water Article Tourism in Continental Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands: An Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Perspective Carlos Mestanza-Ramón 1,2,3,* , J. Adolfo Chica-Ruiz 1 , Giorgio Anfuso 1 , Alexis Mooser 1,4, Camilo M. Botero 5,6 and Enzo Pranzini 7 1 Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales, Universidad de Cádiz, Polígono Río San Pedro s/n, 11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain; [email protected] (J.A.C.-R.); [email protected] (G.A.); [email protected] (A.M.) 2 Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo, Sede Orellana, YASUNI-SDC Research Group, El Coca EC220001, Ecuador 3 Instituto Tecnologico Supeior Oriente, La Joya de los Sachas 220101, Orellana, Ecuador 4 Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie, Università di Napoli Parthenope, 80143 Naples, Italy 5 Grupo Joaquín Aarón Manjarrés, Escuela de Derecho, Universidad Sergio Arboleda, Santa Marta 470001, Colombia; [email protected] 6 Grupo de Investigación en Sistemas Costeros, PlayasCorp, Santa Marta 470001, Colombia 7 Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Firenze, 50121 Firenze, Italy; enzo.pranzini@unifi.it * Correspondence: [email protected] or [email protected]; Tel.: +593-9-9883-0801 Received: 28 April 2020; Accepted: 6 June 2020; Published: 9 June 2020 Abstract: Tourism in coastal areas is becoming increasingly important in Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) as an integrated approach that balances the requirements of different tourist sectors. This paper analyzes ICZM in continental Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands from the perspective of the 3S tourism, and presents its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT). The methodology used was based on a literature review of ten aspects of the highest relevance to ICZM, i.e., Policies, Regulations, Responsibilities, Institutions, Strategies and Instruments, Training, Economic Resources, Information, Education for Sustainability, and Citizen Participation. The results highlight four aspects as strengths (Policies, Responsibilities, Institutions and Citizen Participation), while the most notable weaknesses were Regulations and Education for sustainability. Strategies and Instruments, as well as Information, were identified as opportunities to stand out. The main threats were Economic Resources and Training. Ecuador does not have clearly established public policies that would allow for the integrated management of 3S tourism and be considered as productive, valuable alternatives. It is necessary to consolidate and promote 3S tourism as a State policy and as a means to improve the economies in coastal areas. Finally, Ecuador needs to overcome negative changes in the macroeconomic environment and reverse its current deteriorated image. Keywords: SWOT analysis; coastal; 3S tourism; planning; beach 1. Introduction Issues related to the environment, tourism and its management in coastal areas are becoming increasingly important after the rapid growth of mass tourism in recent decades [1,2]. Despite the existence of policies, laws and regulations, most coastal areas are affected by environmental degradation and face a decline in environmental quality caused by the impacts of tourism [3,4]. Coastal areas have great natural and scenic value and represent a special environment that constitutes a transition between the terrestrial and marine ecosystems [5,6]. They show great diversity Water 2020, 12, 1647; doi:10.3390/w12061647 www.mdpi.com/journal/water Water 2020, 12, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 26 Coastal areas have great natural and scenic value and represent a special environment that Waterconstitutes2020, 12 ,a 1647 transition between the terrestrial and marine ecosystems [5,6]. They show great diversity2 of 24 and represent an indispensable element for human subsistence [7,8]. Ecosystems are fragile and andlimited, represent and therefore an indispensable require elementadequate for management human subsistence due to [7 ,the8]. Ecosystemsexistence of are diverse fragile problems and limited, in anddifferent therefore sectors require and adequateat different management levels. For due instance, to the existence there are of diverseenvironmental, problems political in different and sectorssocioeconomic and at diproblemsfferent levels. that are For mainly instance, caused there by a are lack environmental, of planning and political coordination and socioeconomic [9]. Therefore, problemsthe information that are that mainly can causedbe obtained by a lack from of planningthe analysis and of coordination the coastal [environment9]. Therefore, and the informationits changes thatdue canto erosive be obtained processes, from as the well analysis as biological of the coastal and anthropogenic environment activities, and its changes allows dueresearchers to erosive to processes,identify how aswell coastal asbiological systems are and changing, anthropogenic and what activities, are the allows main researcherscauses of such to identify alterations how [5]. coastal systemsIntegrated are changing, Coastal and Zone what Management are the main (ICZM) causes in of suchLatinalterations American [countries5]. such as Cuba [10], MexicoIntegrated [11], Peru Coastal [12], ZoneUruguay Management [13], Argentina (ICZM) [14], in Latin Brazil American [15], Chile countries [16], suchEcuador as Cuba [17] [and10], MexicoColombia [11 [18]], Peru has [12shown], Uruguay progress [13 ],in Argentinarecent decades [14], Brazil[19]. Successful [15], Chile examples [16], Ecuador of integrated [17] and Colombiamanagement, [18 ]which has shownhave contributed progress into the recent develop decadesment [of19 coastal]. Successful zones, have examples been demonstrated of integrated management,at a global level which [20–22]. have ICZM contributed seeks tosustainability the development by enhancing of coastal meaningful zones, have citizen been demonstrated participation atand a globalintegrating level different [20–22]. activities ICZM seeks in a sustainabilityrational and coordinated by enhancing approach meaningful [23,24]. citizen This is participation achieved by anddeveloping integrating social diff erentand activitiesprofessional in a rationalcapacities and through coordinated governmental approach [23and,24 ].nongovernmental This is achieved byorganizations. developing Solid social scientific and professional bases must capacitiesbe defined throughand articulated, governmental and access and to nongovernmental information with organizations.a transparent accountability Solid scientific syst basesem has must to be be guaranteed defined and [25]. articulated, and access to information withCoastal a transparent tourism accountability management system can be has defined to be guaranteedas a set of actions [25]. that leads to the achievement of certainCoastal tourist tourism objectives management (e.g., increasing can be the defined supply as aof set services of actions and thatdestinations, leads to the participation achievement of oftourism certain in tourist sustainability, objectives institutional (e.g., increasing efficiency, the supply development of services of and talent) destinations, in coastal participation environments of tourismthrough in the sustainability, combination institutional [26], distribution efficiency, and development disposition of of talent) material in coastal and human environments resources, through the thecoordination, combination guidance [26], distribution and motivation and disposition of the diffe ofrent material agents and involved, human resources, and the evaluation the coordination, of the guidanceeffects according and motivation to the set of theobjectives different [27]. agents Tourism, involved, as anda collective the evaluation social practice of the eff thatects accordinggenerates toeconomic the set objectivesactivity, is [27essentially]. Tourism, required as a collective to properly social create practice and thatmanage generates employment economic and activity, public iswealth essentially by making required efficient to properly and sustainable create and use of manage available, employment scarce and and often public irreproducible wealth by resources making e[28,29].fficient and sustainable use of available, scarce and often irreproducible resources [28,29]. InIn recentrecent decades,decades, tourismtourism focusedfocused on thethe enjoymentenjoyment of “Sun, Sand and Sea” (3S) hashas shownshown aa significantsignificant increaseincrease [ 30[30].]. Despite Despite coastal coastal areas areas accounting accounting for for only only 4% 4% of the of totalthe total land land surface, surface, they they host ahost third a ofthird the Earth’sof the populationEarth’s population [31]. The increase[31]. The in increase tourism activitiesin tourism in coastalactivities areas in contributescoastal areas to thecontributes degradation to the of degradation ecosystems. Worldwide,of ecosystems. in mostWorldw countries,ide, in coastalmost countries, regulations coastal are often regulations ineffective are andoften lack ineffective adequate and ICZM lack regulations. adequate ICZM Beaches regulations. have considerable Beaches have value considerable to the tourism value industry, to the andtourism this makesindustry, their and protection this makes essential their protection to the economy essential [17 to,32 the,33 ].economy [17,32,33]. ICZMICZM isis a dynamica dynamic process process in which in awhich coordinated a coordinated strategy for strategy the distribution for the of distribution environmental, of socio-culturalenvironmental, and socio-cultural institutional