Segurança & turismo : percepções quanto ao aspecto "segurança" de um destino turístico, como forma de mantê-lo atrativo e competitivo

Abstract

The study describes the perceptiions, expectations and knowledge got from representatives of the public and private sectors of the city of Gramado and tourists who visited the city, about the importance of the security on planning the touristic activity. Twenty native people who have their business in Gramado and twenty-one tourists in their visits to the city participated in this study. The city of Gramado is considered an important touristic destination in the south of Brazil. In the field of public security, the analysis was produc:ed using the workforce of the military police, in as much as their contact with thte public (local community and tourists) is permanent. The treatment of the security in tourism presented, broaches the perspective suggested by Tourism Wmld Organization (TWO), the re lated factors and the severa! dimension which make part o f the concept " T ouristic Security". People answered an interview based on trips with tou rs previously defined, using two different questionnaires: each one for each group. The analysis of the answers suggest the following: local community thinks that Gramados' attraction is closely related to security; tourists consider the city a safe and calm place. 8oth groups (local and tourists) mention the importance of the military police to gain capacity to work with the tourists in a proper way.