Conditions for Building a Framework of Sustainability Indicators in Tourism (Case: Suchitoto)

Abstract

It is unavoidable to mention that the tourism sector is becoming increasingly important on the international agenda due to the economic benefits it brings with it and that in a very concrete way it is summarized in the contribution it generates in the formation of the gross domestic product of several economies worldwide, but also because of the concern of climate change itself, and of course El Salvador,  As part of the Central American region, it is also heading in the same direction. However, it is important to delve into whether the economic benefits generated at the country level through the attraction of tourists are developed under the paradigm of sustainable tourism, that is, aligned with its socio-cultural, economic and environmental benefits, but in each of the territories in which there is a tourist destination.

Precisely, the objective of the project is to identify the conditions that exist to adopt a sustainable tourism strategy in the municipality of Suchitoto, using a qualitative research approach through a case study and supported by participant and non-participant observation complemented with interviews with the different key actors linked to the activity of the destination under study.

The tourist destination as such has several attractions for which it is already part of the guided tours carried out by mostly foreign tourists who like experiences ranging from hiking, contact with nature, landscaping, and coexistence with local people; However, the path to adequately enhance the sustainability of the destination and each of its actors begins precisely with the proposal of a

Sustainability Observatory that manages different indicators that help preserve socio-cultural and environmental conditions and contribute to the social, educational, economic and technological development of their communities.

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