Diseño de un sendero agroturístico para personas no videntes, en la parroquia San Luis cantón Riobamba, provincia de Chimborazo.

Abstract

The research proposes to design an agro-tourism trail for blind people in San Luis town, canton Riobamba, province of Chimborazo. It develops the following phases: the territorial diagnosis based on the star diagnosis that includes five areas: sociocultural, physical spatial, territorial ecology, productive economics, and administrative politics. The characterization of the demand was made, in the next phase, applying interviews to blind people in the town, obtaining a total of 2106 people determining the relevant characteristics as preferences, topics and disposition to carry out activities on the trail. In the next phase, six tourist attractions were recorded and evaluated through the interpretive potential index, determining that the territory has adequate features to be interpreted. In the next phase the conceptual and technical design is exposed considering the following: location of the trail, zoning, determination of the type of route, definition of the name, modality, determination of the basic design standards, geo-referencing, analysis for the furniture and specialized signage, materials and specifications, sketch and load capacity. Then, activities were identified according to the specific needs and requirements; the trail was designed along with the interpretive media for the following seven activities: socialization, arbotherapy, dynamics, knowing histories and legends of San Luis, the sense of touch, the discovery of aromas, listening and dancing. Finally, an analysis of costs and expenses is made establishing that the investment to implement the agro-tourism path is $ 43286.25. It is concluded that the trail will promote the cultural and natural encounter of blind people, and will contribute to the tourist and economic development of the sector respecting to inclusive tourism.