Elaboration of a methodology to promote the Living Towns (Pueblos Vivos) from El Salvador to consolidate themselves as Charming Towns (Pueblos Encantadores), based on a specific plan.
The Challenge
Determination of the key elements of tourism development at a local level, and proposal for the implementation of an improvement system or a plan that adjusts to the particularities of each destination, to allow distinguishing the territories at the forefront in the management of the activity.
Project contracted by the Salvadoran Tourism Corporation in 2015, which sought to identify a set of key criteria to develop plans to improve tourism activity at a local level, and implement the “Charming Towns Program”. For this purpose, an initial diagnostic analysis was conducted, relevant international experiences were identified, a conceptualization of the mechanism and areas of action of the future program was developed, and a set of mandatory and recommendable criteria were proposed for the achievement of the proposed label.
9
Participatory workshops at destinations.
+10
Contemplated destinations for the identification of best practices.
41
Consolidated criteria (between mandatory and regulatory).
“Rating of the contracted service, based on its quality, technical team, compliance with deadlines, methodology, work plan and technology transfer: Excellent”.
Ing. Leslie Reyes
CORSATUR, UACI Chief
The Process
To carry out this professional mission, three field trips were made to El Salvador to coordinate participatory workshops, in-depth interviews and the presentation of the project’s progress. The phases of implementation of the future program in the municipalities, the implementation plans and management protocols of the Charming Towns Program (a cycle of 4 stages and 4 internal processes) were defined. Finally, the necessary group of agents involved in the process, their functions and roles, and indicators were described; and a socialization of this tool was carried out with the technical teams of CORSATUR and the tourism agents of the municipality of Suchitoto.
Conclusion
The elaboration of mechanisms for the development of tourism activities at the local level makes it possible to generate new incentives for an inclusive, profitable and real growth of the resident population, the enhancement of the territory’s heritage, and the empowerment of local stakeholders.
Planning is a reflection of the governance of a country and its territories. El Salvador has a Tourism Development Committee model, which is an essential tool for the improvement and empowerment of endogenous development. The improvement and refinement of these mechanisms, together with greater representativeness and cohesion of the actors will maximize the possibilities for growth and generation of investment and employment through tourism.
