Preliminary Risk Assessment (PRA) in ecotourism activities on the Pico da Tijuca trail, Tijuca National Park (RJ, Brazil)

Abstract

This work aims on analyzing and measuring the environmental and safety risks that visitors are subjected to when they walk on the Pico da Tijuca Trail in the Tijuca National Park (TNP), located in the city of Rio de Janeiro, applying the technique of Preliminary Risk Analysis (PRA) as well as interviews with users of the Pico da Tijuca trail, TNP employees and tourism guide. The PRA method on the trail to Tijuca Peak helped to identify that the main risk that can occur with the users, besides the risks of get lost, slipping, twisting the foot, falling tree trunks and branches, robberies and stings of poison animals, is the fall. Based on the results, it can be concluded that hiking on the trail to Pico da Tijuca offers risks of accidents, although the risk of violence is still considered irrelevant by its users. The systematic and regular analysis of the trail through the application of PRA is an instrument that can contribute to the development of a plan of maintenance and management of the trail, avoiding the occurrence of incidents or accidents with users.