Tourism and sustainable development of Qhapaq-Ñan: development problems and opportunities

Abstract

In the development process, the territory is not a passive recipient of external interventions but a space that has its own strategy of insertion into the general dynamics. The territory is seen as a ‘network of interests’ or an ‘agent of social transformation’; that is, as a set of social relations that give rise to and at the same time express an identity and a sense of purpose shared by multiple agents (Vazquez-Barquero, 2000). This approach is what will make it possible for tourism to be truly an endogenous and sustainable development agent. In this sense; through this scientific note on Qhapaq-Ñan, the authors seek to clarify the possibilities of the territories located in their vicinity to achieve sustainable local development, through tourism, which generates opportunities in order to improve the quality of life of local communities without affecting or altering world heritage. The Qhapaq-Ñan, in terms of archaeological heritage, is the largest serial heritage asset known in the American continent, encompassing six Andean countries. This Andean road system constitutes the tangible expression of the Inca expansion and of the coexistence of the imperial order with the various local cultures. The declaration of Qhapaq-Ñan as world heritage, in 2014, has led to joint efforts between various countries, various provinces, departments and different sectors in order to preserve this asset of exceptional universal value.