Banca de DEFESA: IURY BEZERRA PEREIRA

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : IURY BEZERRA PEREIRA
DATE: 11/02/2026
TIME: 14:00
LOCAL: Sala virtual
TITLE:

POTIGUAR GASTRONOMIC IDENTITY AS A CULTURAL VALUE AND TOURIST ATTRACTION: RIO GRANDE DO NORTE AS A UNIQUE PLACE

KEY WORDS:

Gastronomy; Tourism; Identity; Culture; Rio Grande do Norte.

PAGES: 133
BIG AREA: Ciências Sociais Aplicadas
AREA: Turismo
SUMMARY:

Combining gastronomy with tourism has been a common practice in variousdestinations, aiming to promote economic growth and strengthen local identities, in which thesegastronomic identities evoke a sense of belonging for residents of the destinations and offer uniqueexperiences for visitors. Based on this perception and the guiding question (How is the gastronomicidentity of Rio Grande do Norte characterized in terms of its constituent elements?), this research seeksto analyze the gastronomic identity of Rio Grande do Norte based on the relationship between documentsthat discuss food in Rio Grande do Norte, professionals in the state's gastronomic sector, and touristrestaurants. The overall objective of the study is to understand the construction of the gastronomicidentity of Rio Grande do Norte in relation to the influence of the tourism market. To achieve this goal, specific objectives were defined: to identify the main dishes or gastronomic elements of Rio Grande doNorte; to identify the perception of local professionals in the gastronomic field regarding the roots ofPotiguar cuisine in the formation of Potiguar gastronomic identity; to verify the menus of touristrestaurants in terms of their connection with Potiguar cuisine and influences from the tourist market. Thework is guided by a qualitative-quantitative approach, with the intention of not only quantifying generaldata, but also directing the results from a cultural and identity perspective with regard to literature,professionals, and local food services. The research is based in the state of Rio Grande do Norte—morespecifically, 15 cities selected based on the new map of tourist hubs in the state. In this sense, datatriangulation was performed between a content analysis (categorical theme) using Iramuteq software andsupported by a semi-structured interview with gastronomy professionals in RN, descriptive andquantitative analysis of restaurant menus in the selected cities available on the TripAdvisor website, aswell as a qualitative descriptive analysis based on articles, theses, dissertations, IPHAN, INPI, and theOfficial Gazette of RN. The results indicate that Rio Grande do Norte has a rich gastronomic heritage,similar to that of neighboring states and others in the Northeast region, and is moving towards greaterrecognition of local traditions. However, when combined with tourism, Potiguar cuisine fails to promoteits delicacies by not working on this identity in the imagination of tourists—both those who intend tovisit and those who have already visited. The data shows the need for public authorities and competentbodies to work on promoting the destination, focusing on gastronomic tourism in addition to sun and sea.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - 2495866 - ALMIR FELIX BATISTA DE OLIVEIRA
Interna - 1543979 - ANDREA VIRGINIA SOUSA DANTAS
Interna - 1841981 - JOSEMERY ARAUJO ALVES
Externa à Instituição - VIVIANE SANTOS SALAZAR - UFPE