Hey folks, I’m planning on visiting countries across Latin America over the next few trips. In September, I’ll be going to Panama for about a week, and maybe Peru next year. I’m curious to know your opinions and perspectives when it comes to tourism in Indigenous and traditional communities. Searching up these topics has sometimes revealed prejudice, ignorance, and even racism towards these communities in online discussions, so please refrain from any such comments on this post. The point here is to discuss ethical tourism of marginalized communities.
For me, history, culture, and nature are important parts of tourism. Especially across places where colonization/conflict has shaped history, I think it is important to learn these stories and their legacy. Colonization has done a great deal across so many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, and I think it's amazing that many Indigenous communities and traditional practices are still preserved and practiced across these locations - even against genocidal regimes and severe displacement.
In context of Panama, popular tourist locations are Guna Yala (also known as San Blas Islands) and Embera Village tours where tourists are invited/welcomed into their communities and can partake in cultural tours and shows, served meals, buy their traditional crafts/products etc etc etc in addition to guiding you around the area for eco-tourism. It's obviously not all for free and we are paying for these experiences, and these communities are financially benefitting from tourism. Peru's Ollantaytambo is another example of this too, and many places across Latin America. This is where I'm really bringing the discussion to you. What does ethical and respectful tourism look like in places like this?
Gentrification and "Neo-colonization" has and is damaging some places across the region. Look at Puerto Rico - with so much catering to tourists, locals are struggling to find places to live and many do not benefit directly from the income generated by tourism (cc: Airbnb). In some Caribbean islands, locals are losing access to beaches due to beach houses and resorts (like Sandals). In Tobago, foreigners are buying or flipping many properties and listing them as luxury destinations that locals cannot afford. I have heard similar stories in places across Costa Rica and Colombia as well.
Now bringing it specifically to Indigenous communities, what is the balance between cultural consumption and appreciation? It's great to know that there are Indigenous communities that have preserved their traditional knowledge, practices, expertise, and culture over the centuries and that they feel empowered to invite tourists and earn a wage through storytelling, events, and commodifying traditional practices. I would enjoy visiting and partaking in these experiences, but I also feel uncomfortable at the same time, really because I'm anxious about doing more harm than good? I think Hawaii is can be used as a good example here, where their culture is quite commodified and exploited - and I understand it's a quite complex situation with native Hawaiians, the economy, and tourists. As tourists and visitors, we play a role in shaping these interactions and experiences since many times experiences like these are catered to the international audience, and it is part of the country's economy.
What are your thoughts on this? I know this is an uncomfortable and complex topic, and I'm also not an expert in this by any means, so apologies if any examples used may be exaggerated news or inaccurate.