Oportunidades de mejora de los centros espirituales para el desarrollo del turismo de ayahuasca en Pucallpa
Alexandra Martinez Matamoros, Yanire Sarai Davila Uriarte
Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas August 26, 2025 DOI: 10.19083/tesis/688227 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 15 |
| Population | 10 tourists and 5 managers of ayahuasca spiritual centers in Pucallpa, Peru |
| Topics | Ayahuasca |
| Key findings | Most spiritual centers offered comfortable, natural accommodations but faced insect problems and lack of continuous electricity. Ceremonies included accompaniment during the ritual, but the authors identified a need to strengthen post-ceremony psychological counseling. Tourists' interest in cultural and nature tourism was described as an opportunity to extend their stay in Pucallpa. |
Abstract
Las ceremonias de ayahuasca en Pucallpa atraen a turistas nacionales e internacionales que buscan experiencias espirituales y de sanación guiados por chamanes en centros espirituales (CE). Actualmente, no se cuenta con información sobre la calidad de los servicios ni la seguridad que estos ofrecen a los participantes. Ello genera que la experiencia de toma de ayahuasca en estos lugares sea riesgosa en vez de satisfactoria, lo cual debilita el potencial de desarrollo del turismo vinculado a esta práctica. Por tanto, el objetivo general de este estudio fue establecer las oportunidades de mejora de los CE para el desarrollo del turismo de ayahuasca en Pucallpa. La metodología tuvo un enfoque cualitativo con diseño fenomenológico, basado en entrevistas a profundidad a 10 turistas y 5 gestores de CE de Pucallpa. Entre los hallazgos principales se identificó que la mayoría de los CE ofrece hospedajes cómodos y naturales, aunque enfrentan problemas por la presencia de insectos y falta de electricidad continua. Las ceremonias incluyen acompañamiento durante el ritual, pero se requiere fortalecer la orientación psicológica post-ceremonia. Además, los turistas muestran interés por realizar turismo cultural y de naturaleza para complementar su motivo principal de visita, lo cual genera una oportunidad para extender su visita a Pucallpa. El estudio otorga información útil para que los CE inviertan sus esfuerzos en mejorar gradualmente aspectos como hospedaje, restauración, transporte, tours, y el apoyo a la seguridad física y psicológica de los participantes, con el fin de promover experiencias de ayahuasca más seguras, responsables y respetuosas de las tradiciones locales. Ayahuasca ceremonies in Pucallpa attract national and international tourists seeking spiritual and healing experiences guided by shamans in spiritual centers (SCs). Currently, there is no information on the quality of services or the safety they offer participants. This makes the ayahuasca experience in these places risky rather than satisfactory, which weakens the potential for tourism development linked to this practice. Therefore, the overall objective of this study was to establish opportunities for improvement in the SCs for the development of ayahuasca tourism in Pucallpa. The methodology used a qualitative approach with a phenomenological design, based on in-depth interviews with 10 tourists and 5 SC managers in Pucallpa. Among the main findings, it was identified that most SCs offer comfortable and natural accommodations, although they face problems due to the presence of insects and a lack of continuous electricity. The ceremonies include accompaniment during the ritual, but post-ceremony psychological counseling needs to be strengthened. Furthermore, tourists are showing interest in cultural and nature tourism to complement their primary purpose of visiting, creating an opportunity to extend their visit to Pucallpa. The study provides useful information for the CEs to invest their efforts in gradually improving aspects such as lodging, catering, transportation, tours, and support for the physical and psychological safety of participants, in order to promote safer, more responsible ayahuasca experiences that respect local traditions.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on ayahuasca, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The antipodes Of the mind Indigenous people, shamans, members of different religious sects using Ayahuasca, and... | 2002 | Qualitative study | |
| Drug Tourism or Spiritual Healing? Ayahuasca Seekers in Amazonia Westerners participating in an ayahuasca retreat in Amazonia | 2005 | Qualitative study | |
| Therapeutic Effects of Ritual Ayahuasca Use in the Treatment of Substance Dependence—Qualitative Results Therapists, expert researchers, and individuals who underwent ayahuasca-assisted... | 2014 | Qualitative study | n = 29 |
| Nourishing the Spirit: Exploratory Research on Ayahuasca Experiences along the Continuum of Recovery from Eating Disorders Individuals previously diagnosed with an eating disorder | 2017 | Qualitative study | n = 16 |
| Exploring ayahuasca‐assisted therapy for addiction: A qualitative analysis of preliminary findings among an Indigenous community in Canada Indigenous adults in Canada who participated in ayahuasca-assisted ceremonial retreats | 2019 | Qualitative study | n = 11 |