Abstract

This chapter explores how connectivity has interacted with tourism and nature conservation in the Aysén region of Chilean Patagonia, and some of the social, environmental, and territorial issues that have arisen from this articulation. We posit that the Longitudinal Austral Highway (Carretera Austral, in Spanish), as a road that facilitates connectivity and access to natural environments throughout the Aysén region, has operated as the mobilizing axis for different processes of valu ing and appropriating nature. We argue that the links between connectivity, tourism, and conservation have changed over time, as actors’ material and symbolic appro priations of nature in Patagonia have evolved. Our goal with this chapter is to inform ongoing Chilean debate about the ways in which nature should be valued as the country moves forward. Our case study research identifies and discusses the new social, environmental, and territorial processes brought about by the Carretera Austral and the consequent resignification and reappropriation of nature that has occurred in Aysén. We base our case study on review of secondary data sources including public reports, plans, and policies related to the Carretera Austral and ter ritorial development, as well as scholarly research on related topics, including val ues, identity, territorial transformation, and heritage.