Indigenous Participation In Tourism Activity At Brörán-Térraba Territory, Costa Rica, 2018

Abstract

In the Térraba indigenous territory, located in the province of Puntarenas in Costa Rica, its people participate in the development of tourism through practices that do not have a major impact on nature and that do not imply a loss of their culture. Various studies indicate that Costa Rica’s indigenous population suffers from high levels of inequality, and they also have lower rates of participation in the economy. The work analyzes through a qualitative and ethnographic method, through the techniques of in-depth interviews and participant observation how tourism initiatives can be an example in the organization of economic activities and empowerment for the development of indigenous communities. The main conclusion of this work indicates that critical participation by the indigenous people of the association Mano de Tigre, el Descanso y el Rincón Ecológico within the Bröran community has been fundamental to the management of sustainable tourism. It is recommended to optimize the services and offer the destination as it has a high potential for national and international tourism.

Keywords: empowerment; tourism and society; inequality.