Tourism Governance: Local and Regional Planning and Management in Gramado-RS, Brazil

Abstract

Tourism' governance is relevant for understanding the competitiveness of tourist destinations. The present study sought to understand how tourism governance is developed in Gramado-RS, in the south of Brazil, considering social actors' actions in the planning and management of the activity at local and regional level. The methodology, with a qualitative approach, used bibliographical research, direct observation and interviews with social actors with a key role in the process of integration of the governance bodies. The evidences identified allowed to verify that the governance structure in Gramado-RS contributes to the development of tourism activity, since the performance of the public and private sectors is guided by the articulation and cooperation in the planning and management of the activity. This situation presents itself as a form of strategic differential of the tourist destination studied, which creates the appropriate conditions for the development of a competitive management process and enables the provision of quality tourism products.