The drive for niche tourism that draws travelers away from the beaches into the urban fabric of the Americas is a mounting challenge. Cultural heritage of the Spanish American historic district affords local and national governments the opportunity to tap into this emerging market. This presentation reports on the challenges facing nine Latin American Historic districts from the early 2000s and analyzes focus group results from residents in three different political economies (at the time): Free market (Colombia, Cartagena de Indias); centrally planned (Cuba, Habana Vieja), and mixed market (Ecuador, Cuenca). The discussion focuses on the trade-offs between preserving the urban fabric of these nations/international heritage sites while addressing the needs of local residents in the realm of housing and small businesses. How these historic districts balance the “Disneyfication” on the one hand, and the authenticity of these places, on the other, will also be reviewed. Examples are also drawn from Argentina, Uruguay, and Mexico.

Professor Scarpaci is working in the field of geography, marketing and cultural history, and during his stay at AIAS he is developing the project “Consumption, Semiotics and iconic Branding in Welfare States: A Latin American and Nordic Comparison”.