ETHNO-ECOTOURISM: A SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT TOOL TO CONSTRUCT GOVERNANCE WITH THE WAYUU PEOPLE IN LA GUAJIRA, COLOMBIA Yuliza Curvelo Vidal A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Marine Affairs University of Washington 2012 Committee: Marc L. Miller David L. Fluharty Program Authorized to Offer Degree: School of Marine and Environmental Affairs Table of Contents List of figures .................................................................................................................................. 4 List of Tables .................................................................................................................................. 5 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 7 Plan of Thesis ................................................................................................................................ 10 PART ONE: CONCEPTS AND BACKGROUND ...................................................................... 12 Chapter 1 – Sustainable Development....................................................................................... 12 1.0. Introduction ................................................................................................................ 12 1.1. Sustainability and Sustainable Development ............................................................. 13 1.2. Sustainability and Tourism ......................................................................................... 20 Chapter 2: Forms of Coastal Tourism ....................................................................................... 24 2.0. Introduction ................................................................................................................ 24 2.1. Sustainable Coastal Tourism ...................................................................................... 24 2.2. BLT Model ................................................................................................................. 27 2.3. Community-Based Tourism ....................................................................................... 28 2.4. Pro-poor Tourism ....................................................................................................... 30 2.5. Cultural Tourism......................................................................................................... 31 2.6. Ethno-tourism ............................................................................................................. 33 2.7. Ecotourism .................................................................................................................. 34 2.8. Geotourism ................................................................................................................. 37 Chapter 3: Tourism Governance ................................................................................................ 40 3.0. Introduction ................................................................................................................ 40 3.1. Management and Governance .................................................................................... 41 3.2. Sustainable Tourism Governance ............................................................................... 47 3.3. Indigenous Governance .............................................................................................. 49 PART TWO: CASE STUDY: LA GUAJIRA-COLOMBIA ....................................................... 51 Chapter 4 - Description of La Guajira, Colombia ..................................................................... 51 4.0. Introduction ................................................................................................................ 51 4.1. Geographical and Ecological Profile .......................................................................... 52 4.2. Political Profile and Management .............................................................................. 60 4.3. Socioeconomic Profile ................................................................................................ 62 Chapter 5 - Building Governance and Empowering People in La Guajira through Ethno- ecotourism ................................................................................................................................. 80 5.0. Introduction ................................................................................................................ 80 5.1. Methodology ............................................................................................................... 81 2 5.2. Sustainable Development in La Guajira ..................................................................... 82 5.3. Adaptability and Transformability in La Guajira ....................................................... 85 5.4. Ethno-ecotourism as a Sustainable Activity in La Guajira ......................................... 90 5.5. Governance in La Guajira ........................................................................................... 97 5.6. Recommendations .................................................................................................... 102 Discussion ................................................................................................................................ 107 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................ 110 Appendix A: Geotourism Charter............................................................................................ 125 3 List of figures Figure 1: BLT Model .................................................................................................................... 27 Figure 2: La Guajira Peninsula/Department of La Guajira ........................................................... 51 Figure 3: Topography of La Guajira ............................................................................................. 53 Figure 4: Deserts of La Guajira .................................................................................................... 54 Figure 5: Average monthly precipitation in millimeters, Riohacha (Almirante Padilla Airport Station). ......................................................................................................................................... 56 Figure 6: Total annual sunshine in the Caribbean Coast .............................................................. 57 Figure 7: Annual average relative humidity of the Caribbean Coast in Colombia ....................... 58 Figure 8: Vegetation Distribution in La Guajira ........................................................................... 59 Figure 9: Political Administrative Distribution of La Guajira ...................................................... 61 Figure 10: The Wayuu people distribution between Colombia and Venezuela ........................... 63 Figure 11: Distribution of the coal beds of La Guajira and the Caribbean ................................... 66 Figure 12: Roads of La Guajira ................................................................................................... 71 Figure 13: La Guajira’s BLT model ............................................................................................. 91 4 List of Tables Table 1: definitions of Sustainable Development …….…………………………………………14 Table 2: Transparency Index for La Guajira ………….………………………………..………106 5 Acknowledgements This thesis would not have been conceived without the support of great people who have impacted my life during these two years. First, I want to thank God for giving me the opportunity to enjoy wonderful experiences, both personally and academically. To my parents and my husband, for their unconditional support, which helped me to move forward in difficult times. Special thanks to the Colombian Fulbright Commission for the opportunity to study in the United States. Likewise, thanks also to the Academic and Professional Programs for the Americas (LASPAU) and its team of professionals who did all the necessary procedures for entry to the University of Washington. I thank the directors and staff of the University of Washington for accepting my proposal and provide my Master's scholarship. Special thanks to my friends and colleagues of the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, for allowing always a pleasant atmosphere of study and work during these two years. My most sincere thanks to my professor, mentor and friend, Marcos L. Miller, who with his encouragement, great ideas and instruction, opened my mind to a new world of possibilities and alternatives that I never would have imagined before. Both Professor Miller and Professor David Fluharty helped me to find new hints of hope for the Wayuu people in La Guajira. And finally, my eternal gratitude to the Wayuu people of Cabo de la Vela, for giving me the opportunity to enter to their beautiful world, and offer a grain of sand from the academy. 6 Introduction In recent years there has been a growing interest in the rational use of social-ecological systems present in coastal areas. This reflects not only the progressive individual and collective awareness on the natural and economic wealth present in these natural areas, but also of the growing social-environmental problems generated by the environmental impact caused by human activities in these areas.