Aportes para el diagnóstico participativo del potencial ecoturístico de las veredas Los Micos y Bocas del Zansa del municipio de San Juan de Arama (Meta)

Abstract

Tourism activity in the municipality of San Juan de Arama in the department of Meta has gained momentum since the signing of the Peace Agreement between the FARC guerrillas and the National Government in 2016. The massive visit of tourists has generated economic growth for the municipality, since, attracted by the natural attractions of the region near the Serranía de la Macarena, travelers demand transportation services, as well as gastronomic and hotel establishments for their stay, however, they exert in the same way enough pressure on the ecosystems involved in such activity. Specifically, in the villages of Los Micos and Bocas del Zansa, tourism activity is developed in an unsustainable manner without understanding the value of the natural elements that are part of the tourist attraction of the place. It is for this reason that this degree work presents contributions to diagnose in a participatory manner the ecotourism potential of this area, characterizing the environmental and sociocultural aspects present in the aforementioned villages and the points of interest identified by the actors involved. This was achieved through the application of instruments such as semi-structured interviews, focus groups and social mapping with inhabitants of the villages and tourism stakeholders, as well as a bibliographic review and field visits to complement the characterization. Among the environmental aspects found, it was determined that the Güejar River is the central axis of the municipality's tourism activity, including the La Macarena Special Management Area, and as for the sociocultural part, the Sierra de la Macarena tourist route highlights the different customs and gastronomic offer of San Juan de Arama. The knowledge and appropriation of the territory demonstrated by the inhabitants and actors of the tourism activity is highlighted, which facilitates the characterization of the area as a whole, as well as the of the area as a whole, as well as the advantage for a later implementation of an eco-tourist trail in the villages.