El perfil del visitante y celebración popular: caso de estudio feria de finados en el cantón Ambato

Abstract

The Day of the Dead fair in the Shuyurco area symbolizes an echo of the rich cultural traditions that seek to preserve the history of local artisans; however, these traditions have not been taken into account during the fair's development. The objective of this research was to explore the visitor profile and its correlation with the popular celebration through a case study of the Day of the Dead fair in the Ambato canton. Its importance lies in analyzing the visitor profile from a broad perspective, relating it to the popular celebration. The methodology was mixed: a quantitative approach was applied to the visitor profile, and a qualitative approach to the popular celebration. For the independent variable, surveys were conducted with visitors, while for the dependent variable, interviews were conducted with historical researchers. The results indicated that the visitor profile is essential for guiding this celebration according to their needs, but it requires proper management. It was evident that the traditions that gave rise to the fair have been displaced by the commercialization of manufactured products, which is a concern for local stakeholders. It was concluded that, during the fair's development, the traditional character and generational transmission of this celebration are lost. Finally, it was proposed to develop a comprehensive plan for the cultural, tourist and organizational revitalization of the popular celebration, based on the identified visitor profile, for the case study Feria de Finados in Shuyurco, rescuing ancestral traditions and promoting an orderly use of space based on the analysis of the visitor profile.