Tourism and territorial transformations in the Yunguilla valley, Azuay province (Ecuador)

Abstract

The research accounts for the problems arising from the consolidation of tourism, in the Yunguilla valley, province of Azuay, Republic of Ecuador. It is considered that they come from the actions of various actors and practices that intervene in each of the territorial processes that have been developed over time. A slow but continuous transformation is observed, from an agricultural space to a tourist space, which is expressed not only by the influx of hikers and tourists, but also by the gradual establishment of second residents. The main objective is to analyze the territorial transformations from the incorporation of tourism, for which the historical evolution of the occupation process is studied, the environmental characteristics of the inter-Andean valleys, the public and private agents, and the demand and supply are identified. As a result, proposals are made for the future of the valley through predictions based on three possibilities: an optimistic scenario, a neutral scenario and a pessimistic scenario.