Language commodification in luxury tourism promotion in the Iryapú Jungle (Misiones, Argentina): authenticity, mobilities and resistance

Abstract

Living in the Triple border Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay region, Argentine city Puerto Iguazú's Indigenous communities have undergone social and territorial changes due to policies that have resulted in the construction of the Iryapú Jungle tourist area, exploited by national and international hotel networks. This paper aims to discuss the language uses in tourism promotion within this area, where Guarani language and culture elements are mobilized to produce authenticity and generate symbolic added value (HELLER; DUCHÊNE, 2012, 2016). To elaborate this exploratory case study, bibliographic research on the Guaranis and tourism in the Triple border was initially carried out; subsequently, regional tourism promotion texts were selected and analyzed. The analysis points out that both luxury hotels and Indigenous communities mobilize Guarani language and culture resources to generate added value to tourism products and services. In the Guarani's case, these uses express both adherence to the profit framework and resistance strategies, using these discourses in favor of their language and culture preservation. Although several studies in the area point to language commodification as a possible promoter of the subjects' agency and the income generation to minority groups, we argue that the Guaranis, inserted in a capitalist exploitation and alienation relation with the Iryapú Jungle enterprise, are in a position between necessity and resistance.