Agritourism enterprises: challenges and development opportunities for the quevedo canton and its area of influence

Abstract

Ecuador has undergone considerable changes with respect to the sector dedicated to tourism, becoming a fundamental factor for development and significant contribution to the rural sector. The objective of the research was to diagnose the current situation of agro-tourism ventures: challenges and opportunities. For the study, three farms that develop tourist activities in the Agrotourism modality were considered, it was considered to be located in the area of ??influence of the Quevedo Ecuador canton. the research is quali-quantitative, the methods used were: deductive, inductive, analytical. The methodological process begins by identifying the characteristics of each of the farms, files were structured in order to record the attributes that the farms possess, the SWOT tool was applied. An interview was conducted to find out their perception of growth opportunities. The results showed that the entrepreneurs have attractions, crops, and a diversity of flora and fauna, rivers among other attributes, deficiencies were determined such as: poor training, formality of the undertakings, records of entry and exit activities. It is concluded to propose strategies for the improvement of tourism activity, promote tourism products, to stay in the market as a contribution to the development of the sector.