Tourism and regional development: tourist attractions

Abstract

 This article aims to present characterize Bananal from the identification of its attractions in Estrada Real - Caminho Novo da Piedade, in the municipalities of Areias and Bananal within the territory referred to as Vale Histórico, to point actions taken or they may be for the development of that place, essentially covering the preservation of historic elements made compatible with the urban environment and contemporary tourism. After the decline of the coffee cycle in the Vale do Paraíba Paulista, places like farms, colonial ways and municipalities turn to the practice of tourism, exploring its history, its culture, its buildings, and its natural and cultural resources as an alternative to economic process of the region. On the historical, cultural and geographic affinities found between the towns of Areias and Bananal we chose to highlight them in the identification of the tourist attractions of the Estrada Real - Caminho Novo da Piedade. The research was characterized as descriptive exploratory with a qualitative approach, based on which we intend to study socioeconomic data and identify its tourist attractions, proposing to analyze the economy in the region delimited. The results indicate the absence of a consistent public policy for tourism development in relation to the potential presented in the region. It follows that only the elaboration and execution of public policy dedicated to promoting an integrated tourist circuit in the micro will produce benefits for the generation of employment and income and simultaneously, the preservation of historical heritage.