Gastronomic tourism and local economic development in the canton Quevedo

Abstract

Gastronomic tourism constitutes a tourism modality of growing relevance for the economic development of territories with a differentiated culinary heritage. This article analyzes the impact of gastronomic tourism on the economic development of the Quevedo canton, Los Ríos province, Ecuador, during the year 2019, and proposes a gastronomic marketing plan for local economic activation. The study adopted a mixed approach with a non-experimental cross-sectional design, employing descriptive, exploratory, and bibliographic methods. Surveys were applied to 301 citizens and 8 owners of gastronomic establishments, complemented by interviews with tourism sector experts and local authorities. The results show that 80.06% of citizens recognize the canton's gastronomic appeal as a visitation factor, 62.5% of owners identify it as the main tourist attraction, and 75% support the implementation of a marketing plan for economic activation. Likewise, it was identified that Chinese-Quevedonian fusion gastronomy, expressed in the so-called chifas, represents a differentiating asset of high heritage and identity value. The resulting proposal articulates three stages: strategic diagnosis (SWOT analysis), multichannel communication strategies (social networks, traditional media, gastronomic fairs), and evaluation of results. The findings suggest that gastronomic tourism can operate as a catalyst for local economic development when articulated with territorial promotion policies, human capital training, and participatory governance of the sector's stakeholders.