The project has been designed with the purpose of offering the La Entrada commune a tool that allows its population to generate a series of commercialization and sale activities of its tourist products and services contemplated in its tourist offer, reaching high levels of competitiveness, thus achieving mark presence in the national tourism market. The proposal includes a series of initiatives that range from a practice of sustainable tourism, care, the use of means, marketing channels and strategic distribution that allow rapid and optimal use for the benefit of the tourist image of this community.
Introduction
La Entrada commune is one more area of the Manglaralto parish, located 72 km from the North of the Santa Elena canton, it has a fairly rugged beach with the presence of rocks near the shore, it has a fiscal school, drinking water services, electricity, conventional and cellular telephone communication, and an access road in good condition.
This community has, according to data from the communal council, around 700 inhabitants, they are dedicated to agriculture, artisanal fishing, and commerce, it enjoys a warm climate, with temperatures ranging from 16 ° C. in summer up to 30 ° C. in winter, providing them with unique natural qualities that make this place a privileged place during the 12 months of the year.
The commune has seen several processes pass over the years that try to build a promising future for its inhabitants. In the 90s, the “Pro Pueblo” foundation invested in the town in order to improve the health of its inhabitants in the construction of a community “chanchera”, as well as in the generation of new productive activities such as the elaboration of recycled paper, tagua handicrafts and vermiculture. Of all these projects, at least the recycled paper is one of those that was maintained. Another of the institutions that has marked its presence in the community is NOBIS, a group that has supported various business initiatives of which few have managed to stay.
At the end of the 2000s, the Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador began studies for the design, equipment and operation of various ecotourism trails in the province of Santa Elena with their respective interpretation center. The parameters that were considered for said studies allowed the La Entrada commune to be considered through a path that is used by its inhabitants for agricultural work. Once the studies were completed, the Ministry began equipping several trails for their subsequent inauguration, several of which were left behind due to lack of funding, including La Entrada.
In this sense, the Provincial Government of Santa Elena receives and attends to the community's request and begins with the tasks corresponding to equipping the ecotourism trail in the La Entrada commune, which is made available to visitors at the end of the month. October of the previous year, with its respective mini-interpretation center, making a long-awaited dream of the inhabitants of that town come true.
goals
general
Contribute to the tourist development of the La Entrada commune and its inhabitants through the design and implementation of a marketing proposal that strengthens the tourist offer of the town, thus promoting the sustainable development of the communities in the North zone.
Specific
• Promote the development of the inhabitants of the La Entrada commune.
• Provide advice and technical assistance to the productive sector of the community.
• Promote the sustainable development of the communities in the northern part of the province.
Development
For this purpose, a diagnostic study based on the SWOT analysis matrix will be carried out, for which the following parameters have been considered:
Strengths
• The human talent of the community has the necessary skills and abilities to make handicrafts.
• The community has significant natural and cultural tourist attractions capable by themselves of generating flows of visitors to the town.
• The commune has essential basic services for its development: drinking water, electricity, communications.
• The predisposition of the inhabitants of the commune to participate in the programs and projects that generate new development alternatives.
• The geographical location of the commune with its environmental and ecological benefits.
Weaknesses
• Little development in the tourist equipment sector.
• Lack of preparation and training of its inhabitants in tourism issues.
• The commune does not have a river and sanitary sewerage service.
• Terrible garbage collection service.
• Lack of public sanitary batteries.
• Inhabitants with a low level of educational instruction.
• The commune is located at a great distance from the main emitting centers of tourist flows.
• Bad condition of internal circulation routes.
Opportunities
• Educational institutions of the public sector that are required by law to provide advice and technical assistance to the community, as is the case of universities.
• Foundations with a presence in the sector interested in supporting initiatives that promote the development of communities.
• Public sector institutions obliged by law to support tourism development programs and projects for rural sectors.
Threats
• Environmental pollution could further deteriorate the competitive image of the community.
• An eventual change in the preferences of tourist demand.
• The neighboring tourist destinations with a certain degree of competitive advantage.
• Weather conditions that could influence the community.
Tourism market segmentation
Below is the segmentation of the tourism market carried out by the Ministry of Tourism and which is included in the PLANDETUR 2020.
In this way we could segment the tourism market under the following variables: by activity preferences and by attractions preferences.
By activity preferences, the market segmentation would be given in tourists who like:
• Fun
• Visit nature
• Sports
• Gastronomy
• Observe flora and fauna
• Visit archaeological and historical sites
• Shopping
• Visit communities
• Visit shamans
By preference to visit attractions, the market segmentation would be given as follows:
• Natural sites
• Beaches
• Thermal balearios • Amusement
sites
• Food sites
• Fairs and markets
• Religious festivals
• National park
• Museums
• Historic areas
• Archaeological sites
Identification of the target audience
To determine the target audience or target market to be reached, the market study carried out by the Ministry of Tourism has been considered and which is published in PALNDETUR 2020, a current planning document that directs tourism activity in Ecuador. In this sense, the target market for the present study and the one to be captured is the tourist interested in practicing activities related to nature, interested in visiting natural sites.
Competitive strategies
Regarding the commercialization and the channels that should be used for this product, the following are suggested:
• Travel agencies
• Tour operators
• Hotels in neighboring cantons
• Tourist information centers
• University student associations
The strategies to develop and position the tourist destination are detailed below:
Strategy 1.- Put the environment first:
Carry out, within the planning stage, the studies of carrying capacity, both biological, social, tourist, among others, as well as determining restrictive management policies in the areas where tourist activity will be developed.
Strategy 2.- Improve the quality of life of the inhabitants:
An environmental conservation program will be developed in which the community's inhabitants will be involved through health workshops.
It will work at the level of instruction of each of the inhabitants of the town, through training courses in strategic areas such as: basic accounting, human relations, history of Ecuador, etc., so that they can manage, love and respect existing resources in the area.
Training courses will be given in the tourist area, food and beverages, accommodation, customer service, guidance, among others, to the owners or not of businesses with a tourist line of business.
Monitoring and evaluation of each of the projects carried out in the community will be undertaken with a view to strengthening the process undertaken.
Strategy 3.- Create sources of work through tourist activity:
Capture credits in institutions called to support development processes and entrepreneurial initiatives to boost the tourism value chain.
Open the doors to private investment, of course, within the principles of tourism sustainability to guarantee the correct participation of the local population in the profitability generated by tourism.
Strategy 4.- Maximum satisfaction in the consumption of the product:
Develop competitive pricing policies based on a cost study to ensure successful market penetration.
Strengthen the quality of the service offered and the products marketed, with a view to generating a positive effect in terms of experiences lived by visitors.
Determine added or extra values in the products and services offered, innovative, creative, and competitive details to strengthen the image perceived in the minds of consumers.
Strategy 5.- Image and differentiation:
Design a competitive image or logo that is easy to remember, innovative, that is capable of attracting the attention of consumers, that is different from those of other competing destinations.
A slogan will be established, which will be used in marketing campaigns, through its inclusion in triptychs, player, and poster where, together with the logo, a difference will be made at the time of marketing.
Conclusions
At the end of this project it is convenient to express the following conclusions about the work carried out for the benefit of the community:
• The tourist reality of the La Entrada commune, especially its competitive image is conditioned to the decisions made by the institutions and organizations linked to the tourism sector.
• La Entrada commune does not have complete independence in making important decisions when it comes to tourism sector issues.
• The La Entrada commune with its natural and cultural tourist attractions by itself is not yet properly positioned in the tourist market, neither local nor national.
• In the national tourism market there is a potential target group that is consumers of the products and services that make up the community's tourism offer.
Bibliography
Acerenza Miguel Ángel marketing of tourist destinations, Edicciones Trillas, 2006.
Boullon Roberto, Tourist Marketing. A Perspective from Planning, Ediciones Turisticas - Argentina, 2004.
Boullon, Roberto C. Planning Of The Tourist Space, 2006 Edition.
Cavassa Ramírez Cesar: Motivational Analysis, Marketing and Distribution Policy Editorial Mad, 2007.
García Blanca, Marketing of Rural Tourism, Editorial Piramide, 2nd edition, 2003.
Kotler, P. Philip; Bowen, John; Makens, James C. Introduction: Marketing for Hospitality and Tourism. "Marketing direction. Millennium Edition ”. Prentice Hall, 2000.
Strategic development plan for sustainable tourism in Ecuador PLANDETUR 2020.
Comprehensive Tourism Marketing Plan for Internal Tourism of Ecuador PIMTE, 2014.
Recio Ismael: Marketing Turístico Ediciones Istmo, SA, 2002.
Serra Cantallops, Antoni Ediciones Pirámide, 2002.
