Tourism and Community: An Ecuadorian Village Builds on its Past

An archaeological project and a community museum in Agua Blanca, Ecuador, have helped catalyse a remarkable process of ecological and cultural awareness complemented by economic advances. Some twenty-five years after the museum’s inauguration, as well as visiting the archaeological site and museum, tourists can observe the Machalilla National Park’s distinctive flora and fauna, camp, hike, swim, stay in village homes, buy locally made handcrafts, and eat in the community restaurant. These initiatives have been set up by the village in collaboration with local, national, and overseas agencies, in ways which spread benefits as widely as possible. After the introduction of a new constitution in 2008, which recognizes the multi-ethnic character of Ecuador’s population, Agua Blanca and adjacent communities asked to be officially recognized as ‘Pueblo Manta’ — an identity derived from the area’s pre-Spanish archaeology. Agua Blanca’s experience shows that much can be achieved through confidence in cultural identity, and that locally managed community tourism brings tangible economic benefits to local people, while serving to protect vulnerable archaeological sites from destruction.