Tourism based on the displacement of people began in Bolivia in the pre-Inca and Inca periods, whose social characteristics determine that certain privileged groups could move outside the place of their habitual residence. Under these same characteristics, the displacements in the colonial and republic times are of great interest, they develop in expeditions that seek wealth and expansion of Spanish rule, until reaching the almost current republican period, where the first official tourism entities and the emergence of the pioneers in developing organized tourism "all inclusive" in Bolivia. This same methodology is used to analyze the history of tourism in Cochabamba.
I. History of tourism in Bolivia
1.1. Pre Inca and Inca period
The lack of bibliography that allows us to carry out a historical analysis of tourism in our country, has made us have to resort to the sources of information left by the chroniclers in the colony and make an adaptation to the tourist component based on travel and travel.
According to Díaz Romero, the city of Tihuanaco was certainly the metropolis of the Kollas who established themselves on the margins of Lake Titicaca as a great civilization eradicated after three thousand years of existence, the capital of the Kollas being destroyed by the sudden and torrential eruption of another race that came from the sub-Andean regions, a Mongol race, terrible, devastating in all times of its history; they were the Jaimayas who today are called Aymaras. This race was mixed and mestizo with the conquered Kollas, resulting from this mixture the Aymara-Quechuas. The researcher Humboldt is the one who affirms that there were migrations from the Asian continent in the American latitudes, this breed settled in Mexico in the Anahuat Empire and in Tahuantinsuyo Peru.
After this civilization, the Incas appeared. There are various interpretations of the displacements they would have made, although most of these are due to versions more related to Western approaches based on the legacies left by the chroniclers of the time.
Socially it is established that they were organized in a pyramidal structure, at the top was the Inca or supreme ruler, below the dried apricots or members of the Royal Panacas, and finally the unprivileged social mass.
In the Inca organizational structure the ayllu had great importance; were the basic certificates of the Inca structure. They were generally related by family ties and carried out a process of distribution and collective work of productive work: they had a territory for their benefit, delivered by the Great Inca, which meant their only means of subsistence, and which was worked in community by different families (the head of the family would be the maximum responsible for each group).
At the same time that they cultivated their own lands, at the mercy of the mita (which we understand as the use of personal effort, the subjects of the Inca also worked the lands of the State (from which the benefits were obtained to support the expenses of the temple, the cult, the civil administration and the military administration and the trips that were made.
On the other hand we find the Royal Panacas that, according to Álvarez Quezada, were formed by the descendants of the Inca (with the exception of the heir to the throne). The Panacas were related or located around the palace of the ruler and they had to pay homage and memory to his death (at his death the ruler left a series of assets for the maintenance of the palace). Its members were also known as orejones and, at the same time, they represented or signified the most important pressure groups in front of the governor, they also had the most important positions and positions in the administration and in the army.
In this sense, we must mention that the true Incas, those who had to maintain the cleanliness of the lineage, were called Collana.
The leaders of other social groups of the conquered towns received the name of Callao and finally the Payan were the descendants of the latter with concubines.
The chosen women or "aolla": they were a kind of nuns, according to Spanish chronicles; women gathered at the early age of 8 to 10 years by the priests and who received a careful education in special centers, once puberty had passed they had to enter a three-year novitiate to later be used for ritual sacrifices, or as virgins of the Sun (they take care of the temple and the cult), they were also concubines of the Inca.
The mitimaes were groups or communities of people who had to forcibly move to other regions to obtain the resources that they did not possess in their territories. They made long journeys, in many cases they were caravans that moved on foot and with a retinue of llamas, a pack animal that served to transport products, wealth or valuables. The end of these displacements was economic at the same time as political and military since these would serve, in turn, as informants and later settlers of new lands that come under Inca rule. The yanaconas, constituted the group of free farmers who were attached to the land, and who work on the properties of the lords, panacas, or public lands.
The political organization was instituted by a diarchy or quadripartite government (formed by four large regions or "sullis" of the Inca Empire -Tahuantinsuyu-).
It should be noted that the supreme government of the Inca Empire was not hereditary but a selection of candidates for the position was made; This generated great tension and provoked continuous civil wars (constant in Inca society). For this reason, associations to the throne were created during the life of the ruler, although these agreements were not always respected.
Finally, it should be mentioned that there were great Inca movements throughout much of the South American geography, fundamentally to subdue the conquered peoples. According to the chronicles of Juan de Betanzos, a multitude of Inca subjects participated in these trips; In many cases the presence of the Inca in the subjugated peoples was achieved by carrying a replica in clay or ceramic of the Inca and at the feet of this idol there was a wrapper with the hair and nails cut by the Inca for several years as a means of physical presence.
The great work of adaptation and social-political cohesion that the Incas carried out with the subject peoples (generating sympathies, in some cases, on the part of the conquered peoples) were quite ceremonial, sometimes even the organization and internal hierarchy were respected, and the same supreme bosses.
On the other hand, although the reports provided by the first chroniclers are confusing, all of them coincide in pointing out that the expansion of the Incas reached Bolivian territory and the greatest manifestation of Inca existence in Bolivia is found in Incallajta (Cochabamba), The construction of this magnificent Inca work was intended as a defense against periodic attacks by the Chiriguanos (barbarian and hostile people). The first information that is had on these ruins is made by Nordeskiol, who carries out an important task in making a detailed description of the entire monument and the survey of the plant.
By this work it is established that the Incas moved through a large part of the Bolivian Andean territory, there are currently routes called "the Incas", which today are the object of tourist use.
The displacement was carried out on foot and with mules, but there was a system of chasquis who were entrusted to carry information, they carried out their work moving along paths for certain periods (8 or 10 hours of travel), then they found in the tambos chasqui on duty, who continued the trip and so on until the message or order reached its destination.
The first lodging establishments known in the Inca region are the tambos, which, according to Milla Ursula, were made up of perimeter buildings with a roof with two waterfalls in which the chasqui, travelers, animals and products transported on the back of a beast. Today there is still in the highland cities of Bolivia this lodging system known as tambo, where the peasants spend the night together with their agricultural products to be sold at the supply fairs.
1.2. Tourism in the colony and republic
The trips that were made in the American continent constitute one of the great factors of the renaissance of the XV and XVI centuries, transforming the worldview that the thinkers and scholars of humanity had.
The discovery of America made by Christopher Columbus determined the greatest number of displacements which had as their objectives the conquest and subjugation of the natives. Following Columbus's voyages, there are those made by Cabot (1497), Cabraf (1500), Solís (1506), and thus countless crossings that developed in the American geography. If the objective was conquest, there were other trips that sought geographical, botanical, mineralogical discovery, etc.
In the 17th centuries it was the missionary Catholic priests who made the most important trips, thus we have the case of Father Barca de Vega in 1633, Father Tejerían in 1637, the layman Samuel Frik in 1687 is the one who developed the main geographical studies of the epoch.
According to Ballivián, the first scientific expeditions that took place in South America were led by Carlos María de la Comadina, Pedro Bonguer, Luis Goldin and others.
The type of trips that were made in these times were fundamentally by boat as transcontinental trips until arriving in America, from there the tours continued on the back of a beast, with horse and mules being the main means of transportation.
According to Ballivián, the trips made until the end of the 18th century were not only made by Spaniards, but by people who belonged to different nationalities, this having a double character of travelers and conquerors. The former, with their marvelous narratives, managed to conquer the interest to study these regions and the latter to show their weapons in the different South American regions; among the main conquerors we have Francisco Pizarro, Diego Almagro, Valdivia, Mendoza and others.
The narrations carried out by the travelers constitute works of "primitive historians of the Indies", narrated by Gracilazo de la Vega, Padre Cieza de León, Betanzos and many others.
Expeditionary trips, of transcendental importance, are those that were ordered to be carried out by order of King Carlos III to study the geographical and natural characteristics; they were headed by Hipólito Ruiz and José Pavón (1778). To this time correspond the trips made by Alejandro Humboldt in 1799, who together with Bonpland developed the main geographical and botanical investigations of the America.
The main expeditions that took place in the territory that today corresponds to Bolivia were led by Fray Tomas de San Martín who came with the Spanish conquerors to Peru and from there they traveled to the Bishopric of Charcas. Diego de Almagro's expeditions were also important, despite the fact that they had the objective of conquest and greed for the wealth that was kept in this sector of America. These were followed by Gonzalo and Francisco Pizarro, who with sword in hand were subduing all the people they encountered.
There are different versions about the expeditionary trips of the 16th centuries, which had the purpose of touring the northwest of the Alto Peru territory, today Bolivia. The work of Pedro Anzures de Camporredondo, Benito Quiroga and others stands out, who visited what is now Alto Beni, Beni, Moxos, etc. Likewise, expedition members such as Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, Andrés Manso and others made expeditionary trips through the southern part of the country corresponding to the Chaco and Santa Cruz sectors.
It is evident that these displacements were carried out fundamentally to discover new places and looking for wealth of gold, silver, precious stones, etc.; but there were also trips that had the purpose of knowing the biological and cultural richness of our territory.
At different times and eras, expeditionary caravan trips were developed; thus the experiences of Humbold, Thaddeus Haenke, Foucet and many others who crossed our territory inch by inch.
These travel experiences gave rise today to a diversity of possibilities for organized tourist visits to different parts of the country; many of them were known to the European intellect.
A whole study has recently been carried out on Alcides D Orbigni's trips and the importance of his research, which is beginning to be used as a tourist offer.
The expeditionary trips of the 18th and 19th centuries provided information that was widely disseminated in the circles of Europe's thinking elite, it was the one that attracted foreign tourists to our country, imbued with the wonders that these teachers of geography narrated in their works, biology and anthropology.
1.3. Tourism in our days
In 1930, during the Presidency of David Toro, there was the first official tourism entity in Bolivia, it is the moment in which importance is given to this activity, which begins to be regulated in some way. The first entity of tourism has under its tuition to ensure the care of tourist attractions, their dissemination and provide support to tourists arriving in the country.
The forerunner of organized tourism in Bolivia is Darius Morgan, who came to the country in the 1940s. As he toured the Altiplano sector and especially Lake Titicaca, he was fascinated by the scenic beauty of this sector. From this moment on, he tried to show the beauty of this beautiful lake to its compatriots: “sailing on the lake is one of the most pleasant memories that the spirit can experience, a small blue and gentle sea in which it seems that all the reflections and nuances of light are diluted in its diaphanous transparency ”.
Morgan achieved an environment to create a travel agency in the facilities of the Hotel La Paz at that time, he began to organize all-inclusive trips to Lake Titicaca, with a mobility adapted for this purpose, he managed to impact tourists. In the absence of lodging establishments, she set up tents to enjoy the sunrise on the lake and precarious navigation, where small wooden boats slowly gliding carrying passengers and goods from one side to the other; the boats with their hulls painted in light colors nodded to the blow of the oars, not far from sight, the totora rafts worked and pushed by the wind where a farmer fishes and provides himself with rushes in the reeds. The food was prepared by Morgan in "kerosene stools".
That is the beginning of organized tourism in Bolivia. Today Crillon Tour travel company directed by Darios Morgan son, is the main travel company in Bolivia dedicated to receptive tourism, the Inca Utama hotel is the main lodging center in the lake. The company has boats (catamarans and several hydrofoils) to make visits to the island of Sol and Surimi, small site museums and its own tourist transport. Likewise, sales operations are carried out at its promotion offices in the US and Europe.
Hortensia Romero de Valloton, guide and tour leader of Darios Morgan, once familiar with the routes of the Bolivian Peruvian highlands, decides to become independent, for which she requests the travel agency operating license, which is denied by the mere fact of to be a woman. Outraged, she requests hearings with ministers and national authorities, until in the end she obtains permission; creates the Balsa Tour Travel Agency and begins operations offering Lake Titicaca, Tiwanacu and other sectors with the wonderful Andean landscape. Balsa Tour grows rapidly, manages to consolidate itself in the national market, opens branches in different cities of Bolivia (Sucre, Potosí), participates in international tourism fairs, which allows it to have a presence in the international market. In 1993 she built her own hotel in the Huatajata sector,.beautiful facilities that show off their 5 stars; It has a fleet of buses and constitutes the second largest travel company in the country.
1.4. History of tourism in the department of Cochabamba
On the history of tourism during the Inca period, the movements made by the Incas towards this vast and fertile valley are incorporated; proof of this are the ruins of Incallajta. In colonial times, Cochabamba cannot escape the displacements that took place both from the Viceroyalty of Lima and from the Audiencia de Charcas at different times and moments. However, the lack of specific bibliography on the subject has made us have to resort to almost nonexistent bibliographic sources.
For example, Lara Claros in her work Una Familia Boliviana, states that the encomendero captain Lorenzo de Aldana requested the collaboration of the Augustinian parents in order to appease the Urus, natives who populated the shores of Lake Poopo, so that the order could raise a major convent near Oruro. Once the work was completed, the Augustinians continued building temples and convents; one of them was that of Challa-Kollo (today Quillacollo), then that of Tapacari, they also left testimony of their work in Collpa Sipe Sipe and El Paso where they also erected a temple in honor of San Lorenzo. Another mission settled in the Mizque valley, building temples and convents; In this way the Villa de Oropeza was founded by Jerónimo de Osorio on August 15, 1571 at the foot of the San Sebastián hill.Due to internal problems and by order of Viceroy Francisco de Toledo, the Villa de Oropeza was re-founded in honor of his house in Spain by Sebastián Barba de Padilla, in 1574, the Augustinians built the convent north of the main square on year 1574, later the rest of the churches and convents that until today exist in this valley were built. The September 14 square was a parcel of dry land in winter and mud in the rainy season, with the only adornment being the pool of water that was granted by King Carlos III. Subsequent to these events, the first libertarian ideas were developed to emancipate themselves from Spanish authority and create a Creole government.the Augustinians built the convent to the north of the main square in 1574, later the rest of the churches and convents that exist in this valley were later built. The September 14 square was a parcel of dry land in winter and mud in the rainy season, with the only adornment being the pool of water that was granted by King Carlos III. After these events, the first libertarian ideas were gestated to emancipate themselves from Spanish authority and create a Creole government.the Augustinians built the convent to the north of the main square in 1574, later the rest of the churches and convents that exist in this valley were later built. The September 14 square was a parcel of dry land in winter and mud in the rainy season, with the only adornment being the pool of water that was granted by King Carlos III. Subsequent to these events, the first libertarian ideas were developed to emancipate themselves from Spanish authority and create a Creole government.Subsequent to these events, the first libertarian ideas were developed to emancipate themselves from Spanish authority and create a Creole government.Subsequent to these events, the first libertarian ideas were developed to emancipate themselves from Spanish authority and create a Creole government.
In this colonial era, the movements of local people were fundamentally to achieve trade, caravans moved to Oruro-Potosí transporting agricultural production in the valley and keeping workers in the mines of Cerro Rico de Potosí. Another route that was followed was to Chuquisaca for commercial reasons where the children of the wealthiest Spaniards had the opportunity to study at the San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca. The movement of people was determined more towards the rural area of Cochabamba, most of the traditional families were large landowners, who owned agricultural land in both the high, central and low valleys and in the south east sector of this territory.
It became a custom that at the end of the year, the family delegations move from the Villa to the countryside, it is the time when local tourism arises as a form of displacement from the habitual residence. The exchange of national tourists also begins to take shape at this time of the end of the colony, the children of the landowners went on vacation to other districts of the country, the young people spent time hunting, fishing and picnicking, and the ladies spent long periods of time hours in the afternoon gatherings. There are very few creoles who had the possibilities of being able to travel outside the borders of this land, the few who did so tended to travel to La Plata,whose long days of travel were made on the back of a beast along bridleways that started through the Alto Valley until reaching what is now Tarija and finally reaching the destination of La Plata. Transcontinental travel was reserved only for that privileged social class that could travel to the mother country for business reasons or to obtain favors from the king.
The mestizos, a race subjugated by the Spanish, had no travel options, were rooted to the land as ponchos or domestic servants in the bosses' houses, the working class and the dispossessed had no option of traveling or of transferring their poor misery.
The abuses committed by the King's Visitor, Don Manuel Venero y Valero, under the pretext of collecting personal contributions, make him the most hated character of the time.
Thus, three hundred years of submission passed until the transition stage from the colony to the republic.
On September 14, 1810, the Cochabamba population took to the streets with fire, shouting freedom for the oppressed people and recognizing the Junta of Buenos Aires, this part of the story is narrated by Nataniel Aguirre in his masterpiece Juan de la Rosa.
In the first and following years of independence, the situation changed very little, before the king's emissaries ruled, then the rich creoles, the production system was the same, the pongeaje and the serfdom, the peasant continues to be linked to the land of his employers.
Endless governments, from oligarchs to popular have, led this country, the military and civilians in the midst of a number of revolutions.
Bibliography
Díaz Romero B. Prehistory of Bolivia. Bolivia in the first centenary of its independence. Ed. The University Society. USA 1925.
Betanzos Juan de. Sum and narration of the Incas. Cultural revolving fund. Ed. Arol. Cochabamba. 1992.
Mile Ursula. Spatial Analysis of the Incarium Seminar in Cusco. Univalle. Cochabamba. 2003.
Muñoz Reyes Víctor. Bolivia and its origins. Bolivia in the first centenary of its independence. Ed. The University Society. USA 1925.
Pacheco Loma M. Summary of the history of Bolivia. Ed. FOCET Alea. Oruro. 1984.
Tellez Rodolfo. Tourist Legislation of Bolivia. Ed. Watercolor. Bolivia. 1998.
Escobari Cusicanqui Jorge. Use of the waters of Titicaca. Ed. Min. Of Education. 1960.
Lara Claros Mario. A Bolivian family. Ed. Graphic editions. Cochabamba. 1988.
Aguirre Nataniel. Juan de la Rosa. Ed. Know Opinion. Cochabamba. 1998.
