1.4.1. Steps for the elaboration of the proposed model

1.4.1. Steps for the elaboration of the proposed model

a) Firstly, an analysis of previous technical documents and strategic plans relating to tourism development was carried out. Subsequently, information related to tourism development in the District was gathered by analyzing and investigating primary and secondary information sources. These data were acquired mainly from the District Town hall archives, Economic Development Department, and the District Tourism Institute INDETUR.Additionally, sectoral and population statistics for 2016 – 2019 were analyzed to delimit trends and key economic aspects and understand the tourism dynamics and variations. This analysis was made for the diagnosis, base of the strategic line’s formulation, and the model planning process. b) Review and analyze national policies and strategies related to tourism to align the model to the national level. Some of the documents analyzed were the sustainable tourism policy, the tourism quality policy, the policy for ecotourism development, the national policy of the Oceans and Coastal Spaces, the National Policy of Sustainable Production and Consumption, the National Policy for the Integral Management of Biodiversity and its ecosystem, the tourism sector plan 2018-2022. c) Review and analyze departmental and district policies and strategies related to tourism to align the model to the regional level. A total of four documents were identified with their respective technical annexes. They are the Departmental Development Plan "Magdalena Renace 2020 – 2023"; the Magdalena Tourism Sector Plan "Research, planning, and development of the Department's potential towards sustainable and community tourism 2009-2019"; the District Development Plan "Santa Marta Corazón del Cambio 2020 – 2023"; and the Sectoral tourism Plan for the Tourist, Cultural and Historic District of Santa Marta 2015 Tourism Sustainability! "Boys and girls first." d) Diagnosis elaboration, through the case study of the Tourist, Cultural, and Historic District of Santa Marta, contemplating data and qualitative and quantitative information related to population, territorial extension, economy, unemployment, occupation index, distribution of economic activities, the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the sector. e) Conducting surveys, meetings, and interviews with tourism entrepreneurs and workers to collect key data related to the dimensions analyzed by the Regional Tourism Competitiveness Index of Colombia, which correspond to environmental, cultural factors, marketing strategy, destination management, business sector, and infrastructure. f) Sectoral technical workshops for the diagnosis and strategic lines of the model construction; meetings with authorities, entrepreneurs, and representatives of the different associations and tourism service providers cooperatives present in the District. The workshops were essential to analyzing needs, challenges, difficulties, and strengths through SWOT methodology and characterization of external factors of vast influence on tourism development by elaborating a matrix under the PESTEL methodology. g) Review and analysis of tourism and regional development theory was made to confirm or complement important variables that promote development within the model. h) Formulation of the tourism planning and management model for the sustainable tourism development of the District of Santa Marta, based on the competitiveness model of the Tourism Thinking Center of Colombia, the different aspect that can foster regional development, the indicators established in the National Sustainable Tourism Policy and the diagnosis made.