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A Boom for Whom ? A Critical Engagement with Ayahuasca Tourism in Iquitos, Peru

Abstract

This dissertation outlines a research proposal for investigating ayahuasca tourism in Iquitos, the epicentre of the international ayahuasca industry. Growing numbers of Western tourists are visiting Iquitos to partake in ayahuasca ceremonies with shamans in the surrounding jungle, a phenomenon increasingly recognised as the ‘Ayahuasca Boom’. In Section I, discussion of the literature reveals significant gaps in academic understandings of the encounter between locals and ayahuasca tourists. From the local perspective, the extent to which Peruvians are truly benefitting from ayahuasca tourism is questionable, and requires a postcolonial examination. Likewise, further research is needed to establish how locals are affected by the commodification of ayahuasca through tourism. From the tourist perspective, how ayahuasca experiences are authenticated is unexplored. The various ‘types’ of ayahuasca tourist are not well understood, and there is no academic consensus as to the category of tourism represented by the ayahuasca industry. Section II outlines a proposed methodology to tackle the shortcomings of existing research. This incorporates the outcomes and hypotheses of an in-depth pilot study, through which a focused research agenda is constructed. The proposed research project will contribute towards a more holistic understanding of ayahuasca tourism from the perspective of multiple stakeholders in the ayahuasca industry.