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ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT and TOURIST CARRYING CAPACITY for the DEVELOPMENT of GEOSITES in the FRAMEWORK of GEOTOURISM, GUAYAQUIL, ECUADOR

Abstract:

The current world situation marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, plus the various specific situations in each locality, require an adequate response to promote development. One of the most recommended is the development of tourism, and precisely that it is linked to the environmental environments of nature. For this reason, geotourism offers guarantees of biosecurity, open spaces, and better conditions in the current situation. Guayaquil, a cosmopolitan city on the Ecuadorian coast, has unique characteristics for the development of geotourism. This work aims to carry out an environmental analysis, using the cause-consequence method and tourist carrying capacity in geosites for sustainable geotourism development. The methodology includes: (i) strategic geosites selection; (ii) environmental assessment of geosites and analysis of their carrying capacity for tourism; and (iii) interpretation of results and strategy development. The results reflect that Guayaquil has very significant potential given its natural geological and biological conditions. The union of geodiversity and biodiversity give the Guayaquil metropolis a special uniqueness, auguring an excellent future for geotourism development. It is vital the develop geosites with an environmental consideration that allows projecting towards sustainable development.