O turismo como fator de desenvolvimento regional : o caso de Gramado e Canela-RS.

Abstract

The present study analyses the tourism paper in the cities of Gramado and Canela as a factor of regional development, and the strategies used to its revitalization. Insert in the “Região das Hortênsias”, localized in Superior Mountain-Side of the Meridian Plateau in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, the cities of Gramado and Canela are one of the most important poles of the tourism in the state, which totalize together more than 60.000 inhabitants, where the principal income activity is the tourism. These cities have almost 150 hotels, with more than 10 thousand beds, and 146 gastronomic establishments, they also offer dozens of tourist attractions and events that bring tourists from Brazil and from abroad. In this study we investigated the conducting of the tourism activity in the region, by the public organs and the private sector, emphasizing its revitalization through the rural tourism, as a strategy of complementary offer to the present model, and/or the installation of a regional airport, as a strategy expand the sector and to bring more tourists to the region. The empirical data shows how the “Região das Hortênsias” faces great difficulties to propose actions from a development project budgeted in a regional level, considering the needs and the cravings from inhabitants and the public and private sectors. The sustainability of some regions, that have tourism as their development option, needs a strategic planning constantly revised, to be successful.