Influences of global tourism on the Amazon

Abstract

In Colombia tourism is promoted as a strategy for economic development, and as a tool for environmental conservation. However, the implementation of projects from the center to the periphery, sometimes ignores the cultural attributes and the social perceptions from the territory. The global value chain approach, applied to two case studies, put in evidence the modifcations in the Amazon caused by tourism development projects lead by national government. The main results are that social perception of the territory changed for a more monetary one, and the projects had no changed the inequality in power relations in the value chain. The imposition of an external idea of economic development can increase the fragility of the territory. If tourism is based on a good planning process could be an important economic and conservational alternative for local populations and also for environmental conservation in the scenario of Peace Agreements in Colombia.