Determination of the environmental sustainability of tourism in the Pastaza Province, Ecuador

Abstract

Tourism causes impacts in the receiving communities and in the ecosystems. To minimize these impacts, the World Tourism Organization and the United Nations have called on governments to consider sustainability as a global objective. Developing policies for a common practical strategy that allows measuring the sustainability of tourism is the current challenge. However, it will not be easy to achieve its implementation in a specific way, if the interests of the stakeholders involved in the tourism sector are taken into account. The objective of this research is to analyze the current state of sustainability of tourism in the province of Pastaza (Ecuador). A mixed methodology is used, which starts from the documentary analysis to determine the variables affected by tourist activity and their quantification through indicators. Based on 19 specific indicators selected for the environmental dimension, a synthetic index of sustainable environmental development of tourism is proposed, as a criterion of the environmental sustainability of tourism. Which contributes to implement decisions to improve the efficiency and sustainability of tourism management. Determinación de la sustentabilidad ambiental del turismo en la Provincia de Pastaza, Ecuador