Qhapaq Ñan as World Heritage Site: New Tourist Destinations and Inherited Tensions in Argentina

Abstract

Qhapaq Ñan, or the Andean Road System, was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2014. This inclusion was the result of a process initiated by six South American countries (Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Chile, and Argentina). The process identified the selection of features that distinguished the road and justified the inscription. How was this selection made? Was tourism involved in it? This case study analyzes the details of the Qhapaq Ñan nomination process in Argentina. It especially focuses on the northwestern region of the country, an area with a long (and controversial) history of tourist valorization of Andean heritage. It is argued that tourism was involved in the heritage selection processes in Argentina by two means. Firstly, tourism interests have oriented the choosing of some archeological sites that could be tourist attractions. Secondly, the definition of heritage sections and sites has sought to avoid previous heritage areas where the presence of tourism has been highly conflictive. Avoiding potential conflicts is also at the core of recent tourist projects designed for Qhapaq Ñan in Northwestern Argentina that aim to encourage “off the beaten track” (and supposedly non-controversial) forms of tourism.