Sustainable Local Planning in Tourist Destinations: The Role of Stakeholders — Punta Arenas’ Case

Iván Alejandro Torres Estrada 

Abstract: This work analyzes the role of stakeholders in tourism in the tourist destination Estrecho de Magallanes, but mainly in the city of Punta Arenas, major center of the tourism activity due to its condition of capital city in the region of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica. The research work allowed knowing the current situation of the destination with the aim of knowing what is being done with the participation of the key stakeholders of tourism to reach a sustainable development. The results indicated that sustainable tourism is relevant for people; however, through the years this has not resulted in concrete actions allowing the ongoing collaborative work needed to reach sustainability. Thus, the analysis of the destination shows an emerging tourist activity, which cannot leave behind its reactivity with the challenges this complex activity, pose. The opportunity the results propose lies in, mainly, generating actions where the recipient community of the tourist activity, the stakeholders, involves more; starting with the definition of what organization should lead this sustainable planning process of the destination.

Key words: stakeholders; sustainable development and planning; collaborative work; locals

JEL codes: O200