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Developing a Rural Tourism Route Through the Integration of Local Stakeholders: Challenges and Opportunities for Family Farmers in Porto Seguro – Bahia (Brazil)
Abstract
Family farming plays a key role in global food production and economic development. Rural areas in Porto Seguro, Bahia, Brazil, possess a rich cultural heritage, sustainable agricultural practices, and traditional communities that have been overlooked by mainstream tourism. To unlock economic opportunities for small farmers and attract diverse tourists, the local government and university (Universidade Federal Fluminense) collaborated to enhance a rural tourism route. This case study explores the synergy among local government, the university, and residents, showcasing how it can lead to creative placemaking practices in rural tourism. The study focuses on the “Motherland of Brazil” route, a sustainable tourism option, and emphasises the importance of residents’ involvement in destination planning through family farmers’ participation.
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© The Authors 2024
Due to negative natural changes in the population and intense emigration over the past three decades, from the end of the 20th century, the Republic of Serbia (RS) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) have faced a demographic decline of villages. Even villages closer to larger cities struggle with natural population decrease. Agriculture has an increasingly smaller impact on rural sustainability. Rural tourism is one of the activities that can save villages. The aim of this study is to, using a comparative analysis of the attitudes of the citizens of the two aforementioned countries, determine their familiarity with rural tourism and available development support funds, their interest in engaging in rural tourism as an additional or primary activity, and their satisfaction with the involvement of the local community in providing education for rural tourism. To obtain a response, we carried out interviews with 12 respondents from RS and 12 from BiH. The research instrument was the semi-structured in-depth interview. The respondents from BiH are more determined and more engaged in rural tourism than in RS. They are aware of how important rural tourism is for villages, since that is their only option for recovery and sustainability. The respondents from both countries agree that they need the support of the local administration to develop rural tourism. This kind of tourism also requires the demographic improvement of villages, since, without human resources, it is more difficult for the majority of the older population to engage more intensely in rural tourism.
The present article examines the relationship between tourism, production of space and the role of residents at two hotspot tourist destinations in Brazil: Cabo Frio, located in State of Rio de Janeiro and Porto Seguro, in State of Bahia. The development of the tourist industry in the localities under study occurred at different points in time. In the first, the urbanization process was associated with the acquisition of second homes in the 1950s, while the second, located in the Northeast region of the country, this process emerged in conjunction with the mass tourism industry only in the late 1980s. We hope this research will enhance understanding of the process of urbanization and the configuration of tourism space and the conflicts arising from this in developing countries, notably Latin America. Our methodology employed theories based on those developed by Chesnais (1996, 2005, 2016), Harvey (2005, 2008, 2011, 2014), Santos (2006) and others to explain the production of space in a way that goes beyond the use of historical data and socioeconomic analysis. The initial conclusion was that, despite the differences in the process (mass tourism vs. second homes, development in space and over time and geographical position), the two geographical locations selected presented the same findings: unequal production of space and the exclusion of local populations. The tourism activity investigated in these two case studies thus appears to replicate the current stage of development in Brazil, characterized by inequality and exclusion and reflected in the landscapes of the country’s tourist destinations.
Tourism destination planning and marketing are fundamentally place making actions intended to shape the image and imageability of a place. Place making is an innate human behavior, ranging from the organic and unplanned actions of individuals, defined here as ‘place-making,’ to planned and intentional global theming by governments and tourism authorities, defined here as ‘placemaking.’ Place-making and placemaking are ends on a continuum of options, with most places have a mix of local and global elements. These elements also range from the tangible (base in urban design) to the intangible (peoplescapes and imaginations). The tools of place making are essentially the same for both organic place-making and planned placemaking, but the intentions and outcomes can vary enormously. Tourism development, as an economic activity, almost always has a neoliberal planned placemaking agenda. Organic place-making emerges through individual agency, which if allowed to proceed, will make its imprint even in a heavily master planned tourism landscape. An understanding of place-making and placemaking gives insight into research questions on the political economy of tourism and the roles of hosts and guest in co-producing tourism places. Examining the elements of place making in a tourism landscape can more clearly identify how different worldview perspectives have contribute over time to the making of tourism places, and thereby assist in planning for the future development of destination communities.
Entrepreneurial motivations and networks in creative tourism place-making are examined using a descriptive case study approach. In Dali creative village in Wuhan, China, place-making was primarily driven by creative artisans and entrepreneurs from elsewhere. Actors’ social networks were primarily personal and lacked business cooperation, indicating the organic nature of place-making. The diversity of individual resources, capabilities and expectations of entrepreneurs has led to the lack of a consistent vision of place-making. Tension over ownership of place-making appeared between residential and nonresidential groups. Creative tourism entrepreneurs need to adapt to the restructuring forces of tourism and commercialization and adjust social networks as place-making stages evolve. This research contributes to the understanding of social networks and their roles in place-making, with implications for creative tourism planning and management.