Abstract
Ecuador is a country with high levels of tourism potential; however, not all tourist attractions are integrated into the cantonal development plans. Considering tourism as a sustainable alternative, its development should be gradually promoted. Therefore, the objective of this study is to determine the tourism potential of the canton of Cotacachi in the province of Imbabura. For this purpose, direct observation techniques were used in the inventory and ranking of natural and cultural tourism resources, as well as the adaptation of the multicriteria formula, which consists of dividing the score obtained by the attraction by the standard weighting of the evaluation criteria. The results of the research identified 88 tourist attractions: 5 classified in hierarchy III, 47 in hierarchy II, and 36 in hierarchy I. The territory has medium potential. The criterion with the highest weighting corresponds to the conservation status and site/environment integration, considering the vast territorial extension and its geographical location. The dissemination of the attraction is the lowest-scoring criterion. It is necessary to validate the inventory by the national tourism authority and identify demand segments to complement the analysis of the territory’s tourism potential.
