Conceptions of economic development and the understanding of the role of tourism in poverty reduction

Lasconcepciones de desarrollo económico y lacomprensióndel papel del turismo enreducción de la pobreza

This paper aims to highlight the context that made possible the formation of a view that assigns to tourism the ability to reduce poverty, widely used by major multilateral international development agencies (World Bank, ILO, UNWTO, UN-UNDP). To this end, this research sought answers in understanding economic development through two main analytical lines of thought: the neoliberal current and its counterpoint, the "critical" current of development. Using the main features of both perspectives, we attempted to discuss the contribution of each line of thought to understand positive and negative aspects of the current that associates tourism with the ability to fight poverty. At the same time, it was briefly presented how each agency understands poverty, its causes, and the role of tourism in reducing it. The objective of the research was therefore to confer critical content on the subject and raise discussions in a current scenario of great relevance to the epistemological and empirical field of tourism.

Keywords:
Economic development; Poverty; Tourism