Sustainable Tourism and Indigenous Communities: The Case of Amantaní and Taquile Islands

When I embarked on my journey to Peru's half of Lake Titicaca in the winter of 2008, I was not quite sure what to expect of myself or of the island communities I would be visiting. Preliminary research for this thesis described how the indigenous communities on Amantaní and Taquile Island were struggling to control tourism on their islands. I was, therefore, determined to be sensitive to their plight and not contribute to the patterns that led to their disenfranchisement. Apparently aware of the challenges facing the islanders, the Lonely Planet Guidebook stressed the importance of traveling with one of the island-operated boats and described the ease with which these boats could be found at the city of Puno's docks, the main Peruvian city on the lake's shores. Unfortunately, despite my best intentions, I succumbed depressingly easily to one of the many offers from agency-affiliated bus drivers, hotel employees and street or agency vendors who promised a magical and "authentic" experience of the Floating Islands of the Urus', Amantaní and Taquile Island, conveniently packaged and organized into two days.