El turismo sostenible como factor estratégico de desarrollo para los parques nacionales : caso de estudio : el Parque Nacional Sierra Nevada Mérida-Venezuela

Abstract

Esta investigación persigue explorar y repensar las estrategias de turismo sostenible para los parques nacionales, con el propósito de proponer lineamientos para el establecimiento de las políticas ambientales y turísticas. El enfoque metodológico empleado fue mixto, entendido como el proceso de recogida, análisis e interpretación de resultados, utilizando información cuantitativa y cualitativa en el caso de estudio. Para el análisis de la información se utilizó la triangulación de datos y su aplicabilidad se consiguió mediante la utilización del análisis multicriterial, específicamente el modelo NAIADE por medio de un proceso compuesto por siete pasos: 1) identificación de los actores del PNSN; 2) definición de la problemática ambiental y turística del PNSN, 3) identificación de las alternativas y criterios para la evaluación de las políticas ambientales y turísticas para el PNSN; 4) evaluación de las alternativas y criterios establecidos por los diferentes actores del PNSN; 5) interpretación preliminar de los resultados; 6) negociación entre los diferentes actores sobre las alternativas y criterios para el establecimiento de las políticas ambientales y turísticas del PNSN; y 7) establecimiento de los lineamientos para la elaboración de las políticas ambientales y turísticas para el PNSN. Para lograr la participación de los diversos actores cuyos roles son heterogéneos, se determinaron dos muestras: una muestra no probabilística, de la que se obtuvieron 191 encuestas, conformada por los actores institucionales públicos o privados, y otros actores sociales encargados de ejecutar o cumplir las políticas ambientales y turísticas, tales como juntas comunales, expertos, entre otros; y una probabilística integrada por los pobladores de la zona del PNSN quienes respondieron 373 encuestas. De esta manera, en una primera ronda se obtuvo un total de 564 encuestas y, posteriormente, en la etapa de negociación se realizaron 175 encuestas adicionales. Se escogió la metodología multicriterial por ser una herramienta que constituye un significativo apoyo para el proceso de toma de decisiones, y permitió la participación de los diferentes tipos de actores del PNSN, ocho en total: organizaciones no gubernamentales (ONG), gobierno nacional, gobierno regional, gobierno local, juntas comunales o consejos comunales, pobladores de las comunidades del PNSN, turistas y expertos (académicos y científicos). En consecuencia, los resultados obtenidos correspondieron a diferentes criterios y opciones, por lo cual se eligieron las alternativas que tuvieran mayor consenso, tomando en cuenta las opiniones de todos los actores involucrados en el proceso de la investigación. Se pudo constatar que los pobladores no sólo comparten e identifican los problemas, sino que buscan sus soluciones. Precisamente, fueron los propios actores del PNSN quienes especificaron las posibles soluciones, esto demuestra que la identificación de problemas y la proposición de soluciones se facilitan, cuando los diversos actores locales acuerdan estrategias compartidas que conlleven a procesos de transformación social. Se detectaron 34 estrategias para afrontar la problemática existente en el PNSN y, de acuerdo a la negociación entre los diferentes actores, se agruparon en ocho alternativas. Además, se comprobó que el área protegida del PNSN se ha convertido en una oportunidad para el desarrollo turístico, generación de empleos e ingresos para las comunidades locales; asimismo, se puedo inferir que sus condiciones socioambientales podrían facilitar un proceso para profundizar la sensibilización sobre un desarrollo sostenible basado en la conservación de sus recursos y en la participación de todos los actores involucrados y, a su vez, han favorecido la integración de diversas entidades con distintos intereses, muchas veces contrapuestos. No obstante, se ha logrado un consenso de esfuerzos en beneficio del desarrollo turístico y ambiental del PNSN, circunstancia que lo convierte en una referencia turístico-ambiental para o.

This PhD research project deals with the outcomes of the research denominated The sustainable tourism, strategic factor for the development of national parks. Case study: The Sierra Nevada National Park, Mérida, Venezuela, carried out into the Doctorate Program “Desarrollo Regional, Formación y Empleo” at the University of La Laguna. The key objective was the analysis of the strategies of sustainable tourism for the national parks, to propose guidelines related to environmental and tourism policies, considering the public participation through the application of the multicriterial methodology to the empirical study. The election of the subject that is developed in this work, obeyed to academic and research interest arisen from the experience of the authoress as member of the Group of Investigation on Agriculture, Management and Environment ascribed to the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences of the Los Andes University, but additionally to its condition of Mérida inhabitant, city in which occurs a narrow symbiosis with the countryside, natural spaces and protected areas that surround it, among others, the Sierra Nevada National Park (SNNP) whose major peaks can be observed from different points of this urban locality. This circumstance make the environmental subject as an important part of the residents’ cultural heritage, as well, have been caused the development of diverse initiatives to protect and to conserve the different ecosystems, some of them very susceptible to the human intervention such as the Andean paramos. About the technical aspects of this thesis work, a brief review of each one is made as follows: It was employed a mixed methodological approach, understand as the process that collects, analyses and assesses qualitative and quantitative data of the case study, and for the data analysis it was used the data triangulation and its applicability was achieved by means of multicriterial analysis, specifically the NAIADE model through a seven step process: 1) identification of the actors of the SNNP; 2) definition of the environmental and tourist problematic of SNNP; 3) identification of the established alternatives and criterions for the evaluation of SNNP’s environmental and tourism policies; 4) evaluation of the alternatives and criteria established by the SNNP’s actors; 5) preliminary results interpretation; 6) negotiation among the actors about the alternatives and criteria for the definition of SNNP’s environmental and tourism policies; 7) definition of the guidelines for the elaboration of the SNNP’s environmental and tourism policies. In order to obtain the participation of the diverse actors whose rolls are heterogeneous, two samples was determined: a non-probabilistic sample conformed by public and private institutional actors, and other social actors in charge of the execution or fulfillment environmental and tourism policies such as community boards, experts, among others, who answered 191 surveys; and a probabilistic sample conformed by SNNP´s inhabitants who answered 373 surveys. This way, 564 surveys was achieved in a first round, and later on, in the negotiation phase, it was carried out 175 additional surveys. The multicriterial methodology was preferred because it is a tool that offers a significant support to the decision making process, and allows the participation of the 8 types of actors of the SNNP, identified in NGOs; national, regional and local administration; community boards or community councils; SNNP’s inhabitants; tourists and experts (academics and scientists). In consequence, the obtained results corresponded to different criterions and options; therefore, it was chosen the more consensual alternatives considering the opinions of all actors involved in the research process. It was verified that the inhabitants share and identify the problems, and that they seek its solutions. Precisely, it were the actors who specify the possible solutions to resolve the identified problematic; this corroborates that the problems identification and the proposal of its solutions are smoother when different actors come to an agreement about shared strategies that lead to social transformation processes. It was detected 34 strategies to face the existing problematic in the SNNP, and according to the negotiation among the actors, they were grouped in 8 alternatives Moreover, it was evidenced that the protected area of the SNNP has become an opportunity to tourism development, employment and income generation for local communities; it was inferred also that the socioenvironmental conditions could facilitate a process to deep the sensitization about a sustainable development based on the resources preservation and in the participation of all the involved actors and, at the same time, has favored the integration of diverse instances with different interest, often encountered. Nevertheless, it was achieved a consensus of efforts for the benefit of the tourist and environmental development, circumstance that have made the SNNP a tourism-environmental reference for other national parks. Likewise, it is pertinent to point that the SNNP contents great reservoirs of water that contribute to the agricultural development and provide this resource to the consumption in all the Andean mountain range. Therefore, it is necessary the establishment of appropriate public policies that include criterions about the management of this resource. On the other hand, after the application of the NAIADE model, the most important alternative and of the major consensus was the eradication of illiteracy which prevail in almost all the SNNP’s communities, but also the surpass of this condition was considered as an opportunity to form and train the inhabitants as guards, environmentalist, tourist guides, among other activities. This reflect the community desire not only for the increment of the individual skills, but also the conviction that a better training will allow the job opportunities derived from the SNNP’s tourism potential. The other selected alternatives are concern to the construction of ambulatories and rural hospitals, as a part of a health plan for the SNNP’s inhabitants and with the intention to carry out a process of an environmental education for all the SNNP’s actors. Thus, it is evident the interest for the improvement of the quality of life and the concern to preserve the environment, which shows the importance that the inhabitants conferred to the SNNP’s exceptional particularities. On the other hand, the worst alternative is let things be as they are now, which it could be understand as the urgent necessity to formulate tourism and environmental policies for the protected areas, specifically for the SNNP. Finally, it is expected that the guidelines defined in this PhD research, allowed the establishment of protection and conservation policies of species and spaces, taking in account the participation of the SNNP’s communities and, as an ulterior purpose derived from the nature of this investigation, the intention is to achieve that the narrow relationship between the urban, rural, natural areas and tourism, could be the most harmonious possible so that the development of the corresponding economic opportunities, does not cause the deterioration of the natural spaces that the inhabitants of Mérida consider of vital importance since social, cultural and economic point of view.