Global Journal of Human Social Science, E: Economics, Volume 22 Issue 3

According to Piguave and Suárez (2021), in Ecuador's public tourism policy, the following principles can be highlighted: recreational rights, its inclusiveness, sustainable economic development, socio-cultural development and improvement of living conditions. In 2008, Ecuador's new public policy and its implementation principles came into force for 14 productive sectors, including tourism, in hopeful expectation it would do far in changing the country's economic structure. Although progress was made in the touristic sector’s economic revitalization, compared to years prior to 2008; tourism goals concerted on the plans for tourism development were not achieved, despite the institutional priority and the legal framework update, defined for tourism management. III. T heoretical F ramework a) Tourism as a Factor of Growth Tourism sector is perceived as a positive contributor to economic growth and development. Its contribution to world economy is significant, being currently the second largest "industry" in the world (WTTC, 2020). Its contribution to world GDP is estimated at around 10%. Tourism main economic effects are related to foreign currency earnings, job creation and its role as a catalyst for other sectors of local economies. (Brida et al., 2016; Hall, 2019; Sharpley, 2020) The link between tourism and economic growth has been widely analyzed through various theoretical approaches. For better understanding upon which are tourism transferring mechanisms to a region economy, it is vital to previously understand what the determining factors for economic growth can be. b) The Concept of Development The Concept Development has been the object of reflections throughout the history of thought. This issue began to be studied more systematically in the discipline of economics. The concern for development is inherent part of economy since its very dawn; this concept first notions can be found in authors from the seventeenth and eighteenth century or in today’s authors. (Sen, 2013) As for the concept of sustainable development, its meaning is not yet completely clear since many authors have different approaches. On the one hand, there is a conception that natural resources exploitation and GDP growth are necessary. According to Hickel (2019), followers of this approach to economic growth consider that technology will be able to mitigate the problems of inefficient use of resources; which will make it possible to grow economically at a rate that allows the regeneration of the environment. However, in practical terms, this hypothesis has been developed with unquestionable weaknesses that have not allowed its full application. (Lalangui, et al., 2017; Tugcu, 2020; Menegaki, et al., 2021; Ostero & Al-Kuwari, 2021) The contradiction between development and natural resources was a central theme of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, which was held in June 1972 in Stockholm, Sweden. In this context, the report carried out by a group of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at the request of the Club of Rome stands out, whose conclusions were: "If current trends in world population growth, industrialization, environmental pollution, food production and resource depletion continue, this planet will reach the limits of its growth over the next hundred years. The most likely outcome would be a sudden and uncontrollable decline in both population and industrial capacity” (Meadows, 1972) c) The Concept of Sustainability In 1987, the United Nations World Commission for Environment and Development released the report known as "Our Common Future" or Brundtland Report, which reflects the best known and most widespread definition of sustainable development (United Nations, 1987): "One who seeks to satisfy the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". The concept of sustainability becomes the necessary model to establish development strategies in all spheres and sectors of production. In tourist activity, numerous actions and definitions for the development of sustainable tourism have been exposed by international organizations. d) Sustainable Tourism UNWTO defines sustainable tourism as the one that “... meets the needs of present tourists and host regions, while protecting and enhancing future opportunities. It is focused on managing all resources in such a way that all economic, social and aesthetic needs are met while respecting cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems” (OMT, 2004). Three decades after the definition of the concept of sustainable development, institutional advances do not prove to have achieved its practical application. The fact leads to question whether the approaches and the media can change current trends or if on the contrary they favor them. Table 1 Volume XXII Issue III Version I 62 ( ) Global Journal of Human Social Science - Year 2022 © 2022 Global Journals E Tourism and Economy Growth in the Ecuadorian Province of Pastaza