The governance of tourism at an international border: public policies and paradiplomacy in the context of the RILA

A governança do turismo em fronteira internacional: políticas públicas e paradiplomacia no contexto da RILA

La gobernanza del turismo en la frontera internacional: políticas públicas y paradiplomacia en el contexto de Rila

Abstract

The Latin American Integration Route (RILA), also known as the Bioceanic Route, is an initiative with the potential to promote the development of the Brazil-Paraguay border zone. The creators of RILA aim, since the creation of the proposal in 2006 (which would be made official in 2015), to boost logistic activities, with the goal to increasing exports of commodities (grains, ores and meat) and, secondly, to boost regional tourism activity. In this sense, this article aims to analyze the potential and obstacles that involve the governance of tourism at the border between Brazil and Paraguay, specifically between the twin cities of Porto Murtinho (BR) and Carmelo Peralta (PY). Regarding the methodology, the present work configures a qualitative research, based on bibliographical and documentary approach, under an interdisciplinary perspective, anchored in the references of Tourism and Political Geography. The theoretical-empirical results correspond to the conceptual delimitation of what configures the governance of tourism in international border territories and the organization of the institutional matrix that will support the understanding of the organization of tourism and its governance in the researched territory. Furthermore, maps were created that demonstrate the intersection between the main tourism development policy in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul and the RILA.

Keywords
RILA; infrastructure; regional integration; border