Turismo de Base Comunitária: uma possibilidade para o Povoado Açude Gargalheiras - Acari/RN

Abstract

In the municipality of Acari, in the interior of Rio Grande do Norte, there is a fishing community known as Povoado Gargalheiras, located around the Gargalheiras Reservoir, formed by the Marechal Dutra Dam. The Gargalheiras Reservoir is an important regional leisure area, with a flow of visitors and a reference for natural attractions in the state. Tourist visits, however, are not managed by the community and their participation in tourism is timid. Thus, considering the premises of CommunityBased Tourism (CBT), we asked whether CBT would be possible to be developed in the Gargalheiras Village. Thus, this study aims to analyze the position of the residents of the Gargalheiras Village regarding the possibility of developing Community-Based Tourism in the locality. The research is descriptive, with a qualitative approach to the information collected through semi-structured interviews. It is concluded that Povoado Gargalheiras has the potential to develop Community-Based Tourism as a more responsible and sustainable tourism development tool in the locality, as long as they have the initiative to organize themselves in an articulated and democratic way, seeking to promote participatory tourism that respects local culture and the environment.