Cultural and Creative Events as a Strategy for Revitalizing Urban Tourism in Archidona, Ecuador: A Study of the Chonta Festival
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63688/8jfss487Keywords:
cultural events, urban tourism, Chonta Festival, tourist expenditure, ArchidonaAbstract
Cultural events bring communities together and can support heritage appreciation and local tourism activity. This study aimed to examine the Chonta Festival as a strategy for revitalizing urban tourism in Archidona, Ecuador, considering attendees’ places of residence, reported expenditure and perceptions of the event. A quantitative, descriptive, non-experimental, cross-sectional design was used, with a structured questionnaire administered to 80 adults recruited through convenience sampling. Responses were analyzed using frequencies and percentages, without claiming representativeness of all festival attendees. In the sample, 57.50% resided in Archidona and 42.50% came from other cantons or provinces. Moreover, 45.00% reported spending between USD 51 and 100; 63.75% agreed or strongly agreed that the festival encouraged interest in other attractions in the canton, and the same proportion considered that it made the destination more appealing. The findings suggest an association between cultural celebration, self-reported consumption and tourism interest; however, perceptions cannot establish a causal economic impact. The festival therefore shows potential to connect cultural heritage, visitor experiences and local services, provided that community participation and evidence-informed planning guide its development.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Freddy Leonardo Garaicoa Fuentes, Jean Pierre Pico Choez, Kristhel Margarita Saavedra Aguirre, Yaneli Isabel Zamora Aguirre (Autor/a)
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