Eco-Tourism Development Feasibility in João Pessoa, Brazil

Introduction and Research Focus

This paper examines the social and cultural impacts of establishing an eco-tourism enterprise in João Pessoa, Brazil. The main focus of the dissertation covers the following areas: an analysis of eco-tourism development; an assessment of opportunities at the regional, domestic, and international levels; an evaluation of the project's feasibility; and an examination of the socio-cultural impact of eco-tourism.

Brazil possesses a sanctuary of the finest natural resources — fauna and flora — in the world, and as a result, tourism in Brazil is in ascendance, with demand for mid-class hotels on the increase. The development of eco-tourism in specific areas is anticipated due to partnerships with local banking institutions, local government interest and regulations, and a general growth in awareness of the tension between the tourist economy, the environment, and local cultures.

Primary research — including interviews and questionnaires — will be conducted to analyze the feasibility of the project. Secondary research will be carried out in the form of a literature review, covering resources such as the internet, academic journals, and books. Local governments and banking institutions will be contacted to identify the incentives available for new businesses. Links will be made to other countries that have successfully developed eco-tourism. Searches will also be made for UK and Brazilian tour operators in order to evaluate demand for tourism in Brazil.

Methodology

Potential challenges include: difficulties in interviewing professionals in the hospitality and tourism industry; difficulties in raising interest from local government to secure backing for the project; and difficulties concerning the legislation and regulations connected to the development and sustainability of the site.

This chapter analyzes the barriers to entry to a niche market — specifically, eco-tourism in Brazil — in order to investigate the current trends and accessibility of a segment within the hospitality industry. This was accomplished by exploring the needs of the service and the efficiency of the industry at large, and by evaluating the possibilities of developing an eco-tourism hotel in Brazil.

Primary data to support these aims was collected through interviews and questionnaires. An interview is a face-to-face situation in which the interviewer asks questions and the interviewee responds. According to Bell (1999), observing the way people respond to a question — including their facial expressions, patterns of hesitation, and gesticulations — may provide the interviewer with different insights than those gained through solely written responses.

The interviews were undertaken both directly and indirectly. In the direct interviews, the researcher conducted the interviews in Brazil over the period July to August 2002. In the indirect interviews, a second or third person conducted the interviews under the researcher's direction. The people interviewed included: the owner and general manager of Piccollo Aubergo, an eco-tourism hotel in Maresias, São Paulo, Brazil; a post-graduate in hotel management responsible for five hotels in Brazil; a university lecturer in hotel and management studies; the Minister for Tourism and Sports (interviewed on 13th November 2002 at the London Excel World Travel Market); the Tourism Coordinator at SENAC; and the owner of Eco-trekking at Vinhedo, São Paulo, Brazil.

Interviews and Questionnaires

The results from these interviews provided a more realistic understanding of the research questions, and directed the investigations such that more precise conclusions could be drawn than would have been possible without them.

Using questionnaires enables the analysis of data by both quantitative and qualitative methods. Questionnaires are a faster alternative to interviews and often provide more precise answers. Care must nonetheless be taken in their design: questionnaires should be unbiased, non-sexist, and should not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, disability, or any other characteristic.

Two questionnaires were used. The first was designed to investigate travel agencies in Brazil: 45 agencies were approached, and 30 responded. The second questionnaire was designed for travelers, in order to determine whether leisure travelers were aware of the existence of an eco-friendly hospitality segment in Brazil, and if not, whether sufficient interest existed for such a niche to be created. The questionnaire also aimed to determine the level of interest among potential future travelers in staying at an eco-environment establishment, and to establish the differing needs of leisure and corporate travelers when choosing a hotel. Eighty travelers responded to this questionnaire.

The data collected was intended to provide quantitative evidence for whether there is a current trend toward implementing an eco-tourism enterprise in the northeast of Brazil. This study therefore highlights whether a niche market could develop in this region, or whether — given Brazil's vast concentration of natural resources — Brazilians might perceive eco-tourism differently from people in other countries. Secondary data was processed via an academic literature review on ecotourism, drawing on journals, magazines, and websites related to the subject.

The researcher has visited Brazil many times over a number of years, collecting empirical evidence concerning the development of eco-tourism and studying the socio-cultural aspects of Brazilian society. This evidence serves to consolidate the findings of the thesis. The analysis of questionnaires and interviews is intended to reflect the current trend in tourism and to demonstrate that eco-tourism in Brazil is in the early stages of its life-cycle curve.