The second category involves the physical aspect of environmentalism and the way injustices can affect the environment of Peru. A large part of Ayahuasca tourism is the creation of Ayahuasca resorts. A white woman by the name of Diane Dun traveled to Peru with the intention of creating a healing center that would use Indenginous methods for spiritual healing. The land Dun built her center on was located in Pisac Valley, the mountains surrounding the valley are considered sacred by local and Indigenous communities. (Gómez-Barris, M. 2012.) Most resorts are not being created by local communities but instead by foreigners that do not have a direct link to the culture and traditions of the area. Building on this land pushes local and Indigenous Peoples away from their ancestral home for the intention of appropriating a traditional ceremony.
The Peruvian tourism industry is a large pillar of the economy in Peru. Due to an influx of Ayahuasca resorts being created by foreigners the economic benefits are not going to local communities. If there are benefits going to the Peruvian population it is to the upper-classes. Low skilled workers are not seeing a benefit from the rise in the tourism industry. The Peruvian government promotes tourism in the hopes of becoming economically competitive, but the lower class populations would not be benefiting from the economic success. (Gómez-Barris, M. 2012.)
Ayahuasca resorts use the physical surroundings to prove the authenticity of ceremonies; this is why so many of the resorts are placed in rainforests or rural areas (Herrera, A. 2013). The resorts are a reflection of how tourists expect the Peruvian experience to be. The environment of the resorts are expected to be serene and enlightening due to the advertising of an enlightening Ayahuasca experience.
Colonization has created a long history of animosity between Indigneous Peoples and the non-Indigenous Peruvian population. Ayahuasca is an Indigenous practice that has been integrated into the overall culture of Peru. This integration occurred when colonizers first settled in Peru and over the centuries appropriation of Indigenous culture occurred. This website was created with the intention of looking more closely at appropriation of Ayahuasca in modern society, but it is important to note that this is not a new occurrence. The marketing of culture is one way the government is further perpetuating Indigenous erasure. The creation of Ayahuasca resorts gives tourists a false understanding of the Indigenous cultures within Peru. The culture that tourists are interacting with is carefully curated to meet their expectations. Along with the encroachment on sacred lands, there is a blatant disregard for the preservation of traditional Indigneous ceremonies.