Touristic ventures analysis and it´s society impact. Study cases: family ventures at Mindo´s parish

Abstract

Mindo is a parish located at San Miguel de los Bancos, next to the Preservation Forrest Mindo, Nambillo. It is positioned as a touristic destination, diverse in flora and fauna. This dynamism has generated the development of touristic ventures, most of them managed by families that contribute to the destination offer. Even though Mindo is considered an important destination in Ecuador, it does not generate enough income for a local sustainable development. The aim of this study is to analyze the tourism entrepreneurship of the parish of Mindo, as well as examine actual conditions in which they develop. Qualitative, quantitative and descriptive approach were used in the study, and the following variables were analyzed: individual trust, innovation, risk assumption, decision making, business creation, types of ventures and relations between clients, providers, and competitors who contributed with the study. The most relevant conclusions determine that innovation is a key factor that is not perceived at Mindo’s touristic dynamics; the lack of technical risk analysis gives poor information to make decisions. Finally, the parish and groups of interest are not working together with a defined horizon, this generates nonexistence of agreements and decisions that does not allow Mindo to become a competitive destination.