Rural Community-Based Tourism in Central America
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RU R AL COMMUNITY -BASED TOU R ISM IN CENT R AL AME R I C A Trade and Poverty in Latin America Case study December 2009 n Central America, tourist numbers ism and cooperation. For this analysis, exceeded 4.7 million in 2002 and we selected the countries where tourism I8 million in 2007. Guatemala has a has grown most rapidly: Guatemala and Overview tourist industry worth $1.012 billion per Nicaragua. In the Guatemalan case, we This case study evalu- ates the outcomes of annum, compared with $239 million in chose to systematise the experience of rural community-based Nicaragua. As a result, Central American Rural-based Community Tourism (RCT) tourism in Nicaragua governments have focused their efforts in one of the regions that is richest in (five communities) and on attracting foreign investment to this natural and cultural resources, which, Guatemala (four com- sector (including through agreements in paradoxically, is also one of those report- munities), as an alterna- tive to more mainstream services). ing the highest indices of poverty and ex- tourist development. The agrarian crisis of the period be- treme poverty. Despite strong commu- tween 1990 and the early 2000s resulted Fundamentally, the methodology seeks nity organisations (co- in a re-evaluation of the role of agricul- to systematise the experience of RCT in operatives) and some tourism natural assets ture in the rural economy in both coun- five communities in Nicaragua and four (caves and culture) – tries. Concurrently, there was a search for in Guatemala. To this end, two national and, in the case of Nica- non-agrarian alternatives that would, on teams shared methodologies, analysis of ragua, reasonable infra- the one hand, sustain the rural popula- the initial results and comparative analy- structure and access to tion in their communities of origin and, sis of their experiences. Here, we present markets – the financial sustainability of initia- on the other, elevate the standard of liv- a comparative analysis of the tenden- tives has been badly af- ing in these communities. The latter goal cies identified in both studies, in order to fected by an inability to has been the basis for the promotion of determine the trends and policies at the link with the main dis- rural tourism, initially in the European regional level that facilitate the establish- tribution channels (tour Union (EU) and subsequently through ment of these alternatives for rural pov- operators and hoteliers). The initial investment international cooperation, as an alterna- erty reduction. costs are high and bar- tive approach for rural poverty reduction riers to entry are signifi- in developing countries. Nonetheless, not The experience of Guatemala cant. Notwithstanding all of the options for rural tourism gener- and Nicaragua poor tourist flows, these have brought some eco- ate the necessary synergies to stimulate Tourism as a generator of employment nomic and other ben- endogenous rural development. is polarising; that is, high salary jobs are efits to the destination As a result, there is a debate regard- few and require high levels of education, areas. ing the roles of collective action and (languages, administration, accounting), leadership as well as the sustainability whereas the remainder of the jobs are of initiatives. As a complement to this, low income, such as in cleaning, security, we explore how the implementation of waiting tables and cooking in rural areas. policies has impacted incentives for tour- In RCT, it is assumed that participants 1 Table 1: Initiatives from the analysis of RCT and poverty reduction in Nicaragua Initiative Year Organisation Role of women Rural Cooperative and Community 1998 Cooperative Management of finances Tourism Las Pilas – El Hoyo Community House La Granadilla 2002 Cooperative Tourist services, food, management of finances La Paloma, Pueblo Hotel, Ometepe 1995 Women’s association Leadership, organisation and rotation of roles, management of finances Quetzalcóatl Cooperative 1985 Cooperative Artisanal goods, distribution and administration of income Guardatinaja Ecological Park 1994 Indigenous community, Tourist services, food area association Source: Barrera and Pérez (2008). are not employees but managers, protagonist actors Nicaragua throughout the organisation and management of the In Nicaragua, five communities that have taken ad- process. RCT initiatives that function as collective en- vantage of different rural attractions were selected, in- terprises favour poverty reduction not only through cluding those related to volcanoes, islands, indigenous increased income but also by strengthening the man- communities, artisanal products and sightseeing. In agement of development by relevant stakeholders. contrast with the Guatemalan initiatives, which oper- With this definition of RCT, it is possible to analyse the ate as an association of communities, the Nicaraguan propensity of these initiatives to fully utilise the advan- initiatives are independent from one another and have tages of globalisation in Central American countries, a very low level of linkages between them and/or with specifically Guatemala and Nicaragua. other actors and services. Despite being located in the zone of greatest integration in terms of infrastructure Guatemala and markets, the Nicaraguan initiatives tend to face For the Guatemalan case, we selected the experience the same challenges regarding market access as the of the Candelaria Caves in Alta Verapaz. This is a com- Guatemalan ones, although some have begun to in- plex where four indigenous Q’eqchi communities have tegrate with hotel chains, mainly near the city of Gra- organised a tourist product around the Sepalau Lagoon nada. Community leadership also tends to be a key el- and the caves, which are an attractive geological for- ement in the allocation of roles, allocation of individual mation, located in an area with substantial greenery income and community investment. and many water sources. To date, a sufficiently stable flow of visitors has not yet been achieved, which would Comparison of the effectiveness of RCT ini- enable residents to dedicate more of their time to the tiatives in Guatemala and Nicaragua activity, thereby increasing their income. In this case, the promotion link is failing: participants do not ben- A review of experiences in the nine communities iden- efit from a marketing strategy that would allow tour- tified some positive processes, such as increases in ists in Guatemala City as well as foreigners to become household income, improvements in consumption, aware of the opportunities offered in the locality. Nor mainly clothes, and improvements in social investment have they managed to develop links with the network related to basic infrastructure, such as schools, roads of national tour operators. Moreover, there is a need and health posts. According to community interviews to develop peripheral products or complementary ac- in Guatemala, the extra income from RCT has led to tivities for those visitors who can spend the night and an increase in family spending, on agricultural supplies more than one day in the communities, which could be and clothing for the family. In addition, there have been developed through a ‘community route’, allowing visi- increases in planting areas and levels of food security, tors to experience the customs and cosmology of the as well as improvements in the housing of those who Maya-Q’eqchi. participate. Income from RCT depends on the role and the rotation of each family, which can be in the kitchen, -2- Table 2: General changes since the implementation of RCT in indigenous communities in Guatemala Use of funds Situation of the community Situation of the community before RCT after RCT Candelaria Maintenance and expansion Planting in small areas. Greater institutional presence. Camposanto of the site. Significant out-migration of People are no longer afraid of Agricultural products and labour. seeing and attending to tourists. household expenditures. Distrust of tourists. Conservation of trees. Land sales. Greater income. Job creation. Land has increased in price. Sepalau Paying guides, cooks, etc. People were excluded from Elaboration of artisanal goods. Cataltzul Maintenance of the ranch. communication because there Renting of equipment (kayaks). Personal consumption and was no road. Promotion of culture through. household expenditures. Investment in highway, market. School repaired. Greater income. Bombil Pek Maintenance. Production was very limited. Path made to small landholdings. Doing business. Small landholdings and The small landholdings are community disconnected. producing. The communal house had been Cultivation and sale of sugar cane. destroyed. Communal house repaired. Candelaria Maintenance of the site. The only income was from the Work and income for women. Mucbilhá Personal consumption and sale of agricultural products. Families spend more on clothing household expenditures. Women did not have an income. and food. Houses were in very poor Income in dollars. condition. People purchase more tools. Improvement in infrastructure of houses and the community centre. Source: Peláez et al. (2008). Table 3: General changes since the implementation of RCT in Nicaraguan communities Initiative Impact Projects Rural Tourism Participants have transitioned from day Taking advantage of the resources of the reserve Cooperative and labourers on landholders’ property to and avoiding deforestation. Community Las Pilas working for themselves. Development of beekeeping.