy the rural landscape, but also get involved with the lifestyle of the producer and his family. On the other hand,Agrotourism is an option for diversification of agricultural and agro-industrial activities, which benefits not only the owners of these ventures, but also other rural residents who, through this means, have new sources of employment and income and additional arguments for stay in rural areas where they were born and raised. Agrotourism experiences in Latin America, where visits to agroindustrial activities have been integrated are still few, but the offer could be broader and more interesting if other agroindustrial companies located in rural areas and managed by small and medium producers, such as the drying of fruits, spices and medicinal plants; fish farming, capture and processing; the extraction of bee honey;mushroom production, among others. For agrotourism to truly become an alternative for small and medium-sized agricultural and agro-industrial producers and, in general, rural entrepreneurs, and for them to be able to give greater added value to their land, products and services, it must be very well planned, executed and controlled, in order to produce the expected results, in a sustainable way, respecting not only nature, but the history and culture of the environment in which it develops. This challenge goes beyond the reach of entrepreneurs and meeting it requires concerted actions between local governments and private operators, within a vision of territory, understood as a space that is historically and culturally constructed,it is regulated by behaviors and institutionalities recognized by its inhabitants and where relationships exist between the inhabitants and their terroirs.
Ecotourism or rural tourism
For some specialists, this is the most extensive form of tourism of all, since it is based on the offer of the natural attractions of flora, fauna, geology, geomorphology, climatology, hydrography, etc., and local cultural manifestations, through of micro, small and medium-sized companies. According to this approach, agrotourism, ecotourism or sport fishing, rural, scientific, adventure, religious and cultural tourism are part of ecotourism. Nature-based tourism, which includes ecotourism, has so far been presented on a small scale - compared to conventional tourism - but it is considered the segment that is experiencing the greatest dynamism worldwide, with a growth projection of 20% for the next years.The cause of the increasing orientation of tourists towards natural areas is essentially based on the search for new stimuli / challenges, on their desire to be surrounded by nature, as it is increasingly difficult to find this feeling in their countries of origin, as well as in an increasing sensitivity about the situation and the problems of the environment. A simpler and widely used definition currently comes from the Ecotourism Society (TIES):A simpler and widely used definition currently comes from the Ecotourism Society (TIES):A simpler and widely used definition currently comes from the Ecotourism Society (TIES):The International Ecotourism Society): "Travel responsibly to natural areas, conserving the environment and improving the well-being of local communities" (Budowski 2001).
Tourism in rural areas
The concept of rural tourism has its roots in Europe and describes the modality of renting one or more rooms in the owner's house at reasonable prices, to promote coexistence with families and their customs (food, way of living, etc.), without specifically focusing on agricultural practices. Various public incentives favored the development and diversification of the activity; Regulations were created to improve the quality of the services offered, systems were implemented to protect the brands created, promotional strategies were developed, catalogs were published, and products were designed for new customers. In this way, a significant part of the tourist market was gradually conquered,if one takes into account that currently this modality represents 25% of the European population that spends their holidays in rural areas (Agrotourism and… nd).
France is possibly the country with the greatest diversity of offers and the broadest notion of rural tourism. This is because the public sector, understanding that it was more than just a new urban fashion, favored its growth by creating concrete incentives for both farmers (subsidies) and tourists (vacation vouchers). In Spain, the development of rural tourism is more recent and is being promoted by the autonomous communities, with a very definite interest in complementing the traditional product sun, sea and beach, which already has an established market.
Agrotourism
Also known as agro ecotourism, it is one that offers tourists the possibility of knowing and experiencing directly with the production processes of agricultural farms and agro-industries, culminating in the tasting of the products.
As stated by Budowski (2001), agrotourism is a still unregulated discipline, which arises from the tourist's interest in discovering certain agricultural practices and participating in their management, including harvesting. There is confusion in the description of the discipline with terms such as agro-ecotourism, rural tourism, etc. Although the main interest of the visitor is motivated by the work of a field establishment, it does not exclude the enjoyment of complementary actions (II Forum… 2002).
Several scholars on the subject define agrotourism as a form of rural tourism, which is characterized by visiting rural enterprises to learn about agricultural activities, getting directly involved in them. This may give rise to a set of associated activities, such as hacienda-hotel, pesque-pague (fishing and pay), posada, typical restaurant, direct producer sales, crafts, industrialization and other recreational activities linked to the daily life of the settlers of the field.
Agrotourism and rural development
Rural tourism in its different manifestations shows potential as a means to contribute to the development and well-being of rural communities. Agrotourism allows, in practice, to visualize, understand and value the importance of considering some of the conceptual and methodological elements that are included within current approaches to rural development; So:
- Agrotourism is an activity that contributes to the revaluation of the concept of territory2 and its importance as the axis around which analysis approaches can be generated, proposals for intervention and the implementation of collective actions can be generated.
- Agrotourism is an example of economic activities taking place in rural areas beyond the sectoralist conception of agriculture and an element of what at the beginning of the 1990s allowed the concept of expanded agriculture to be raised, with which it was called Attention to visualize beyond agriculture and to recognize the importance of “extra-territorial” activities, which explained most of the added value of products originating in rural areas.
Within another vision, it can be affirmed that agrotourism can be considered as a manifestation of business initiatives that are configured within concepts and processes framed in the principles of the new rurality, if it is considered that this approach promotes the valorization of elements such as the tradition and history that have allowed to build cultures that incorporate particular worldviews, languages, forms of relationship, values structured around a moral, ethical principles, sense of belonging and identity, that determine the form of organization and even the economy of a rural territory and expressions of social organization and the cultural base of rural towns (Echeverri 2001); one of whose expressions is local food,the traditions related to their preparation and consumption, their own know-how that forms the basis of many rural agro-industries and the expression of culture associated with these activities.
conclusion
Finally, the mention must be reiterated that tourism in rural areas has both positive and negative aspects. If the activity is not properly planned, it can lead to unwanted impacts on the environment, garbage, noise; the economy, increased cost of living; culture, loss of traditions, incorporation of exogenous ways of life and society, increase in crime, drug use and prostitution. All these risks can be overcome if they are visualized in the tourism development process and if agreements are reached between authorities and civil society to prevent and correct them.
Bibliographies
1. Barretto, Margarita.- Análise da Utilidade Social dos Museus de Campinas, Separata no. 2, Boletim do Curso de Turismo, São Paulo, Ibero-American Faculty, November 1994, format 21.5 x 15.5, 80 pages. (Extract extracted from the Dissertação de Mestrado do mesmo nome defended on August 12, 1993 in the Faculdade de Educação da Unicamp, Department of Applied Social Sciences).
2. Tourist Topics Bulletin - CAPTUR.mht
3. Mora, Erika; Kwon, Herrera; Paul; Market Study and Marketing Plan for the tourism sector that includes the area of the north coast of the Province of Manabí.
4. Antón Clave, Salvador Environment and Tourism Policy. Community measures and competitiveness strategies for Spanish tourism. Institute of tourist studies. DG for Tourism Policy 116-1992 p.5-27.
5. Ecotourism, new forms of tourism. Miguel de Reguero - Bosch.
6. Ecotourism Guide, How to conserve nature through Tourism - 2nd Edition Mónica Pérez de las Heras. The Ecotourism Guide: How to conserve nature through Tourism - 2nd Edition Mónica Pérez de las Heras.
7. Sustainable Development of Ecotourism - A compilation of good practices in SMEs. UNWTO 2003.
8. CONAM, CONCOPE, GTZ. Consequence of the Transfer of Competences. Provincial Council of Imbabura. Quito. May 2001.
9. National Competitiveness Council. Presidency of the Republic of Ecuador. Ecuador Agenda Compete. (CD).
10. Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador. National Marketing Plan 2002.
