Coastal zones across the world are often listed as protected areas as a result of their sensitive ecosystems and frequent social uses. One category of protected area that allows for protection and use is a geopark. A geopark combines geological heritage conservation with sustainable development and must include meaningful geological characteristics, and scientific content. Geoparks can stimulate the coastal economy through the appreciation of the heritage and development of sustainable tourism, along with environmental protection and interpretation. There are geoparks on islands and coastal areas in many continents. Fernando de Noronha archipelago (Brazil), has relevant geodiversity and the potential to join the Global Geoparks Network (GGN). For the creation of a geopark, it is important to acknowledge its geological heritage and relevance. This has already been done in Fernando de Noronha by the Geological Service of Brazil (CPRM), through the identification of the geosites in the island. The goal of this case study is to present actions that have been carried out and that may help on the report development for the proposed Geopark, as well as present the benefits that a geopark can bring to a coastal area. Opportunities for improving the economy with geoproducts and geofood are presented.

O presente artigo oferece uma perspectiva sobre o turismo no Brasil, analisando os principais desdobramentos com foco no período de 2000-2019. Trata-se de um artigo de opinião com reflexões de acadêmicos do turismo brasileiro. Os tópicos relacionados ao turismo, cobertos neste artigo, incluem economia, política e planejamento, marketing, transporte, meio ambiente, gastronomia, hospitalidade, lazer, entre outros. Como principal conclusão, considera-se que o Brasil não conseguiu se posicionar como destino de renome internacional, já que desde a década de 1990 os esforços para apoiar o desenvolvimento do turismo regional obtiveram sucesso apenas moderado. As crises econômicas, a instabilidade política, a violência e a corrupção foram entraves que afetaram consideravelmente o setor de turismo. A falta de uma abordagem coordenada entre os vários níveis de governo, a escassez de dados de turismo e uma campanha de marketing supra-governamental de longo prazo, entre outros fatores, fizeram com que o país perdesse várias oportunidades importantes na década de 2010 para se estabelecer como um dos principais destinos turísticos no mercado global.

Marine sanctuaries serve as popular destinations for ecotourism, natural resource exploration, and recreation across the US. While often positive, visitation in marine and coastal areas can cause ecological threats to these ecosystems. Increased visitation in marine environments has led to the need for management due to negative ecological and social impacts. Understanding environmental values, attitudes, and perceptions is important to the success of environmental protection. Using online surveys sent via Qualtrics asking questions regarding the users’ knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of ocean resources, goods and services, this research focused on identifying user profiles and understanding their environmental perception associated with Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary, an offshore marine protected area, and surrounding coastal Georgia. The results show that across multiple types of threats or phenomena, respondents are most concerned about threats to resources related to pollution. Furthermore, they support marine protection and are willing to adjust their consumption habits, such as recycling and energy use, to ensure the sustainable use of ocean resources. The inclusion of insights achieved through research about visitor perceptions into management decision making and planning can positively contribute to the success of environmental protection.