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The Inca Trail (Qhapac Ñan) as a Contribution to Sustainable Tourism in Ecuador

Abstract:

The Qhapac Ñan (Main Andean Road or Camino Real) is declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This study contributes to the improvement of quality of life of the communities situated along this trail by applying a critical conceptual framework which regards to archeological and historical tourism as a source of income and culture, incorporating and creating important cultural and natural tourism locations as well as an infrastructure that could generate income for the communities through revaluation. This work consists in the description of landmarks through which the Inca Trail passes in the northern, border-front region of Ecuador, including participant observation and semi-structured interviews with local stakeholders. The results revealed, apart from the existence of numerous archeological vestiges which could be exploited for tourism, valuable ways in which a community-based, archeological tourism could be implemented.