Ecotourism as an alternative for sustainability in Cocó State Park (CE, Brazil)

Abstract

The relationship between man and the environment becomes increasingly complex, it is up to society to seek knowledge and skills so that Protected Areas (PA) can be preserved. This research shows that sustainable development in protected areas can be achieved through ecotourism, as this segment is considered an important factor in the cultural, economic, social and, mainly, environmental preservation process. In this sense, this work aims to analyze the importance of the ecotourism segment for the sustainability of the Cocó State Park, in the state of Ceará, Brazil. To this end, the relevance given to ecotourism and aspects of this activity that involve the premises of sustainable development were investigated. The methodological approach of the study was through qualitative research, based on the SWOT matrix, exploring the bibliographic review and critical references on the topic, through content analysis, proposed by Bardin (2004). As a result, all objectives were achieved, leading to the conclusion that the Cocó State Park has potential for the development of ecotourism, as long as political arrangements are established that promote cultural appreciation, social interaction, with community organization, the sharing of benefits fair economic and environmental conservation.