ENOTOURISM AND TERRITORY: THE CASE OF VALE DOS VINHEDOS (RS/BRAZIL)

Abstract

Three elements of local development are highlighted by tourism activity: the society, the environment and the economy, that are integrated and reinforce themselves mutually, on the context that the social and cultural diversity and the productive differentiation must be used as potential transformational resources and of local development. The Vale dos Vinhedos (Brazil) region has become the most important wine and oenology park in the country, that beyond producing wines also manifests itself as a oenotouristic destine. This study is characterized as an exploratory-descriptive, of quali-quantitative character, and constitutes a preliminar and exploratory analysis made under the light of a territorial development concept. From this analysis new research questions have been formulated that aim to further the territorial development of Vale dos Vinhedos, attaching the concepts of territory and territorial resources to the tourism life cycle model. We are able to verify, from the life cycle analysis, that the Vale dos Vinhedos is on the “Development” stage, which indicates a tendency of diminishing participation of the local community on the planning and decision making of the touristic development process.