Regionalização do turismo na área de influência dos municípios de Marcelino Ramos (RS) e Piratuba (SC).

Abstract

This research analyzes the regionalization of tourism considering the spatial distribution of the attractions, the behavior of the flow of visitors and the relationship among those involved with tourism in the influential area of the towns named Marcelino Ramos (RS) and Piratuba (SC). Aimed at organizing the geographical area in regions for planning, administration, promotion and integrated commercialization purposes, regionalization is one of the main concerns of the National Tourism Policy document. Both Marcelino Ramos and Piratuba towns conceive tourism as one of their main income; they also integrate two of the areas in the framework designed by the Ministry of Tourism. This study expects to contribute for the debate regarding the regionalization of tourism for there are some flaws in the application of politics in the federative units. This qualitative research adopts a cross-sectional design, i.e., the data is gathered from one sample at one point in time. The theoretical and methodological foundations that guide the analysis rely on the differential spatial theory, which establishes that the proper way to develop regionalization is to verify the groupings formed in a particular space by practicing the activity studied, which in the case of this research, is tourism. The complex systems theory is also used in the analysis due to the fact that the process of regionalization of tourism involves a myriad of physical elements and their relationship with local/regional and external actors. Data analysis reveals that the delimited area can be characterized as a Touristic Area, since it is formed by two touristic centers, one for staying (Piratuba) and another for distribution (Treze Tílias). Due to the relationship process between the demand and the attractions of the towns, the formation of various aggregations result in different spatial conformations, which are spread in the territories as travel and touristic centers and also as passageways. It is observed that the area delimited in this research present a distinct configuration from the one proposed by the Ministry of Tourism. One understands that if the purpose of the national tourism politics is to offer more competitive touristic products, the spatial conformation proposed by this research offers more concrete perspectives for developing strategies, since it considers the force lines that structure tourism in space.