Development of agrotourism and rural tourism in Tena

Cundinamarca

Desarrollo del agroturismo y turismo rural en Tena Cundinamarca

Andri Astrid Rodríguez Rodriguez

andri.rodriguez@uniminuto.edu.co

Liliana Molina Alfonso

Manuscrito recibido el 14 de junio del 2023, y aceptado tras revisión editorial y de pares doble ciego el 16 de octubre del

2023. Kalpana-Revista de Investigación. no. 25. Publicación Semestral (diciembre-2023) ISSN-e: 2661-6696 ISSN: 1390-5775.

Programa Administración de Empresas Turísticas y Hoteleras. Facultad de Ciencias y Empresariales. Corporación

Universitaria Minuto de Dios- UNIMINUTO, Colombia.

Programa Administración de Empresas Turísticas y Hoteleras. Facultad de Ciencias y Empresariales. Corporación

Universitaria Minuto de Dios- UNIMINUTO, Colombia.

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Abstract

Resumen

Bogotá (Vera, 2020). However, this municipality does not have an appropriate tourist

promotion that allows and facilitates the development of tourism activity, nor does it have

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identified its tourist resources that would make the municipality known to potential tourists.

Osorio et al. (2020) indicate that the perception of tourists potentially plays a

fundamental role in the development and success of the tourism industry in the municipality of

Tena. However, for Diaz-Segura et al. (2020) how tourists perceive the destination of Tena can

have a significant impact on their decision to visit it or not.

communities, to become Tena into a tourist alternative of the department of Cundinamarca.

Tourism has achieved growth and socioeconomic development in the countries, thanks

to the growth it has had worldwide (Castillo et al., 2016). Rural tourism as well as community

and sustainable tourism generate local development which stimulates traditional local

economies and their cultural elements (Bravo and Zambrano, 2018). The municipality of Tena

Cundinamarca has natural tourist resources such as the lagoon of Pedro Pablo, the Tambo

Waterfall, the Caminos Reales, and natural landscapes among others, it also has the potential

to carry out tourist activities related to the practices in the region such as our agriculture;

different thermal floors facilitates the cultivation of a wide variety of products, which will allow

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social, economic, cultural, and environmental growth if these are properly and responsibly

articulated. Once the confinement and restrictions were completed because of Covid 19, a need

was identified to involve nature and local traditional activities of rural communities to show

Tena Cundinamarca to potential visitors, as a favorable destination that integrates these

elements and allows the analysis of an agrotourism route.

Agrotourism

It is defined as a tourist activity that takes place in non-urban areas and particularly

comes from small tourist units that provide goods and services, such as family members or

cooperatives (Kyriakou and Belias, 2016). On the other hand, it is defined as an option for

sustainable tourism development, and it takes place in a rural environment, close to nature,

where visitors can learn about traditions and customs (Caprio et al., 2006).

In addition, Agrotourism has had significant importance, especially for those travelers

who love nature (Belias et al., 2018). It should be noted that tourism has been innovating to

offer unique experiences that combine the interaction between the activities of the communities

Agrotourism stimulates the local population to practice and develop different skills and

creates opportunities in the diversity of offers (Little and Blau, 2020). It is important to

emphasize that the basic requirements, such as sanitary facilities and public services, are

essential for tourist activity to make the destination self-sufficient. (Danskikh and Traskevich,

2018). However, there must be government support that allows rural areas to have a process of

legalization and training of their services (Kubickova and Campbell, 2018).

Agrotourism involves two activities, the agricultural practiced by the hosts with the

production and processing of agricultural products and their commercialization; on the other

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usually economic (Kyriakou and Belias, 2016). Likewise, it has been necessary to leave

conventional agriculture and diversify its agricultural production to adapt to change (Little and

Blau, 2020). Agrotourism is a key and essential element for rural development (Ciolac, et al.,

2019); considering that tourism activity links the economic, social, and environmental factors

of sustainability, it is a great alternative for rural areas in a region (Muresan et al., 2016).

It is important to emphasize agrotourism can develop jobs for rural residents, generating

Tourist routes must-have elements that support it as a tourist plaza (López and Sánchez,

2008). It is necessary to define the specific objective, determine the important aspects and

priorities to design the route, and then in operation, validate if it is accepted and which aspects

of improvement must be generated (Herbert, 2001). The increase of routes responds to the

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preservation of natural heritage, without putting at risk those of future generations (Mathew and

Sreejesh, 2017; Mora and Motato, 2019). In addition, to established itself with enormous

potential in the current global crisis produced by COVID-19, which has left a decline in tourism

(Melián and Bulchand, 2020). Rural community tourism is usually characterized by not

generating agglomerations and developing in open spaces (Ibarra, 2020).

Likewise, rural tourism is a substitute for urban or mass tourism in difficult times; and

addition, tourists look for experiences that connect them with the diversity they can find in rural

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Through rural tourism, the areas of greatest displacement of the population have the

opportunity for sustainable growth, thanks to the care of the environment and respect for the

activities of the local population (López-Sanz et al., 2021). Furthermore, it is necessary to

document the real conditions for the construction of a tourist offer (Puška et al.,2021). In the

same way, for an appropriate development of rural tourism without delaying its

implementation, there must be mutual collaboration between suppliers and institutional

structures. (Hjalager et al., 2018). Rural tourism must be supported by political development,

through the approach with the community of the rural division Escalante of the municipality

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the proximity of the municipality to the capital city is not very known as a tourist destination.

According to the previous analysis, in the following graph, we can show that 97.1%

have the disposition and interest to carry out agrotourism activities in the municipality of Tena,

Cundinamarca.

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