Ecotourism Services: A Competitiveness Analysis in Cundinamarca (Colombia)

Abstract

Competitiveness strategies play an essential role in the sustainability of companies in the medium and long term. Management must make decisions on each of the components of the ecotourism service as they affect an establishment's competitiveness. Disregarding this can generate a cycle of financial and patrimonial losses, which would deteriorate the agents' well-being. This paper focuses on the competitiveness of the ecotourism services offered in the municipalities of Cundinamarca, which has productive, environmental, social, and economic factors that are conducive to the development of guadua (bamboo). Based on data collected through telephone interviews with agents on whose properties tourist activities and activities related to guadua are developed in some municipalities of Cundinamarca, the competitiveness of ecotourism services is analyzed. Different competitiveness indicators are measured, such as price, e-commerce, infrastructure, tourism, environmental, and human resource indicators. Agents of the guadua production chain who provide ecotourism services have an aggregate competitiveness indicator of 15 points less than establishments with the highest reputation on the booking websites. Available tourist activities and the environmental conditions of the surroundings are the most important decision criteria when choosing a glamping service.