O uso turístico do patrimônio natural e a concessão dos serviços para visitação no Parque Nacional da Serra da Bodoquena

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to discuss how tourism was established in the Serra da Bodoquena National Park (PNSBd) and, simultaneously, to analyze the progress of the concession process for visitor support services as the partnership model chosen to enable tourism infrastructure. In this context, given the intense and well-established tourism activity that financially anchors the economy of the Bonito/Serra da Bodoquena tourist region (surrounding the Park), numerous questions and interests arise regarding the concession of natural heritage for private use of public assets. The initial discussions sought to understand how nature and natural heritage are produced. Subsequently, tourism was investigated at different scales: in National Parks, in the Bonito tourist region, and specifically in the Serra da Bodoquena Park. The information and insights about tourism at this specific scale are mainly derived from fieldwork. The concession model adopted by the Conservation Unit Management Agency (UCs) and the initial results of the concession policy and program were also analyzed based on the legal and regulatory framework, Law No 13,668/2018. For the concession of services, areas, and facilities in UCs, an agreement between the public (grantor) and private (concessionaire) parties must be formalized through a contract. Although visitor support services are transferred to the private sector, it was found that there are various shortcomings and failures related to the management, monitoring, and oversight of contracts, requiring greater operational resource allocation for this function. Considering these results and the analysis of the planning phase of the PNSBd visitor support services concession, we discuss the doubts, suggestions, and criticisms stemming from social participation and the analysis of the contract draft in question. It is also noted that, currently, tourism in PNSBd occurs under service provision authorizations granted to guides. Regarding the methodological procedures, the identification of tourism activities and the work of guides in PNSBd was conducted on-site during fieldwork. Part of the research is based on interviews (semi-structured questionnaires) with the Park's Public Manager, as well as on bibliographic readings and analysis, institutional documents from Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (ICMBio), reports, and public documents.