NATIONAL TOUR GUIDE CULTURAL LANDSCAPES IN BOLIVAR AND CHIMBORAZO PROVINCE PROPONENT MONICA JUDITH PUERTAS DONOSO QUITO – ECUADOR OCTOBER 2016 CULTURAL LANDSCAPES IN BOLIVAR AND CHIMBORAZO PROVINCES PROPONENT MONICA JUDITH PUERTAS DONOSO APPROVED BY: MGTR. DAVID CHONTASI ING. PATRICIO RAZA Tutor Career Coordinator LCDO. PEDRO PASTOR MGTR. DIANA QUINTERO Tribunal Professional Guide Tribunal English Professor II To God, for His love. To David, Emilia and David Benjamín for their love and because they are my reason for living. To my parents, my sister and my brother for their support and patience. III CONTENTS CULTURAL LANDSCAPES IN BOLIVAR AND CHIMBORAZO PROVINCES .......................................................................................................... 1 THEME ................................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER I EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................... 1 CHAPTER II INTRODUCTION ............................................................................ 1 CHAPTER II JUSTIFICATION ............................................................................. 3 CHAPTER III OBJECTIVES ................................................................................. 4 3.1 General .............................................................................................................................. 4 3.2 Specific .............................................................................................................................. 4 CHAPTER IV METHODOLOGY ......................................................................... 4 4.1 Deductive Method.................................................................................................... 4 4.2 Inductive Method ..................................................................................................... 5 4.3 Descriptive Method ................................................................................................. 5 1. Data compilation of attractions on the route ...................................................... 5 2. Selection of attractions, providers and activities that will allow the design of three route options .......................................................................................... 6 2.1 PROVIDERS ................................................................................................................ 6 2.2 ATTRACTIONS AND ACTIVITIES ....................................................................... 7 2.3 DESIGN OF THREE ROUTE OPTIONS ............................................................... 8 3. Technical evaluation of the most optimal route ............................................. 13 4. Operative itinerary ..................................................................................................... 13 Day One ............................................................................................................................ 13 Day Two ........................................................................................................................... 21 5. Field trip ......................................................................................................................... 25 6. Operative itinerary adjustments ........................................................................... 27 BROCHURE ......................................................................................................... 28 CHAPTER V CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................ 31 5.1 Conclusions .................................................................................................................. 31 5.2 Recommendations..................................................................................................... 32 CHAPTER VI BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................ 34 IV CULTURAL LANDSCAPES IN BOLIVAR AND CHIMBORAZO PROVINCES THEME The elaboration of a project to promote cultural landscape tourism in the areas of Bolivar and Chimborazo provinces that are currently not acknowledged by the tourism industry. CHAPTER I EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In its effort to foment investigation and to promote the development of Tourism, UDET requires from their students in order to graduate, the elaboration of a project consisting on the development of a touristic route and to carry it on an actual guided field trip. The purpose of the present work originated on one hand, to fulfill this requirement, being the assignment about Cultural Landscapes in Bolivar and Chimborazo provinces, and on the other hand, to accomplish a personal interest to visit, explore, and have an encounter with the local people. All in order to determine potential touristic attractions in these provinces, and to eventually incorporate them within the category of National Cultural Landscapes. Finally, to assume the personal duty to do the best so that Ecuador gets to be known as a country fully committed in environmental preservation, sure of the tremendous diversity of interactions between humans and their environment and a strong candidate to be inscribed in the World Heritage Cultural Landscape List. CHAPTER II INTRODUCTION The definition of Cultural Landscapes may lead anyone to consider the terms by separate, Culture and Nature only, but the concept is much greater, it goes beyond the study of people, geography or history, it gathers humans relation with their environment along with the tangible (such as national parks) and the intangible (spoken heritage and cultural manifestations) in it. 1 The 1972 World Heritage Convention meeting recognized for the first time the cultural and natural heritage with an exceptional and universal value. In 1992 the Committee became the first legal tool adopting guidelines for their inclusion of Cultural Landscapes in the World Heritage list as a new category (Unesco, 2016; Rössler, 2006). As Unesco (2016) mentions: “cultural landscapes represent the combined works of nature and of man, they express a long and intimate relationship between peoples and their natural environment”. The Republic of Ecuador, at latitude 0°0´0¨, with an area of 257,217 km2, four natural regions, and 14.5 million people, is a country of countless richness. Its value lies not only on its biodiversity, geology, and landscapes but also on its people, history and tradition. For this reason, it is recognized worldwide as a country committed with the environment, and the people. Article 379 in the Ecuador´s National Constitution states the protection of tangible or intangible landscapes that are relevant for the memory and identity of the people. Such landscapes should have historic, artistic, ethnographic, archaeological or paleontological value like languages, oral traditions, cultural manifestations, creations, monuments, natural sites, creations, and others, within the figure of Cultural Landscapes as part of the national cultural heritage that shall be unalienable, immune from seizure and not subject to limitations, having the State priority right over the acquisition of cultural heritage assets (Political Database of the Americas, 2011). Ecuador has eight sites that have been declared as world heritage by Unesco but none under the category of cultural landscape (Unesco, 2016). As a result of the present investigation three touristic itineraries within Bolivar and Chimborazo provinces are proposed, these include visits to historic and natural sites and approaches with people of the local communities. The itineraries proposed are not part of the travel agencies usual programs. 2 CHAPTER II JUSTIFICATION Worldwide, tourism is one of the fastest growing and important industries in the economic, environmental and socio-cultural scopes. Tourism produces economic gains and it is an employment generator. Ecuador has received more than 50 awards in the last two years. In 2015 the income generated from tourism reached USD 1.691 million (Senplades, 2016); the internal tourism in Ecuador produces USD 4 million daily and USD 900 million per year (Ministerio de Turismo). In 2015 the Tourism Ministry launched the country's national campaign "Ecuador touristic power” with the goal for 2018 to turn Ecuador´s tourism into the first source of non-oil income (Andes, 2016). Tourism is increasing constantly and travelers are seeking a closer encounter with people, culture and nature. The concept of Cultural Landscapes constitutes a new approach of recognition of the interaction between man and the environment. During this study, it was noticed that several rural areas in the provinces of Chimborazo and Bolivar have been developing communitarian projects since the last decade. Such actions represent a social, cultural, environmental and economic progress, however, these projects and communities need a bigger promotion so that tourists visit them more often and get a better appreciation of our culture and diversity. Due to the increase of tourism in Ecuador, and its importance for the economic growth and development, it is very important to find and strengthen zones with potential attractions, different than the already well known and visited. International Tourism is a key piece for these communities’ growth and development, it helps strengthen the economy and acquire better appreciation of Ecuador as a country of great culture and diversity that will translate into further promotion and income. Positioning Ecuador into