Fantasías coloniales en las representaciones y promoción de Costa Rica como destino turístico

Abstract

Este capítulo propone, desde la crítica postcolonial y los estudios culturales, la relación que existe entre la promoción de Costa Rica como destino turístico y el discurso colonial, específicamente en la asociación que subyace entre la representa-ción del espacio y su narración, el retrato de los habitantes locales y la colonialidad. Se plantea que existe una persistente recreación de fantasías y mitos coloniales que circunscriben al destino, en este caso Costa Rica, a funcionar como un espacio con características coloniales que espera ser “descu-bierto” y colonizado por el turista explorador a través de viajes de descubrimiento y exploración de la frontera, viajes al pasado y viajes de desenfreno. Se afirma que este tipo de representaciones descon-textualizan los destinos promocionados de los ambientes en los que se sitúan. Al mismo tiempo, se genera-liza un concepto de país en el que no se toman en cuenta particularidades y posibilidades alternativas de desarrollo turístico.This chapter proposes, from the perspective of postcolonial criticism and cultural studies, the relationship between the promotion of Costa Rica as a tourist destination and colonial discourse. the relationship between the promotion of Costa Rica as a tourist destination and colonial discourse, the underlying association between the representation of space and its narration, the portrayal of local inhabitants and coloniality. portrayal of local inhabitants and coloniality. It is argued that there is a persistent re-creation of colonial fantasies and myths that colonial fantasies and myths that circumscribe the destination, in this case Costa Rica, to function as a space with colonial characteristics waiting for a space with colonial characteristics that awaits to be "descu-ierto" and colonized by the explorer tourist through voyages of discovery and exploration through journeys of discovery and exploration of the frontier, journeys to the past and journeys of unbridled. It is argued that these types of representations decontextualize the promoted destinations from the environments in which they are situated. of the environments in which they are situated. At the same time, it generates a concept of country that does not take into account the particularities and alternative possibilities for tourism development are not taken into account.