COMMUNITY BASED TOURISM AND TRADITIONAL PRACTICES

Abstract

Human beings depend on nature's resources to ensure their well-being and even to survive. The correct management of natural resources allows all people to have access to these goods of nature, in this way the theme of Ecosystem Services (ES) was developed, seeking to realize an appreciation of the benefits that human beings extract from nature. During this work, a participatory map was built together with the local community, pointing to ES in a Conservation Unit (UC). This CU, located in the northeast of Brazil, is home to several traditional and indigenous communities of fishermen who live in close connection with nature and traditional knowledge inherited by generations, it is home to fragments of the Atlantic Forest, a rich expanse of mangroves, the estuary of the Mamanguape River and beaches suitable for leisure. Among the methods and techniques used, we found tools such as observation, interviews, questionnaires and a manual participatory mapping with an intensive focus on the local community, this information was complemented with interviews with policy managers and a questionnaire addressed to tourists. The results identified that policy managers, tourists and the community cite different ES as the main ones, however, the main ES that support both the community's livelihood and tourist activities, the interactions between the provision ES with the cultural ES, as well as point to the loss of ES supply due to anthropic activities outside the traditional community. In conclusion, we highlight the importance that ES obtained from the estuary represent for the community and the role of traditional knowledge for the conservation of ES. Greater participation of public bodies is needed both to supervise and to carry out participatory planning that involves the three spheres of government and guarantees the well-being of communities.