Prática do turismo e conservação ambiental no Cerrado : possibilidades e potencialidades da Serra Dourada (2021-2023)

Abstract

The relationship between society and nature has historically taken on different practical perspectives and theoretical understandings, serving different interests. The advent of capitalism contributed to the consolidation of a rigid separation between humanity and the natural environment, when natural goods began to be seen as resources to be used unlimitedly to satisfy human demands. From the second half of the 20th century, however, concern about the irreversible depletion of natural resources gave rise to a global movement to debate the environmental issue. Alongside this debate, various approaches and actions aimed at environmental conservation have emerged, both scientifically and otherwise. Due to its natural characteristics, the Cerrado is placed in this context as a second-class territory, seen as a space to be occupied productively despite any environmental damage that may be caused. In the wake of the Cerrado's environmental conservation strategies, we would like to highlight tourism practices as a potential tool for raising awareness and organizing in defense of the Cerrado. In this sense, our general objective is to understand whether tourism practices contribute to the conservation of the Cerrado in the territorial context of Serra Dourada, in the state of Goiás. Methodologically, in addition to the referential survey and systematization, field immersions were carried out to get to know the different landscapes and conflicts in the Serra Dourada. The information collected in the field activities was recorded in a field notebook, photos, maps, observation, data collection from the UFG research reserve, being used according to the research demand. Other tools were used to contribute to the analysis, such as gathering information on tourist experiences through social networks. The results indicate, in general, a diversity of tourist or potentially tourist sites located in the Serra Dourada and its immediate surroundings, which are strategic in terms of promoting educational processes in the environment. On the other hand, they also indicate that the tourist movement has not been directly reverted to the conservation of the Cerrado in the Serra Dourada, which is due in particular to the lack of effective involvement of the people who live in this territory. The study carried out, much more than presenting closed results, opens up a variety of lines of progress in the study of tourism as a tool for environmental conservation in the Cerrado.