The profile of tourists visiting Ilha Grande, Angra dos Reis (RJ, Brazil) in summer 2018

Abstract

Considering that for the practice of tourism the displacement of people (the flow of tourists on their trips) is essential, as well as there is a need for a set of infrastructures and equipment to carry out this activity, socioeconomic and environmental impacts emerge. Among the different ways of diagnosing the negative impacts of this activity, seeking to mitigate them and enhance the positive ones, the profile of tourists who attend a specific tourist destination can be investigated, in order to o contribute to the planning of the tourist activity. In the case of this research, considering the large flow of tourists to Ilha Grande in the state of Rio de Janeiro and the environmental peculiarity of that location, UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage, we aimed to analyze the socioeconomic and tourist profile of the travelers who went to that location in the summer 2018. For this, we adopted quantitative and qualitative methods, bibliographic research (with a focus on theoretical framework on the themes Environment and Tourism), and structured interviews with standardized questions, applied in sequence to all respondents (tourists about to embark for Ilha Grande). The results obtained aimed to survey the socioeconomic and tourist profile of the visitors, including data on gender, age group, education, average income, origin, type of accommodation, as well as on the motivation of the trip In addition, considering the environmental character of Ilha Grande and aiming to understand the perception of tourists about the location, we asked about two words that expressed the idea of the visit and the most words cited referred to natural elements, reinforcing the natural environment as a destination reference. Finally, in the face of a recent controversy involving the charging of fees for visitation (such as environmental preservation), most tourists responded that they would accept paying the ticket for the possible benefits of environmental conservation and social improvements. Thus, due to its environmental particularities and the title of Historic and Natural Heritage of Humanity recently granted, Ilha Grande consolidates itself as a destination with reference to nature, to which sustainable measures and actions must be dedicated. The identification of the socioeconomic and touristic profile of visitors to Ilha Grande (and their respective motivations) enables and allows the definition of policies, programs, plans, projects and planning activities for the tourist activity, consistent with the expectations of tourists, in order to promote Sustainable Tourism.