Tourism development discourse dynamics in a context of conflicts between mining and nature conservation in the Brazilian Cerrado Hotspot

Abstract

The Cerrado is a world hotspot for nature conservation and an important tourist destination in Brazil. This region has been subjected to intensive land conversion for the production of commodities, which has led to the eruption of socio-environmental conflicts between tourism and extractive industries. In this article, we explore the dynamics of tourism development discourses that underpin the conflicts generated by mining projects in the town of Cavalcante and seek to inform on more adequate policymaking and promote human development. We employed multi-methods data collection techniques and a discourse analysis approach to assess the tourism development discourses that compete in local policy arenas and reflect upon policy outcomes that result from this process. We develop a three-stage chronology to show the dynamics of tourism discourses and reveal that sustainable tourism discourse served to generate a neoliberal modernization discourse. However, growing dissatisfaction with both tourism modernization and mining has generated resistance against mining among the affected communities. We conclude that leisure tourism and tourism modernization should be separated in public planning processes in contexts where socio-environmental conflicts are present, and that governmental and institutional mediation require a certain level of trust to ensure more balanced human development in such situations.

Keywords:

• Tourism development
• socio-environmental conflicts
• discourse analysis
• protected areas
• Brazil
• mining

Acknowledgement

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Brazilian agency CNPQ, Centre for Excellence in Tourism - University of Brasília (UnB), UnB Cerrado Research Centre, Tourism and Sustainability Studies Lab. (LETS/UnB). We are also grateful to Y. Salmona for the maps and for contributions from J. L. A. Franco, L. C. S. Pena, and H. Günther. We are grateful to the contributions received at the MMV9 International Conference, and to the anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments. We also express our special thanks to all the communities of Chapada dos Veadeiros, who contributed directly or indirectly to this study. This paper is part of N. R. Marques's master thesis on Tourism.

Notes

1 Former escaped slave settlements, and historical symbols of resistance against oppression.

2 Exploration of Brazilian subsoil is under the responsibility of the Brazilian Mining Agency (Brazil, 2018), which regulates the polygons that are authorized to receive soil surveys. The procedure starts with a request for geological research by the mining company. If the ore exploration is viable, a set of environmental licenses and other mitigating actions are required for the mine to operate.

3 CVC is the largest tour operator in Brazil. It is notorious for promoting mass tourism.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico – CNPq.

Notes on contributors

Nayara Marques

MSc Nayara Marques is a master and bachelor in Tourism of the Centre for Excellence in Tourism, University of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil. She works at Brazil's Ministry of Tourism and actively participates in the Tourism and Sustainability Studies Laboratory – LETS/UnB.

Mozart Fazito

Dr. Mozart Fazito is a lecturer at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, and is currently a visiting researcher at the Crime and Security Research Institute, Cardiff University, United Kingdom. His research interests include socio-environmental conflicts, tourism and leisure in development planning, and violence and fear in tourist cities.

André Cunha

Dr. André A. Cunha, bachelor in Ecology with a Ph.D. in Ecology, Conservation and Wildlife Management, the main area of interest is the nature conservation, nature tourism, environmental interpretation, management and performance of protected areas, wildlife ecology and management and the interaction of these themes with visitation and tourism in natural areas.