Publication Date
Fall 2025
Abstract
This report is based on fieldwork carried out in Chinchero (Cusco, Peru) in November 2025 and examines the participation of women weavers in the local tourism economy and its relationship to municipal economic policy. It shows how Indigenous weavers, who are central to the district’s tourism, remain in a marginal position within formal spaces of economic decision-making. The study has four specific objectives: to describe the forms of participation of women weavers in Chinchero’s tourism economy; to analyze the mechanisms of collaboration between the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales del Cusco (CTTC) and other artisan associations with local public institutions; to assess the extent to which this participation translates into influence or representation in economic decision-making arenas; and to explore how the weavers’ economic activity contributes to community well-being and to the cultural and economic sustainability of the district. Methodologically, the research is based on semi-structured interviews with officials of the Chinchero District Municipality, representatives of the Office of Economic Development, leaders of the Sunday market, and members and leaders of the CTTC, complemented by participant observation in markets and textile centers. The analysis is organized around four axes: (1) the everyday forms through which weavers are inserted into the tourism economy; (2) the mechanisms of collaboration and translation between the CTTC, other textile associations, and local government; (3) the scope and limits of the weavers’ influence and representation in municipal economic policy; and (4) the role of textile activity and tourism revenues—particularly the Cusco Tourist Ticket—in community well-being and the cultural and economic sustainability of Chinchero. The findings show that the weavers’ activity generates key symbolic and economic value for Chinchero and sustains projects financed with tourism resources, but that their influence over the definition of priorities, budgets, and market rules remains indirect and fragmented.
Disciplines
Business | Social and Behavioral Sciences
Recommended Citation
Herr, Maria, "Tejedoras indígenas y la política económica del turismo en Chinchero, Perú: Centrales en la economía, marginales en la política" (2025). Peru: Indigenous Peoples and Globalization. 4.
https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/per/4