O papel da inclusão de idosos e de portadores de necessidades especiais no desenvolvimento do turismo ecológico

• Autor(a) principal: Alves, Alan Ripoll
• Data de Publicação: 2009
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC)
• Texto Completo: http://www.repositorio.ufc.br/handle/riufc/15665
• topic: Gestão; Inclusão; Planejamento; Sustentabilidade; Turismo ecológico; Management; Inclusion; Sustainability; Ecological tourism; Ecoturismo - Guaramiranga (CE); Idosos; Deficientes; Integração social

As a tourist specialisation, the Ecological Tourism has been able to associate the experience of being in contact with the nature to the ecological consciousness and environmental conservation. In this context, Guaramiranga (Ceará-Brazil) reveals its no totally exploited potential. In the last years, Guaramiranga, which has been recognised by the music, theatre and gastronomic festivals, has received many visitors interested in the Ecological Tourism. Ecological trails, waterfall-bathing and adventure sports are examples of the activities available in the place. Nevertheless, Guaramiranga is not prepared to receive such demand, especially when the elderly and disabled people are included in this group. They usually require more than the standard tourist infra-structure. According to that, three inter-related and dependent variants were considered into the subject: place, services and demands. They were thought as parametres to suggest some possible corrections for the problems. Despite the fact that Guaramiranga has natural attractions to develop satisfactorily the Ecological Tourism, it does not have adapted tourist resources nor prepared professionals to make the elderly and disabled people welcome. Considering the increase of the number of elderly and disabled people in the world, the tourist demand variation observed in the town could be reduced. This research concluded that Guaramiranga has defects in its paviment and street construction, water and electrical energy supporting, besides the inadequate access to the tourist attractions. The unsufficient services to the elderly and disabled people are results of the abscence of itineraries to them as well as adapted spaces. The availability of products that fulfill their interests and needs and the efficient, sustainable and accessible usage of the existent infra-structure would benefit the visitors by means of the Ecological Tourism. Politicians, entrepreneurs and the local people may change that situation by promoting and discussing activities related to the Ecological Tourism and social inclusion.