O uso turístico dos reservatórios de hidrelétricas: estudo dos terminais turísticos no Lago de Itaipu, Paraná, Brasil

Abstract

The object of this assignment is to investigate tourism in hydroelectrics, recreation activities, touristic infrastructure, visitor s profile, and mainly determinate environmental quality of the leisure areas along the Itaipu Lake. The object of this study were the eight touristic centers along the Brazilian side of the reservoir, located in Paraná River, east Paraná State. At the first part of the study, a research about the multiple choices of using water and about tourism in the ten bigger Brazilian hydroelecrtics. To evaluate the conditions of usefulness of those places, the method involved environmental quality, developed by Nascimento (2005), and the assessment were adapted to the natural characteristics of the hydroelectric reservoir, divided into three main groups: 1) way and strength of usefulness; 2) existence, infrastructure condition and occupation of the area; 3) types of damage observed. The touristic centers were classified as regular and good, and most of them were in need of capacity to receive mass of groups, environmental education, and inexistence of visitor s control. The positive aspects were high quality level of the water for leisure and recreation and waste handle.