latin america tourism

8/2/2019 Latin America Tourism

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Latin AmericaA Regional Study

Dr Jan Mosedale

Introduction

Latin America has 17 countries

Colonized by Spain & Portugal (Iberian countries)

Large, diverse populations

490 million people total Indian and African presence

75% of the people live in cities

Several megacities (more than 10 million people)

Industrialization & development grew since 1960s

Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) proposes to integrate

economies of Latin America, North America and the Caribbean

(except Cuba)

Natural resource extraction remains important

Amazonian Basin

Andes

Pampas

Brazilian

Highlands

Amazon Rain Forest

Geography

Macchu Pichu

Andes Mountains

Well known natural andcultural landscapes

Main Regions ofLatin America

Mexico1 Country

Central America7 Countries

Caribbean700? Small Islands

Territories & Countries

South America12 Countries

Geography

Central America

GuatemalaCosta RicaBelizeEl SalvadorHondurasPanamaNicaragua

Geography

Latin America: A regional Study


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Caribbean

Three largestIsland Nations Haiti Dominican

Republic Cuba

Geography

A Complex Area:

The Caribbean have a diverse history because of its ownership to othercountries and their contribution to the commonwealth, for example to theUnited States and United Kingdom.

Case Example: Puerto Rico and the U.S.U.S. Territory and Commonwealth to the US Can vote in regards to internal affairsbut cannot vote in the US presidential elections

Other Latin American countries had similar historic links with the Dutch, French,Spanish, and Portuguese. There historic relationships still impact the culture,forms of government, language, trade agreements, citizens etc in the region.

Geography

South AmericaArgentinaBrazilPeruBoliviaChileColombiaEcuadorGuyanaSuriname

UruguayParaguayVenezuela

Geography Defining the Realm

Inca Civilization

Culture hearth:

Intermontane basin around Cuzco (1200-1535 AD.)

Most of the population in the Andes mountains

(west).

Altiplanos were key to settlement patterns.

20 million subjects at its zenith

A highly centralized state.Transportation networks and integration efforts.

Collapsed in the early 16th century.

Iberian invasion

Pizzarro overthrew the Incaempire in 1533.

Process of land alienation and

forced labor.

Lima:

Coastal city.

Capital of the Viceroyalty of

Peru.

Became one of the richest

cities in the world.

Viceroyalties of La Plana and

New Grenada.

Urbanization along the coast.

Portugal took the eastern part

of the Tordesillas line (Brazil).

Culture

Latin America: Culture

Latin America has very diverse cultural background that can

vary from country and region.But there are shared cultural characteristics

The ethnic diversity of this region is very unique

There are many customs andtraditions


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Culture


Latin America: Shared Cultural Characteristics

Language

Religion

Ancestry

Culture


FoodPopular Foods:

PupusasEmpanadasSeafood CevicheSoups SopaMate tea drink

Culture


Dress

Culture


Festivals & TraditionsCarnival in Brazil

Dia de losMuertos

Defining the Realm

Independence

Restrictive colonial trading pattern:

Limiting the ability to trade with nations other than Spain.

Spain had been economically eclipsed by the development

of Britain, France, and the Netherlands.

Deprived the elite of the opportunity to have lucrative

trading relationships with other European powers.

Gaining independence

Major independence movements:

South American War of Independence in the early 1800s.

Led by Simon Bolivar (Bolivia).

History


Independence from Spanish Conquest

Most of Latin America was under Spanish Rule for over 300 years fromabout 1500 to 1800.

Haiti was the first country in Latin America to declare independence onJanuary 1, 1804.

Mexico's Independence: September 16, 1810

Simon Bolivar and helped with the independence of several SouthAmerican countries


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History


Independence from Spanish Conquest

Mexico

Miguel Hidalgo (1810-1811)Jose De Morelos (1810-1815)

South AmericaSimon Bolivar (1810-1824)Jose San Martin (1811-1822)

Revolutionary MovementsChe Guevara (1955-1967)Fidel Castro (195os to the present)

Four Revolutionary Heroes"Liberators" by painter Alfredo Zalce

History


Simon Bolivar

Influential heroic, revolutionary figure

Known as the liberator and theGeorge Washington of Latin America

Bolivar and Jose de San Martin worked to gainindependence from Spanish rule in South America

He stood for uniting all of Latin AmericaWon independence in Countries:Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Panama, and Bolivia

History


Che Guevara

Social Justice Equality Challenged Class Structure Sought an alternative style of government

which was more socialistic

Biographical NotesBorn in ArgentinaFamous for travel and humanitarian efforts in Latin America

He was a doctor who became a revolutionary leaderHelped Fidel Castro in the Cuban Revolution Assassinated in Bolivia with the assistance of the CIARemains a popular symbol of revolution

Pillars of Latin American Society

Church

Arrived with the conquistadores.

Spent the majority of the centuries since firmly

supporting the status quo.

One of the largest landholders and wealthiest entities.

Leadership:

Historically been conservative.

Derived its membership from the upper strata of society. Contributed to the social control of the masses.

Accepting their poverty and powerlessness.

Rise of Liberation Theology:

Pillars of Latin American Society

Military

Plays a vastly different role than in most democratic

societies:

Used to ensure internal control.

Serves to support the elites and is frequently led by them.

Serves as a social mobility vehicle.

Military dictatorships:

Characterized regional politics since shortly after

independence.

Authoritarian means of governance that has focused on

social control.

Demise of military dictators in Chile (1990), Panama

Political Evolution


Latin America is not a one dimensional political arena.

Different Forms of Political Leadership

Different forms of Government built on differenteconomic theories/priorities.


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Political Evolution


An OverviewPatriarchalElitist Dictator Populist/socialistThe story of Latin American government and types ofleadership is a story of change and transition.

Colonial History and the ties between European countries havehad enduring impacts throughout Latin America.

Modern vs TraditionalThere is a debate as to whether the modernization of LatinAmerica will require the loss of traditional priorities andcustoms to become more modernized.

Economic Trends


IntroductionIn many parts of Latin America, there are significant gapsbetween the rich and the poor, with drastically highpercentages of poverty

Economic Instability can occur in various parts in the region. Aglobal economic crisis of varying impacts can affect a countryand change their economic status

With many distinct economic characteristics, specific countries

can be extraordinarily unique; Not all service not allproductrion; diversified economies in comparison to theirneighbors and region

Economic Trends


Central America countries and percentage of populationbelow the poverty line:

*Guatemala 56.2% (2004 est.)El Salvador 30.7% (2006 est.)*Nicaragua 48% (2005)Belize 33.5% (2002 est.)*Honduras 50.7% (2004)Costa Rica 16% (2006 est.)Panama 37% (1999 est.)

CIA World Fact book

Regional Divisions

Urbanization

The movement to and clustering of people in towns

and cities.

The percentage of a countrys population living in

cities.

79% - continent-wide in South America.

South America's increase based on rate of natural

increase and internal migration.

Fast urbanization:

Resulted in the creation of vast shantytowns (barrios or

favelas).

Why People Move to Urban Areas?

Urbanization and economic survival

Decision to move to an urban area:

Part of a complex survival strategy.

Families minimize risk by placing members in different

labor markets.

Largest labor market maximizing the chances of

employment and survival.

Cities are the largest labor markets.

Favelas (squatter settlements) of Rio de Janeiro:

Cannot be understood without reference to the latifundia

land system in rural Brazil.

Characterized by large landholdings owned by a limited


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Shantytowns

Definition

Dwellings are built by the current or originaloccupant:

Rudimentary construction materials.

Did not receive a construction permit.

Do not follow norms in terms of housing and sanitation.

Inhabitants have no legal title to the land:

Most are located in areas being declared inhabitable.

Own by the municipality.

Abandoned private land.

Exploiting a legal vacuum of land ownership.

v

Latin America and Caribbean

International Visitor Numbers

International tourists to Latin

American Countries (2005)

Mexico is, and for a long time has been, the

unparalleled giant of the international tourist

industry in Latin America (Chant, 1992: 85)

in South America generally, most foreign

tourists are Latin Americans (Chant, 1992: 86)

The USA provides the majority of tourists from

outside the region to Mexico, Central America

and the Caribbean.

Why is it the case that so few tourists

appear to visit Latin America (especially

excluding Mexico and the Caribbean)?

Certainly not a lack of potential attractions


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Beach tourism Five countries, namely Brazil, Cuba, the

Dominican Republic, Mexico and Venezuela, are

noted for beach tourism (Lumsdon & Swift, 2001:

85)

Also, there are beach resorts in Chile, Uruguay,

Argentina, Peru, and Colombia

Rio de

JaneiroVenezuelaChile

Mountain & ski tourism

Ski tourism = La Paz in Bolivia (upper

slopes reach an altitude of 5500 metres);

Las Lenas in Argentina; Termas de

Chillan, Valle Nevado, and Portillo in

Chile

Chile - with its numerous ski resorts - is

an adventurous alternative to the typical

summer holiday. Andean skiing offers an

unforgettable combination of beach-style

weather, great snow and exotic travel

Here on the fringes of the Andes, skiers

will find few lift queues, tickets 50%

cheaper than France and unique scenery,

(www.guardian.co.uk, 2005)

Nature-based/eco-tourism

About 97 per cent of the Galapagos is designated

as a national park, and stringent regulations are in

force to protect the wildlife from the impact of

tourists (Boniface & Cooper, 2005: 470)

Brazilian rainforest and associated wildlife

Iguacu Falls

Penguins and glaciersChile

Costa Rica - rainforests

Cultural/heritage tourism Inca civilization and Pre-Columbus archaeological

sites (e.g., Machu Picchu in Peru)

Spanish architecture - Concentrated principally inMexico, Guatemala, Peru and Ecuador (Chant, 1992:87)

Buenos Aires (Argentina)known as the Paris ofSouth America prior to WW2

Mayan culture (Mexico)

Why then is the tourism potential of LatinAmerica (excluding Mexico & The

Caribbean to an extent) largely untapped?

Lack of investment

Economic & political instability - Long-term planning and

investment in the tourism industry have been discouraged by

political instability and inflation (Boniface & Cooper, 2005: 461) Safety and security problems

South American countries have a reputation of political

instability, even though many countries have returned to

democracy the reputation for violence in these countries is hard

to overcome, particularly as these events are often given negative

media coverage in the United States, one of the major markets for

South American tourism (Costa & Bauer, 2001: 28)


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Social problemsPromoted as a palm-studded paradise,

Jamaicas image is tempered by the realities of poverty, drugs

and racial tension. (www.guardian.co.uk, 2005)

Natural disasters (e.g., Hurricanes; Earthquakes)

GRENADA

Lack of accessibilityParticularly for Argentina, Chile, Uruguay,

and Paraguay distance from the main [tourist] generating countries

in both Europe and North America has been a major disadvantage

for the development of international tourism (Boniface & Cooper,

2005: 471)

Relatively high cost of air fares

Shortage of suitable hotelsfor the inclusive-tour market - poor

hygiene in accommodation facilities and restaurants (Santana,

2001: 10)

Tropical diseasessuch as cholera and malaria

Poor marketing- Latin America has not been successful in

promoting itself as a relevant destination for the major tourism

generating markets (Costa & Bauer, 2001: 25)

latin america tourism

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