As chairman of Otavalo’s trade association, I hear tourism stories from every part of the economy. I estimate that around eighty percent of local business is connected with visitors, either directly or indirectly.
Even my garage benefits. Tour operators buy jeeps to transport tourists, and those vehicles regularly break down on the rough roads outside town. That means more work for us.
Tourism has also made Otavalo more punctual because visitors expect services to run on time. That habit has proved useful far beyond tourism.
Economic success has changed relationships between Indigenous people and Mestizos. As Indigenous Otavaleños became more prosperous through tourism and trade, mutual respect increased. Intermarriage is one visible result.
Tourism strengthened our economy and relationships, but prosperity should not make us forget the traditions that helped hold the community together.
The old mingas, when neighbours worked communally, have mostly faded. People are more financially independent and rely less on one another. Halloween is now celebrated more enthusiastically than some traditional holidays, which increasingly concerns residents.
Young people are influenced by backpackers and international media. They are more independent and less deferential to parents. Drugs have also created friction in some families. Visitors should understand that their behaviour may become an example.
Our tourism economy is currently unstable because of the national crisis and poor organisation. The Saturday Poncho Market is almost the only major attraction, so businesses effectively depend on four days each month.
Otavalo cannot build a secure tourism economy on one market day while leaving the rest of its culture, nature and week largely invisible.
The municipality does too little to broaden tourism beyond fabric sales. Entrepreneurs must create new activities themselves, yet regional promotion and planning require public leadership too.
Tourism is like a delicate bird: if we hold it too tightly it suffocates, but if we fail to care for it properly, it may simply fly away.