Innovación financiera en la era digital: el papel de la inteligencia artificial en el sector turístico gastronómico del cantón Cuenca

Abstract

The present research aims to establish the artificial intelligence (AI) tools that contribute to the financial management of the gastronomic tourism sector of the Cuenca canton. This sector, characterized by it's cultural and gastronomic wealth, has experienced remarkable growth, but faces challenges in the adoption of technologies. The research has a mixed, correlational, longitudinal and census approach, with a population of 34 establishments belonging to the gastronomic tourism sector, where closed and open questions were applied to know the perception of legal representatives regarding the use of AI, and was complemented with quantitative research through a detailed financial analysis based on financial statements for the period 2019-2023. The results show that 50% report positive improvements, especially in growth and efficiency indicators. However, the main challenges include incompatibility with existing systems, lack of technical training and high initial costs. It's concluded that AI offers significant potential to improve the financial management of the companies subject to analysis, improving both their sustainability and competitiveness. This research highlights the need to explore complementary applications of AI in areas such as marketing to maximize its impact on the gastronomic tourism sector of the Cuenca canton.