Influence of traditional knowledge on the interpretation of tourist heritage in the Peruvian Amazon

Abstract

Being an eminently oral language, Quechua preserves knowledge accumulated by Andean and Amazonian peoples through the centuries, and deserves consideration from both academia and the general public. Historically, it has proven to be highly valuable to humanity; therefore, there is an urgent need to revalue traditional knowledge. Aspiring to tourism development, however, the delivery of inaccurate information undermines the tourist potential of the visited destination. The objective was to determine the influence of traditional knowledge on the interpretation of tourism heritage in the Peruvian Amazon. Interviews were conducted with Quechua speakers from the communities, and surveys were administered to teachers of Intercultural Bilingual Education. It was found that interviewees underestimate the value of the Quechua language as a carrier of knowledge, even opposing its teaching in educational institutions. Survey respondents exhibit a limited vocabulary, frequent use of loan translations, and forced adaptations. In conclusion, due to cultural assimilation, discrimination, inequity, and inaccurate transmission through intergenerational dynamics, traditional knowledge in the Quechua language of the Peruvian Amazon is at imminent risk of being lost.