Abstract
This article argues for a perspective to ecotourism development that is not determined solely by academics, capitalistic markets, conservationists or NGOs, but also by locally defined and culturally embedded relations and meanings. We start with a theoretical critique of ecotourism development and conservation at the intersection of the macro-global and micro-local levels. Insights from the existential philosopher, Martin Heidegger (1889—1976) help identify spaces and relationships in natural area destinations that illustrate the paradox of ecological modernization. A longitudinal case study of a community-based ecotourism initiative in the Peruvian Amazon is used to illustrate our argument. Local residents work in partnership with a private tour company to market and operate the lodge, but negotiations go beyond splitting profits or commodifying resources. Members engage in and resist tourism-related changes in multiple ways. Heidegger's notions of dwelling and care (concern: Sorghe) introduces a way of understanding such performative ecotourism spaces.
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