Tourism Case Studies Latin America Region

Latin America is a complex mosaic of nations, people and landscapes, with unique cultural, scenic and economic resources but with no more than 6% of global international tourist arrivals (World Bank, 2019). The region hosts several top international destinations - such as the Caribbean islands and the sacred city of the Incas, Machu Picchu (Peru). Cities like Sao Paulo and Mexico City are internationally known for their Meetings Incentives Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) sector. Galapagos (Ecuador) and Fernando de Noronha (Brazil) are areas of significant ecological importance. However, even if some of the destinations are well known internationally, the region is still seen as an untouched source for tourism at global and regional scales. Moreover, the region is still underrepresented in international tourism literature and content for pedagogical and educational purposes still limited. This gap needs to be filled, to help inform tourism developments and to better educate the next generation. This can help shift students and practitioners away from an over-dependence on models and ideas developed and tested in different social and cultural settings that may not be appropriate for a Latin American context. Therefore, this book aims to bring together researchers, students, practitioners and other agents involved with research, teaching and the operation of tourism to share their research and work experiences in Latin America, in the form of case studies focusing on real-world examples.