Urban Community Tourism in popular neighborhoods in Buenos Aires, Argentina

quality indicators in the management of microenterprises

Abstract

In Argentina, Urban Community Tourism (UCT) represents an innovative way of exploring the cultural and natural wealth of a community, placing the management and promotion of its heritage in the hands of its inhabitants, strengthening its identity and social cohesion. Using Community-Based Tourism as the main theoretical framework, this study seeks to i) characterize the tourism services offered and ii) evaluate the quality of management of two collectives that promote tourism practices, based in two popular neighborhoods in the city and province of Buenos Aires: the Ajayu group and the Maciel Island Community Museum. The type of research is qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive, using, as main tools, the bibliographic review, application of interviews and participant observation, resulting in the use of quality indicators. Preliminary results suggest that these initiatives not only seek to enhance their territories, but also to promote the social, cultural, and economic well-being of their communities while maintaining the quality of their tourism services. The most consolidated indicators are Organizational Strengthening, Cultural Revitalization, and the Solidarity Economy.