THE ANCESTRAL PATH OF THE ICEMEN WITHIN THE QHAPAC ÑAN ROUTE. AN ALTERNATIVE TO PROMOTE TOURISM IN THE QUINDIGUA COMMUNITY IN THE PROVINCE OF BOLIVAR, ECUADOR

Abstract

The Qhapac Ñan Route. It is an incanic path that has a historical trajectory in Latin America, it united several towns and regions which was the backbone of the political and economic power of the Inca Empire. The royal road began in Quito (Ecuador), passed through Cusco (Peru) and ended in what is now Tucumán (Argentina). In Ecuador, in the province of Bolívar, you can find the ice path that is part of this ancestral route, it has several natural and cultural tourist resources, which can be appreciated if they are used properly under the guidelines of sustainable and sustainable tourism attached to the global goals 2030 which is environmental conservation, productivity and sustainability.

Formerly inhabitants of the community of Quindihua were dedicated to the extraction of ice from the snowy Chimborazo; over the years the office of ice extraction was lost due to the existence of refrigerators; Currently the local productive activity is agriculture, which generates little significant income for the population, in tourism there is hope for improving the economy, using the historical value of the route; reason why the main objective of the investigation is based on evaluating the Tourist Potential of the Historical Path of the Icemen in the community of Quindigüa, canton Guaranda; In the first instance, the sociocultural, productive and environmental diagnosis of the area is carried out, and the natural and cultural resources that make up the Historic Trail are described.