Designing tourism strategies through SWOT analysis: a study applied to cultural experiences in local communities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71112/r6bc9d15Keywords:
community tourism, SWOT analysis, participatory strategies, local sustainability, cultural design, collective agencyAbstract
This article analyzes how SWOT analysis can serve as a strategic tool for the development of tourism policies focused on strengthening community ties, long-term cultural preservation, and local development. Based on a review of scientific literature published between 2019 and 2025, three phases are carried out: a theoretical one, which describes frameworks related to SWOT analysis in community contexts; an empirical one, which examines cases of local cultural tourism from various regions of the world; and an analytical one, which identifies the fundamental conditions for framing the design of participatory strategies. The results indicate that SWOT analysis, when used within a situated, participatory, and deliberative framework, transcends its diagnostic function and acquires a political dimension, empowering communities to imagine, plan, and implement a tourism model tailored to their own realities.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Daniela Fuente Moreno, Adriana Margarita González Márquez, Iván Ramón Rivera Rocha, Blanca Estela Grajales Briscón (Autor/a)

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