Ecotourism, Women, and Development: Reflections on the Women’s Participation in Tourism in Protected Areas in Colombia

This article presents some reflections on the involvement of women as users and providers of tourism services in protected areas and highlights the importance of female travelers as a growing segment of the market. It also delves into the experience of female travel, analyzing its...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ariza Marín, Leidy Johana, Bolaños Briceño, Jorge Arturo
Format: Online
Language:spa
Published: Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia 2020
Subjects:
Online Access:https://revistas.uptc.edu.co/index.php/perspectiva/article/view/10772
Description
Summary:This article presents some reflections on the involvement of women as users and providers of tourism services in protected areas and highlights the importance of female travelers as a growing segment of the market. It also delves into the experience of female travel, analyzing its motivations and impact on the inequalities in the use of space. Considering that protected areas in the country are frequently inhabited by marginalized and vulnerable communities—either because of the armed conflict or because of limited opportunities—, the article emphasizes the importance of women’s work in the ecotourism sector and its multiplier effect on the well-being of local communities. In addition, it proposes a scenario of gender-oriented ecotourism promotion from a local construction perspective, in which ecotourism potential is combined with the skills and strengths of all local actors as a whole. Using a qualitative, non-experimental, and exploratory methodological approach, a literature review is carried out, including institutional documents and research on the management of ecotourism in protected areas; its social, economic and environmental implications; and the participation of women in tourism services, both as providers and users.