Community-based tourism: the good living perspective as an alternative to development in Latin America and the Abya Yala

Abstract

The Good Living as an ontological concept, comes from the world of the original peoples and has been from its recognition in various spheres and theoretical levels, political and even business, a field in dispute, being in some cases emptied and appropriate of its cultural content and its emancipatory function. For its part, Community-Based Tourism (CBT) presents itself as one of the practical possibilities of rethinking and prospecting a development based on an organic articulation between humans and between humans and non-humans, rescuing and updating the sense of community in harmony with nature. Methodologically, we used a theoretical review with critical analysis and case study of the CBT Program in Trawun de Panguipulli, southern Chile. Through a discussion / reflection, between these concepts we sought to discuss elements that approach or distance themselves between the topics in order to contribute to this purpose. The objective of this article is to dialogue on the theme of Community Based Tourism as an alternative and emancipatory strategy of development from the perpective of Good Living. It was concluded that, thinking about new paradigms based on ontological perspectives, also supposes facing the challenge of proposing projects that can dispute the logic of appropriation and in time, strengthen and reaffirm the territories and territorial identities of, rural communities, peasants and native peoples.