Alianzas para mitigar riesgos que amenazan la conservación del patrimonio cultural intangible: algunas reflexiones para el caso de Costa Rica

The aim of this paper is to share some experiences, based on the Costa Rican society, which address the risks of some of the intangible cultural heritage and to estimate the role of different institutions facing the challenge of safeguarding this heritage. This cultural heritage is threatened by the substitution of identity and the transformations which result from alienation or foreign imposition. In the current phase of globalization, tourism has great influence in equity. However, this industry may either play a role of threat or opportunity, depending on the way it is inserted in public policies and programs of heritage conservation. The ambiguity and complexity of this phenomenon hinders the possibility of a clear and objective management in favor of projects which include both sustainability of cultural heritage and tourism is a particular region or village. ICOMOS paid attention to this challenge by adopting the “International Charter on Cultural Tourism,” to facilitate and encourage dialogue between the interests of the industry and the conservation of natural and cultural heritage. However, it is difficult to follow the recommendations provided in this document, as several factors influence the achievement of this goal. On one hand, there is the community which produces the assets and receives the tourists and on the other hand, various public and private entities. To overcome this challenge, we propose a tripartite partnership between communities, municipalities or local governments and educational institutions, both formal and informal. ICOMOS could assume an educational role in this process.