REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE UNESCO WORLD GEOPARK SERIDÓ, RN
responsible community commitment; community; tourism; geoparks.
This thesis analyzes regional development in the context of the six municipalities of the UNESCO World Geopark Seridó, located in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, focusing on the concept of “responsible community commitment”. Regional development is approached as a response to criticism of asymmetric globalization and the exogenous growth model, proposing endogenous development, where the local community should be a central element in promoting well-being and qualifying the territory. The thesis highlights the importance of active community participation in decision-making processes, especially in the context of tourism, and proposes responsible community commitment as a factor for regional development. The research uses a methodological approach based on a literature review on geoparks and tourism, focus groups with local entrepreneurs, formal tourism workers and the community in general, and interviews with the geopark's management committee. The study aims to investigate the perception and level of responsible commitment of the communities of the Seridó Geopark, contrasting these perceptions with the geopark's management strategies and practices, and proposing affirmative actions to align the reality found with the theoretical model of responsible community commitment.