Management of public use: tourism and leisure in protected areas

In partnership with ICMBio, LETS researchers Camila Rodrigues (UFRRJ) and Susy Simonetti (UEA) participated in the group of editors of the journal BioBrasil, in its dossier focused on the management of public use in protected areas.

The magazine brings 22 articles that deal with numerous aspects relevant to the theme: visitor profile, performance of drivers, community participation, managers' view of management, environmental interpretation, long-distance trails, concessions in UCs, planning, among others. These studies cover a huge diversity of conservation units in Brazil and of different typologies.

Professor Camila Rodrigues points out that "the edition of BioBrasil was conceived from a demand from the Community of Practice for Visitation in Protected Areas, a collective that brings together researchers from different universities and managers of various protected areas in Brazil, with the objective of building a collaborative research agenda to support the management of visitation in Brazilian protected areas."

In the editorial, the organizers emphasize that "public use in protected areas, through leisure and tourism activities, is considered an important tool for nature conservation and a strategic ally in the protection of these areas. The presence of the visitor, as well as researchers and volunteers, can help in the monitoring of activities and in management and conservation initiatives. In addition, public use provides visitors with the opportunity to get to know and experience natural environments and socio-cultural practices, in addition to creating a bond with the protected areas and territories involved. Thus, visitors take ownership of these spaces and understand the role of protected areas in maintaining ecosystem services for society and environmental quality."

They point out that tourism in protected areas can contribute to the induction of development on a sustainable basis, in addition to strengthening the socio-economy of the places where it occurs. In addition, the editors draw attention to the fact that visitation can "increase visibility and political-social support for the preservation of protected areas and the increase in revenues for the recovery and maintenance of species and their habitats".

Susy Simonetti explains that many articles were received, which is an even more relevant feat in a pandemic period. For the professor, this "all this production is related to tourism in protected areas. Which means that the topic is relevant and is increasingly gaining space in discussions and academic journals".

In the editorial, some of the characteristics of this visitation in Brazil are summarized: "the Atlantic Forest was the most visited biome, covering four of the ten most sought after conservation units for visitation, and national parks are the protected areas most used by public use". In addition, they add a measurement of the economic importance of tourism activity in federal PAs:

in 2018: 12.4 million visits generated a total contribution to the national economy of about 90 thousand jobs, R$ 2.7 billion in income, R$ 3.8 billion in value added to GDP and R$ 10.4 billion in sales and R$ 1.1 billion in taxes.

In 2019: 15 million visits were recorded, an increase of 20.4% compared to the previous year.

Helena Costa, coordinator of LETS, adds that this "work is especially relevant not only for the theme, but also for the precious and fundamental articulation between academia, civil society and public sector bodies to bring quality information".

To know the magazine in full, access here