Os impactos do turismo nas pequenas cidades: um estudo em Itapecerica - Minas Gerais

Abstract

This work searched to identify possible impacts - positive and negative - of the tourist activity in small cities, taking as an example Itapecerica, an small city in Minas Gerais state. The amount of information was based on interviews (carried through with the social actors direstly concerned with tourism), on no participant observation and backup of historical facts. Had been interviewed just the individuals that had a plugging with the tourist activity in that city as, for example: contractors, public officers, members of the municipal management, neighbor leaders, representatives of entities and inhabitants who had direct bonding with tourism. One evidenced that the tourism pos9sess the capacity to generate significant changes and impacts in a community. Positive impacts were, majority, economic; and the negative ones were mainly social and ambient. In general, it was evidenced that the tourist activity has contributed for community´s growth and development, however, some, relevant negative effects had been evidenced.