BY THE RIVER, IN THE PANTANAL: SPECIFICATIONS OF FISHING TOURISM
Fishing Tourism. Pantanal. Production chain of tourism. Tourism segmentation. Disintermediation
The present work was based on the study about the theme of Fishing Tourism, having as research locus the Brazilian Pantanal. The Pantanal, the largest floodable area on the planet, is considered one of the most sensitive biomes. Its differential lies in the well-defined water regime of floods and ebbs and in the extensive biodiversity. All this wealth attracts countless visitors, allowing activities such as nature tourism, ecotourism and fishing tourism to be structured and developed. As an economic activity, fishing tourism has a productive chain interconnected with several specific products and services. In this sense, the objective was to understand the dynamics and specificities of the fishing tourism segment in tourist destinations in the Brazilian Pantanal. The methodological aspects consist of: a) documentary and bibliographic survey, for the construction of the theoretical discussion; b) multidimensional contextualization of the locus of study; c) application of survey questionnaires with tourist establishments and services; and d) interviews with key actors and informal conversations with tourists in tourist destinations. The results show the relevance of this economic activity for the region. The productive chain of fishing tourism, designed in the dissertation, allowed understanding the dynamics of the tourist segment in the region and identifying the connections between the links that compose it. Among the observed specificities, four main ones were found: a) the attractiveness of fishing, through the fishiness of the rivers; b) the pleasure of the fishing habitat (contemplation of the landscape, the movement of the waters, silence, rest); c) tourist loyalty to the destination; and d) disintermediation, caused by the centrality that accommodation facilities occupy in its production chain. This dissertation also allowed a look at the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism in Mato Grosso do Sul. With its peak in 2020 in Brazil, travel restrictions and social isolation, such as health prevention and control measures, caused a drop in the flow of visitors and the dynamics of activity. As a result of the crisis, the interruption of tourism caused the closure of establishments, among other economic and social problems. The objective was to establish learning links with the perspectives of resuming tourist activities in MS, based on the changes and decisions taken during the pandemic crisis. The results of the study point to the need for actions that make it possible to strengthen municipalities and small enterprises with greater weaknesses. Signaling the perspectives of diversification of the offer, improvement of management and search for segmentation with new practitioners of amateur sport fishing, and more sustainable positioning of businesses and destinations.