O Cicloturismo na Vila de Caraparu, Santa Izabel (PA): realidade e perspectivas

Abstract

Cyclotourism is a branch of adventure tourism, as established by Decree No. 7,381, of 2010, which attracts increasingly more enthusiasts in Brazil and greater attention from academic studies. By using non-polluting transportation, cyclotourism contributes to sustainability efforts and promotes social interactions, while also stimulating various tourism segments, especially those focused on nature experiences, such as mountain biking, practiced on unpaved (mountainous, or non-mountainous) roads. This article aims to outline the profile of mountain biking cyclists on the trails of Vila de Caraparu, in Santa Izabel (PA), considering the perspectives of the activity by its participants. To this end, 61 questionnaires and various photographic records were applied, indicating the lack of security on the trails and the neglect of the Government towards this model of physical and tourist activity. One conclusion that the research points out, therefore, is the need for effective public policies to ensure the practice of cyclotourism, as well as more investments, whether through partnerships between the public and private sectors or through budgetary allocations, for the development of adventure tourism, which, consequently, generates the development of the places where it is practiced.