INDIGENOUS ETHNIC TOURISM: CONCEPTUAL DEFINITION, POTENTIALITIES, AND CHALLENGES IN BRAZIL

ABSTRACT:

Faced with the socio-environmental impacts generated by contemporary tourism, indigenous ethnic tourism has been discussed as a possible means of preserving natural resources and cultural traditions. This article uses bibliographic and documentary research to construct a preliminary definition of the theme, aiming to critically interpret how the notion of indigenous ethnic tourism is expressed in the national academic production and in the narratives of public policies. It focuses specifically on Normative Instruction no. 03/2015, the main legislative instrument on the subject in Brazil. The results of this research seem to indicate that there is no consensus as to the conceptual perspective of indigenous ethnic tourism. There are potentialities in this regard, but there are also numerous challenges to its consolidation in the country, such as cultural mischaracterization and the need to develop mechanisms to strengthen the role of indigenous peoples in the implementation of tourism projects in their territories.

KEYWORDS:
indigenous ethnic tourism; indigenous lands; public policies