Associativity and economic development of SMEs in Ecuador's tourism sector

Due to growing competition, both national and international, small and medium-sized companies seek to adapt new business ideas that allow them to access new and different markets in the search for higher levels of efficiency and returns for their expansion, as in the case of this type of companies in the La Troncal canton of Ecuador. In this sense, the aim is to analyze the relationship between business associations between small and medium-sized companies in the tourism sector and the economic development of the La Troncal canton. From a methodological point of view, this study uses a sample made up of fifteen companies in the sector. To obtain the information, a survey was used and as an instrument a questionnaire composed of 14 Likert-type scale items, where the results were analyzed using descriptive statistics. As a result, it was found that there is a relationship between associativity and economic development, by having grouped organizations with common objectives that pursue their growth and contribute to the economic development of the region. Only educational and administrative training programs are necessary. © 2024, Universidad del Zulia. All rights reserved.