Defining Tourism Potential Through Territorial Mapping Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Case Study: Municipality of Garagoa, Colombia

Abstract

The municipality of Garagoa, in the province of Neira, department of Boyacá, Colombia, possesses natural, cultural, and gastronomic resources that have not yet been transformed into a coherent and consolidated tourism offer. This research sought to define the municipality's tourism potential based on an inventory of tourist attractions and territorial mapping through Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The study adopted a documentary approach based on secondary institutional sources, complemented by cartographic analysis and multi-criteria weighting across five territorial environments: attractions, accessibility, infrastructure, perception, and disaster risk management. The results indicate that Garagoa, Chinavita, and Macanal hold the greatest tourism potential in the province, with attractions of regional, national, and international appeal, although considerable gaps were identified in infrastructure and territorial information. The territory has real foundations to move towards sustainable and diversified tourism products, but this progress depends on stronger local planning and greater community involvement in the process.