THE POTENTIAL OF PARQUE NATURAL DAS ANDORINHAS, OURO PRETO - BRAZIL FOR GEOTOURISM

ABSTRACT:

Natural Protected Areas (NPA) present various opportunities for tourism. The Parque Natural Municipal das Andorinhas (PNMA), in Ouro Preto (MG - Brazil), with its landscape of quartzite rock fields and water courses, welcomes visitors in search of ecotourism. The PNMA provides a rich geodiversity for the practice of Geotourism, a developing tourism segment that involves the appreciation and conservation of abiotic elements. The aim of this research was to conduct a survey on the geotourist potential of the PNMA. The methodology involved both office and field research. The first included bibliographic and digital research on geotourism and NPAs and research on the documents of the park management plan, as well as the creation of an inventory and geotourist quantification sheets, based on Paula and Castro (2014) and Brilha (2005). The field work was carried out using the inventory and quantification of geosites. The results showed that the PNMA has significant potential for geotourist use, due to its waterfalls and viewpoints, but that the lack of financial and human resources makes it difficult to implement geotourism routes. It is hoped that this work will help raise awareness among tourists, the community, managers and companies as to the importance of geoconservation through Geotourism.

KEY-WORDS:
Natural Heritage; Environmental Interpretation; Nature-Based Tourism