Práticas ambientais na seleção, no planejamento e na comercialização do ecoturismo : informações de agências de ecoturismo do Rio Grande do Sul

Abstract

Which environmental criteria are used in planning, implementing and selling an ecotourism product? Which environmental practices are presented in ecotourism destinations? Is the environmental dimension covered by travel agents in planning, implementing and commercializing an ecotourism package? This research proposes to examine the environmental practices contained in the selection of ecotourism destinations when planning such activities in towns that present those destinations and in the commercialization offered by travel agents who provide tourists contact with the natural environment. Thus, this research aims at examining the relationships established between the information that travel agency managers have about ecotourism and environmental practices provided in the selection, planning, and in the ecotourism commercialization package. We developed and applied an exploratory survey, composed by a questionnaire and direct observation techniques in the data collection. To attain the goal we surveyed 20 ecotourism agency managers in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Direct observations were conducted in three major ecotourism destinations in Rio Grande do Sul presented by those agencies responsible for ecotourism. The questions in the questionnaire were related, in addition to the general managers' data, to the visibility of the agency’s environmental policies and destination; to the environmental education, environmental commitment to the agency and destinations, to the existence of selective collection programs of solid waste, control of water use, reducing the use of electricity and sewage collection and treatment in tourist destinations, to the knowledge of ecotourism policies included in the cities’ Master Plan and Agenda 21; to policies to protect the natural environment; to measures to minimize impacts in the construction and support of public venue visits as a factor considered in the environmental protection. Results obtained indicate that, in general, the environmental practices are not considered criteria for the selection of ecotourism destinations and that they are not present in its entirety in the formatting and commercialization of ecotourism packages. Therefore, it is important to construct new concepts in the selection, planning and commercializing of ecotourism, where the environmental practices are addressed effectively. Accordingly, undergraduate and graduate courses in tourism have a major role in training professionals in the management of tourism organizations based on a more systemic view, where the environment makes part in the strategic planning of those organizations. As it was found in the research, management is required as based on environmental criteria which determine which products are to be considered for sustainable visits, according to the natural environment, covering relationships between people (managers, agencies, public officials, tourists and local people) with the available natural resources and places that need to have environmentally appropriate practices performed. Thus, the understanding of the sustainable ecotourism nature may become more visible to agents and tourists.