Community Tourism in Conflict Territories. The Case of Mapuche Indigenous Communities in the Los Ríos Region in Chile

Abstract

For present-day indigenous populations in Chile, the recovery of ancestral lands, the strengthening of indigenous culture and the rediscovery of traditional knowledge are priority matters. This is certainly the case for the Mapuche communities of the Panguipulli municipality, located in the Los Ríos Region. In the indigenous imagery, community tourism has become a powerful instrument for the presentation of demands before the hegemonic national society. An emergent strategy, community tourism brings together the possibility to organize resistance against domination practices, reengage indigenous cultural practices and generate economic opportunities. This paper adopts a qualitative methodological approach, but uses quantitative methods and techniques as well. The imagery and experiences of indigenous communities are explored in order to unearth the elements that contribute to the construction of a tourism development pattern suitable for conflict territories where the effects of globalization become visible by the day.