Capixaba Geopark: Geotourism proposal for Espírito Santo (Brazil)

Abstract

The severe global health crisis of 2020 impacted the economy in all sectors of the economy, but the tourism industry was the most damaged due to the imposition of confinement by the WHO. After almost three years of pandemic, the government and the private sector seek to rebuild these productive networks by encouraging tourism, so that this sector returns to pre-pandemic consumption levels. The study has relevant importance for the tourist segment of Espírito Santo (Brazil), because they propose the creation of the Capixaba Geopark, for a state that has no tradition of being a prominent tourist route in Brazilian territory, but which has an odd geodiversity and a geological heritage to be discovered. It is important to say that a geopark is a territory with a differentiated tourist appeal, focused on sustainability and the development of local communities. Thus, the main objective of the study is to present the proposal of an area defined by the limits of 13 municipalities in the state, which portrays the highlighted Capixaba geodiversity. The geopark is interested in showing the geodiversity of the coastline, marked by beaches of monastic sands, to the imposing region of mountainous and mountainous relief in the western part of the state, represented by the most curious granite geoforms, such as the Friar and the Nun and the Blue Stone. The research used as method the qualitative approach of exploratory character, focusing on bibliographic and documentary research, in addition to on-site research. We sought to identify the current panorama of geopark projects in Brazil, show the situation of the state tourism segment, identify the geodiversity and geological heritage existing in the proposed area, selecting some geosites. The results confirm that there is no process of proposal for the creation of a geopark in the state, but that there is important potential, both from the point of view of geodiversity and natural landscapes and the tourist flow.  At first, it is proposed 13 geosites, classified by the geomorphological, petrological, sedimentological, speleological theme, among other characteristics that give it tourist importance. Of course, until a final proposal that meets the criteria for an aspiring UNESCO World Geopark, much has to be done, especially in terms of political and scientific articulations. It is expected that the proposal of the Capixaba Geopark will serve as a motivation and incentive for its improvement and final proposal as an aspirant to Unesco World Geopark, or for new geoparks proposals in the state.an aspiring UNESCO World Geopark, or for new proposals for geoparks in the state.