Experiential Tourism in the Peruvian Andes: A Cultural View

Carla Barbieri1, Sandra Sotomayor2 & Claudia Gil Arroyo2

1 Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management, North Carolina State University (US)2 Tourism Management Department, Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola (Peru)

Key Findings (Continued)

Literature Cited

Acharya, B.P., & Halpenny, E.A. (2013). Homestays as an alternative tourism product for sustainable community

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Araújo Vila, N., & Brea, J. A. F. (2015). From experiential economy to experiential tourism. Fiction series as inducers of

experiences and destinations visit. PASOS: Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural, 13(4), 959-964.

Chuang, S. T. (2013). Residents' attitudes toward rural tourism in Taiwan: A comparative viewpoint. International

Journal of Tourism Research, 15(2), 152-170.

Mateos, M. R. (2013). El turismo experiencial como forma de turismo responsable e intercultural. In Relaciones

interculturales en la diversidad (pp. 199-217). Cátedra Intercultural.

Ghaderi, Z., & Henderson, J. C. (2012). Sustainable rural tourism in Iran: A perspective from Hawraman Village.

Tourism Management Perspectives, 2, 47-54.

Kontogeorgopoulos, N., Churyen, A., & Duangsaeng, V. (2015). Homestay Tourism and the Commercialization of the

Rural Home in Thailand. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 20(1), 29-50.

Tolkach, D., & King, B. (2015). Strengthening Community-Based Tourism in a new resource-based island nation: Why

and how? Tourism Management, 48, 386-398.

Background

Experiential Tourism:

Experiential tourism is often offered by

communities in developing countries to tourists

from developed countries.

(Araujo, Vila & Brea, 2015; Mateos, 2013)

(Acharya & Halpenny, 2013; Chuang, 2013; Ghaderi & Henderson,

2012; Kontogeorgopoulos et al., 2015; Tolkach & King, 2015)

Study Purpose & Methods

Purpose: Assess community-based experiential tourism:

The Sample: 26 community members & leaders

11 men & 15 women 28 - 62 years old

Visiting not so popular

destinations to experience

living like locals.

The Impacts of Experiential Tourism:

Negative

Loss of traditional

lifestyles & customs

Threat to sustainable

practices

Restoring traditions

Revalue of cultural

manifestations

Positive

The Peruvian Case

Key Findings

Community-based experiential

tourism has been developed to:

Foster rural development

Expand the benefits of

major tourism attractions

Government & NGOs provide

technical assistance & training.

The Problems:

Its impacts in the Andes is

anecdotal & contradictory.

Indigenous communities

are extremely vulnerable

to outside influences.

Cultural impacts Gender roles Sustainability

The Setting:

7 rural communities in the

Cusco–Puno corridor (Andes)

Data Generation & Interpretation:

Semi-structured interviews (Nov. 2015)

Recorded & transcribed (M = 42 min.)

Open & axial coding

1. Recovering our unique artistic manifestations

“More people are making handicrafts. For example my wife,

who as a child was a good specialist in weaving. As we

migrated to the city she forgot all her craftsmanship. She’d

no longer weave anymore. Now that I offer tourism in

Amantani, my wife is coming back to it, she is remembering

her weaving. She’s reaching a special finesse with her

weaving. Then, it is an incentive, right?” (Elmer, Amantani)

Concluding Remarks

Participants believe tourism is helping to:

Recover traditional arts & language

Revalue ancestral traditions & foods

But…

Are those impacts positive or negative?

Are benefits spreading across families?

How do they define “authentic” & local?

4. Recreating culinary authenticity…

…based on local products

“Everything is produced here, potatoes, quinoa.

Generally it is forbidden to cook pasta, or it is

forbidden to cook rice. Well if you find a lady

serving a bowl of noodles here, I think she’d be

penalized. They can not do that, it must be all

natural products from here.”(Pedro, Potato Park)

…but adapting to please tourists’ tastes

Olluquito with chicken (Raqchi)Quinoa pancakes (Raqchi) Quinoa “chaufa” (Amaru)

…but just on the frontstage

Fried Guinea pig (Misminay)Family & Tourist Kitchens (Misminay)

2. Revaluing ancestral traditions

“We have a ‘mamacha’ patron, Saint Anne. We have two days

of celebrations, July 26 and 27 and we also have dancers.

And before, we were losing that tradition, but now, our

experiential tourism organization is recovering dances. (…)

Yes, [our children] always come and then want at least to

dance.” (Ernesto, Misminay)

3. Passing on the Quechua to our children

“[Tourism] helps to improve things, no? Like, people are not

afraid to speak Quechua. Now the kids speak Quechua again.

(…) Before, the person who could speak Quechua would say

‘I do not speak’ or ‘I do not want my children to learn

Quechua at school’ (…) because knowing some native

language was a reason for being discriminated.” (Kevin, Puno)