FROM PROBLEM REGION TO LEISURE PERIPHERY: the tourism and a re-signification of brazilian Northeaster
Tourism. Image. Re-signification. Northeastern Region.
In the recent past, the Northeast region of Brazil had its image associated with poverty, misery, and climate challenges like draught; hence, the negative image. In the last decades, that image has been re-worked with the aim of promoting the Northeast as a geographic region that is different, more dynamic, modern, and full of natural resuorces – environmental condictions that are sufficiently attractive to am economic diversity, which includes the development of the tourism industry. This research work proposes as a thesis that the tourism industry has resignified the Northeast, which has led to a positive image of the region. Therefore, this research study is aimed at analyzing the influence of the tourism industry on the transformation of the Northeast region. To fulfill this goal, a qualitative methodology was chosen as the research design supporting this study. The intent is to not only identify but also explain the obtained data both in the bibliographic research and in the field research. Review of relevant literature and data analysis were guided by the dialectical method. The field research was divided into two stages, which included the interviews to the public and private sectors, and the documental research (to documents and periodicals). Content analysis was adopted in both stages. The obtained data until the present moment allow us to understand that tourism acted as co-producer of this new image of the Northeast. Tourism is an activity that, by its nature needs, to market positive images and, therefore, has contributed to transpose the depreciated image of the region.