The (wrong) paths of tourism

This study deals with the socio-environmental issues related to the implementation and paving of the GO-239 road, called Estrada-parque Prefeito Divaldo Rinco, which links Alto Paraiso de Goias to Colinas do Sul, in the Chapada dos Veadeiros, in Goias. The road borders and also leads to the Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park (PNCV) and its route presents a scenic beauty typical of the region, showing the high-altitude Cerrado all around. The objectives are to describe the condition of the road and to show what people think about it. This is a qualitative, exploratory study that used direct observation of the road and interviews with residents and institutional agents (PNCV, Municipal Tourism Office) to capture their perceptions of the road's importance and issues surrounding its construction. It was concluded that the road still lacks the conditions that characterise it as a parkway, such as a management plan, but that it has great tourist potential due to the landscape that surrounds it.