Turismo como instrumento de educação ambiental para a conservação da zona costeira: o caso da praia de Macaneta - Marracuene

Abstract

The places receiving tourism have had significant impacts, caused by the contact of tourists and the environment, a fact that requires the identification of measures to mitigate these impacts, in addition to being a concern in the scientific, institutional, organizational field and in local structures. This study aims to analyze tourism as an environmental education tool for the conservation of Macaneta beach. To this end, bibliographic and documentary research, semi-structured interviews with residents in the Macaneta community, tourist operators, civil servants and non participant observation were used. The research results indicate that the environmental education strategies adopted by the district government are environmental awareness campaigns and lectures. However, the local community and tour operators, although they have knowledge of environmental education, their participation in environmental education activities is passive, which is a challenge for the local government. It is also concluded that Macaneta beach is a destination that can see its environmental quality reduced if in the short and medium term, tourism stakeholders do not incorporate concrete planning and integrated management actions based on community awareness campaigns, intensification of lectures on the preservation of the local environment and the placement of information boards on the enhancement and conservation of the beach.