Turismo Serrano Potiguar: sobrevoo do potencial ao produto turístico.

Abstract

Tourism has a great importance in the socioeconomic development as it contributes in generating jobs and income, environmental conservation and the development of local culture. It is an activity that requires labor-intensive, has the power to multiply the income, since it involves other economic activities, and strengthens the cultural development of the communities, highlights Ignarra (2003). This research aimed to analyze the tourism potential of the Tourist Pole Serrano Potiguar, regarding its transformation into a tourism product. The methodology included documental and field research, with the tourist trade and public managers of the municipalities that compose the Polo Serrano. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews and focus groups fully systematized and analyzed as proposed qualitative content analysis, except global Sustainability Indexes that were treated using descriptive statistics. The results showed the confidence of managers and trade in tourism as a lever to generate employment and income, besides promoting local development. However, there is a sense of a great dissatisfaction with the governance model of the Polo Serrano, in which a collegiate and participatory management prevails, but with little progress in terms of impact of decisions on investments or even the definition of marketing strategies. Regarding the survey, the tourist offer is presented, with the potential of nature, infrastructure weaknesses and the presence of diversified tourist facilities. The scenario for the internalization is optimistic, given the recently released government program with actions for diagnosis of tourism in the state, creation of marketing plans, communication, tourist signs, infrastructure and Prodetur investments. Although the destination is in systematization process, the sustainability index is very good (61.1%). Without losing sight of its scientific nature, this study sought to present a series of proposals to act as a basis for building integrated planning of tourism and polo municipalities, within the perspective of the potential of overflight of the tourism product, through the formation of people, conservation of attractiveness, joint demand prospecting circuit, destination management and image construction.