Tourism and multiterritorialities on the northern coast of Rio Grande do Sul: local perspectives and contemporary territorial intelligence

Abstract

Tourism can be requalified from a factor of disruption to an instrument of identity strengthening and social cohesion, although this is not an easy task, provided it is conceived in an integrated manner with territorial intelligence. The aim of this article is to critically analyze tourism, in light of the transformations that occurred during and after the covid-19 pandemic, on the North Coast of Rio Grande do Sul, with an emphasis on the municipality of Imbé. Based on the theoretical and methodological perspective of the territorial approach, the case study examines the connections between tourism, local-regional development, and the territorialities experienced by permanent residents. Listening to them and observing local dynamics made it possible to evidence the relevance of second home tourism and the advent of new forms of appropriation and use of territory, characterized by multiterritoriality. The study offers an insight into how the conflicts between visitors and residents have intensified in the pandemic context, bringing to light conflicts of belonging, pressure on public services, and symbolic and material disputes over urban space, without, however, transforming mutual affinities, rooted upon cultural and origin proximity, into antagonism.