Perception and rating of tourism entrepreneurs in the recovery of travel destinations affected by social-natural disasters: Case study from the April 16th earthquake in Ecuador

Abstract

This study analyzes the perceptions and rating of local tourism entrepreneurs affected by the earthquake on April 16th, 2016 in the Province of Manabí, Ecuador. A hybrid methodology was utilized to identify the resiliency and potential recovery of tourist destinations after this social-natural catastrophe. The questionnaire consisted of structured questions with an assigned value according to the Likert scale and was supported by a checklist of questions and actions carried out in the territory during the post-disaster recovery. Previous fieldwork was used to determine a sample size of the population. Currently, the precise amount is unknown because despite relying on statistics of registered tourist establishments in the official MINTUR census, there exists a high number of businesses that operate in the field of an informal and irregular economy. A simple random sample of 196 entrepreneurs was used and the results gave off averages that were graded “insufficient” and “regular” for the on-site actions taken by local authorities. Leisure and free time services were perceived to have the lowest level of recovery while the basic services of hospitality and accommodation showed better values. The perception of the impact on tourism activities in the destination recovery was low and one of the most concerning points was related to the migration of the local population and relocation of many tourist businesses to other areas not affected by seismic disasters.