Entre turismo y ecoturismo: análisis del sistema socio-ecológico de la Laguna de Guatavita entre los años 2018 - 2022

Abstract

This monograph analyzes the dynamics between tourism and ecotourism in Laguna de Guatavita during the period covering the pre-pandemic phase, the impact of COVID-19, and the post-pandemic recovery, from the perspective of socio-ecological systems. Using a mixed-methods approach that combines official visitor entry data with interviews with key stakeholders, the study reveals a fundamental contradiction: although the site is promoted as an ecotourism destination, it operates under a mass tourism model with no established carrying capacity or approved Public Use Plan, resulting in rapid growth in visitor numbers. This situation generates differentiated environmental impacts: ecological recovery in the core of the lagoon versus degradation in peripheral areas due to waste accumulation, vehicular pressure, and the opening of unauthorized trails, as well as tensions with the sacred value that the Muisca community attributes to the territory. The study proposes a transition to an ethno-tourism model based on multilevel governance and adaptive monitoring to strengthen the socio-ecological resilience of the territory and harmonize tourism practices with environmental integrity and the development of local communities.