Municipal management and integrated actions to strengthen tourism in the territory of Quarta Colônia, RS, Brazil

Abstract

As an element of local development, tourism can take the form of integrated road maps, stimulated by local governance through the offer of goods and services, in order to compose the touristic product in partnership with the private initiative. This article analyzes the extent to which tourism is seen as a part of the discussions around the development of Quarta Colônia in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, given that the political leaders of the municipalities employ a narrative that recognizes tourism as an integrated part of the prospects for development. The objectives are to identify the main actions around tourism, viewed in an integrated way, in the territory of Quarta Colônia; to investigate the views of the public management on the use of tourism as a strategy for the development of the territory; and to identify the existence and form of integrated actions to strengthen tourism within the territory. This study represents a qualitative research perspective, with the application of semi-structured interviews in the municipal tourism departments of this region, with descriptive analysis and discourse evaluation of the information obtained. The results of the research showed that the tourism management in the municipalities of the region is disjointed, with minimal effectiveness of the public authorities in this regard, resulting in dispersed actions and a lack of planning.