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The Santa Elena Ecological Reserve, located in Alto Mayo, is a biodiversity-rich area with significant ecotourism potential that has not yet translated into consolidated demand due to limited promotion and weak infrastructure. The study aimed to design a marketing plan to increase visitor flows while balancing ecosystem sustainability and community strengthening. A descriptive propositional design with a mixed-methods approach was applied. Surveys were conducted with 220 tourists and interviews with 15 local stakeholders, complemented by direct observation and statistical analysis using SPSS and Atlas.ti. Results showed that 87.3% of visitors were domestic, mainly young university students. Overall satisfaction averaged 3.8 on a scale of 1 to 5, with high ratings for natural beauty (4.6) and hospitality (4.4), but weaknesses in signage (2.9) and basic services (2.7). It was concluded that low demand was not due to a lack of attractions but rather deficiencies in marketing. An integrated plan that combines digital strategies, basic infrastructure improvements, and community training represents the most viable path to strengthening the destination’s competitiveness.
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