Tourist beaches in Rio Grande do Norte: the two sides of postcards

Abstract

Sun and beach tourism is crucial for coastal municipalities, especially in Brazil, which has a coastline of 8,698 km long, where almost a quarter of the population lives in about 400 municipalities. Factors such as climate, water temperature, vegetation, dunes, and coral reefs enhance the scenic value of beaches, mainly in the northeast of the country. Travel agencies, hotel chains and the municipalities promote the beaches with attractive images to sell travel packages and attract tourists. Since the 2000s, studies have evaluated the quality of urban beaches based on user perceptions, showing that tourists have become more demanding. This study compared the actual conditions of three tourist beaches in Rio Grande do Norte (Genipabu, Ponta Negra, and Pirangi) with what is advertised in tourism promotions and assessed the quality of these beaches from the visitors’ perspective. To achieve this, tourism websites were analyzed to identify how the beaches are advertised. The field research was carried out during two weekends in December 2022, at the most frequented points of each beach throughout the day (between 9am and 4pm). A total of 100 anonymous questionnaires were   administered at each beach, assessing ten questions related to beach choice, impressions of the environment (water and sand), landscape, infrastructure and main problems. The three beaches are promoted as   paradises with beautiful landscapes, being postcards of Rio Grande do Norte; however, there is a significant discrepancy between the advertisements and the actual situation. The reality often surprises visitors negatively, mainly in relation to disorderly use, lack of basic infrastructure and high levels of pollution. Users identified various problems and suggested solutions. To ensure sustainable use of these beaches, coastal management actions and public investments need to consider these user perceptions.