Reflections on Culture, Heritage, and Tourism in Peru

Tourism is an economic and social activity whose essential element is human cultural diversity and both tangible and intangible heritage. As such, its benefits can bring consequences to local populations and the environment. This reflective study focuses on an analysis of how the idea of tourism in Peru has been constructed and operationalized from the perspectives of the state and the private sector. It also explores the naturalization of a hegemonic view that homogenizes culture and national identity and its potential consequences in the formation of social stereotypes and the increase in poverty among the receiving populations. A set of guidelines and recommendations are proposed to pursue sustainable tourism in cultural, social, economic, and environmental terms.