Sustainable tourism in companies in El Salvador

Abstract

In El Salvador, tourism is one of the pillars in the economic strategy promoted by the Government. This strategy seeks to ensure that the use of natural resources, investment, scientific and technological progress, together with institutional work, meet the needs of society, present and future, thus achieving the development of Sustainable Tourism. Considering that tourism companies are the main actors of the strategy, this research focuses on describing their situation in relation to Sustainable Tourism, by recording their efforts and identifying the barriers that make it difficult for them to practice activities, as well as the main needs that must be overcome for the development of the country.

For this, the survey technique was used, through a questionnaire applied to representatives of Salvadoran tourism companies registered in the National Tourism Registry, belonging to the western, central and eastern zones of the country. From the results, it has been determined that the laws and regulations related to tourism and the environment, despite being known by those involved in the sector, have minimal compliance. Furthermore, there is a separation between government work, business work and that of the communities in which tourism activities are carried out.

In this sense, the importance of reinforcing the promotion of the Sustainable Tourism Policy is highlighted, through preparing expert personnel to generate projects in this area, the monitoring of natural resources, investment and tax incentives, the development of associative work, and the penalization of companies that violate the environment.