SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AND THE GREEN ECONOMY IN PERU: PERCEPTIONS FROM THE TOURISM SECTOR

Given the growing urgency of sustainable development worldwide, tourism is emerging as a strategic sector to drive the global ecological transition. The main objective of this research was to determine the relationship between sustainable tourism and the green economy in the Peruvian context, comprehensively analyzing its environmental, sociocultural, and economic dimensions. A quantitative approach was adopted, with a correlational scope and a non-experimental, cross-sectional design. The sample consisted of 153 participants in the tourism sector, selected through non-probability sampling based on predefined inclusion criteria. A structured survey of 32 items per variable, using a five-point Likert scale, was used. This survey was validated by expert judgment and demonstrated high reliability (Cronbach's alpha >0.8). Statistical analysis included normality tests (Kolmogorov-Smirnov) and Spearman's rank correlation coefficients. The results revealed a significant moderate positive correlation between the main variables (Rho = 0.501, p = 0.001). Specifically, the sociocultural dimension showed the strongest association (0.560), followed by the economic (0.337) and environmental (0.181) dimensions. The findings indicate that incorporating sustainable practices into tourism aligns with the core principles of the green economy: social equity, environmental protection, and economic growth. It was determined that, in Peru, the transition to a green economic model is facilitated by the promotion of responsible management, resource preservation, and active community involvement. This provides data for the design of empirically grounded public policies and business strategies that promote inclusive, balanced, and resilient development in the country.