Turismo religioso: potencial de desenvolvimento turístico da Vila de Arcozelo, Vila Nova de Gaia

RESUMO: Existem vários turistas que se descolam para um determinado destino impulsionados por uma ou mais motivações. De qualquer das formas, devido ao intenso ritmo de vida das pessoas, a religião tem sido, cada vez mais, um elemento turístico que atrai várias pessoas que têm como principal motivação a fé. O Turismo Religioso ou Turismo com destino religioso, não tem sido considerado individualmente. Isto significa que este tipo de Turismo tem uma ligação forte com o património existente em áreas que desenvolvem a actividade turística. Por sua vez, o Turismo Religioso só é praticado quando existe esse património. A Vila de Arcozelo em Vila Nova de Gaia é um local que se depara com algumas limitações em termos económicos pelo que o Turismo poderá desempenhar um papel importante na sua estratégia de desenvolvimento. Apesar de afastada do grande centro urbano portuense, consegue atrair vários tipos de turistas, nomeadamente turistas de sol e mar e religiosos. Estes últimos têm como principal curiosidade visitar a “Santa” Maria Adelaide, mais conhecida por a “Santa das Noivas”. Em síntese, em termos científicos, esta Dissertação, procurou analisar as influências e o potencial que o Turismo Religioso pode representar para esta Vila e assim contribuir de forma consistente para o desenvolvimento local. ABSTRACT: There are many tourists who travel to a certain destination driven by one or more motivations. Anyway, due to the intense pace of life, religion has been, increasingly, a tourist element that attracts many people whose main motivation is faith. Religious tourism or tourism to a religious destination has not been considered. This means that this type of tourism has a strong connection with the existing heritage areas to develop tourism. On the other hand, religious tourism is practiced only when there is such a heritage. The Village of Arcozelo in Vila Nova de Gaia is a place that faces some limitations in terms of economics therefore tourism can play an important role in its development strategy. Although away from the major urban centre of Porto, the place manages to attract various types of tourists, especially sun and sea tourists, and religious tourist. These last ones have the curiosity to visit “Santa Maria Adelaide”, better known as the “Saint of the Brides”. Summarising, in scientific terms, this thesis sought to analyze the influences and the potential that religious tourism can bring to this village and this way consistently contribute to local development

Turismo: uma oportunidade para Óbidos

RESUMO: As abordagens tradicionais sobre o desenvolvimento dos locais, do ponto de vista económico, social e ambiental, referem o turismo como uma actividade a considerar, se tais espaços forem detentores de recursos e de património específicos (Pardelas et al., 2005). Esta visão permite sustentar que a actividade turística, submetido ao nível regional-local, poderá constituir uma alavanca de desenvolvimento baseado na diferenciação cultural, social e nos recursos turísticos existentes (Vera, 2002). Assim, este trabalho não só tem como objectivo analisar e discutir o papel do turismo para o desenvolvimento local, mas como também, perceber a sua aplicabilidade fazendo o cruzamento entre os conceitos analisados e o estudo de caso de Óbidos. ABSTRACT: Traditional approaches on the development of local economic point of view, social and environmental concern as a tourism business to consider, if such spaces are in possession of specific assets and resources (Pardelas et al., 2005). This view enables us to sustain the tourism industry, submitted to the regional-local level, and could provide a lever for development based on cultural differentiation, social and existing tourism resources (Vera, 2002). This work not only aims to analyze and discuss the role of tourism for local development, but also, to understand its applicability doing a cross between the concepts discussed and the case study of Óbidos.

The Creation Process of a Local Museum

The present text holds as its main goal the advance of a number of reflections around the potentialities and problems of local museums taken as development instruments. Secondarily, it also intends to provide support to all those who, in one way or another, have faced the issue of creating a local museum. This support is intended not as a manual of the “the museum made easy” kind, but, instead, as the pointing to some pertinent issues and unavoidable options that, if not taken into account, will come to challenge the form and substance of the future organisation.

Execução e exploração de uma unidade de Turismo em espaço rural na modalidade de casas de campo

O turismo rural é um sector económico e social em pleno crescimento, o que justifica que um número cada vez maior de operadores, (nomeadamente promotores e investidores) comecem a interessar-se por este. No entanto, as organizações e as prestações do turismo rural sofrem de fraquezas crónicas, em matéria de definição da produção e de concretização da distribuição, ou seja, a forma como estas colocam os seus produtos no mercado é insuficiente. É conveniente, portanto, reflectir sobre o assunto e contribuir, mesmo que de uma forma modesta, para a alteração desta paisagem díspar para melhor responder às necessidades de desenvolvimento do mundo rural. Na maior parte dos casos o turismo rural reduz-se ao agro-turismo (acolhimento turístico nas explorações agrícolas), englobando o turismo verde, com locais tranquilos e alternativos ligados ao campo. Pretende-se que o turismo rural exista, se desenvolva, agrade, para que se distinga do turismo de massas. É por tudo isto que os citadinos cada vez mais ávidos de particularidades procuram o campo, a natureza e a ruralidade que são locais seguros e tranquilizadores. Neste contexto, surgem novas unidades de turismo em espaço rural e actividades de complementaridade, como a Unidade Casa da Fonte Velha, objecto do presente projecto, contribuindo para o reforço da oferta turística local e regional, assim como para um desenvolvimento económico, social e ambiental do concelho onde se insere.

The importance of local museums in Portugal

The widening of the notion of heritage and the consequent redefinition of the “museological object”, the idea of community participation in the definition and management of the museological practice, museology as a development factor, the issues of interdisciplinarity, the use of “new technologies” of information and museography as an autonomous communications means, are examples of issues resulting from contemporary museological practices. If indeed museology in Portugal intends to continue to participate in international museology’s renovation process, it is evident that it must adequately (re)think theoretical and practical museology so as to meet the new demands…

The local population and museums. An analysis based on the use of museums in the Alt Pirineu and Aran Region (Catalonia, Spain)

His paper is based on a study of visitors to the museums in the Alt Pirineu and Aran region (Catalonia, Spain). We describe the characteristics of the museums’ users and analyse the relationship between the museums and the local community. We highlight the importance of these facilities for local development, and the need to consider and prioritize their role as culture centres for the region’s population.

Training for museums and the National Charter for museum professions in Italy: a new prospective for development

Traditionally Italian universities have trained researchers and professionals in conservation: archaeologists, art historians and architects. It is only with the reform of the universities, from 1999, that the teaching of museology and museography have also been expanded.Italian museums are for the most part public museums, depending on local bodies or the national ministry; they lack autonomy and do not possess specific professional figures. The task of conservation has predominated over the other roles of museums, but with the reform of the conservation law in 2004 the definition of „museum‟ has been introduced in Italy as well, and regulations regarding the development of heritage have been issued; in addition the Regions have also taken on a more active role for museums belonging to local bodies and for the development of their territory.Museum professions are not officially recognised, but the museum community, through the various associations and ICOM Italia, has put together a document to act as a general reference, the National Charter of Museum Professions, which has been followed by the Manual of Museum Professions in Europe. Now there is a need to plan the content and outlines ofvocational training courses for museum professionals, together withthe universities, the regions and the museums themselves, alongwith the associations and ICOM – ICTOP, utilising the mostinnovative Master‟s courses which offer an interdisciplinaryapproach, a methodology which combines theory and practice, andan element of hands-on experimentation in museums, or withmuseums.

Nest Boxes Facilitate Local-Scale Conservation of Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) and Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) in Alberta, Canada

We tested the general predictions of increased use of nest boxes and positive trends in local populations of Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) and Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) following the large-scale provision of nest boxes in a study area of central Alberta over a 16-year period. Nest boxes were rapidly occupied, primarily by Common Goldeneye and Bufflehead, but also by European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris). After 5 years of deployment, occupancy of large boxes by Common Goldeneye was 82% to 90% and occupancy of small boxes by Bufflehead was 37% to 58%. Based on a single-stage cluster design, experimental closure of nest boxes resulted in significant reductions in numbers of broods and brood sizes produced by Common Goldeneye and Bufflehead. Occurrence and densities of Common Goldeneye and Bufflehead increased significantly across years following nest box deployment at the local scale, but not at the larger regional scale. Provision of nest boxes may represent a viable strategy for increasing breeding populations of these two waterfowl species on landscapes where large trees and natural cavities are uncommon but wetland density is high.

Flight Paths of Migrating Golden Eagles and the Risk Associated with Wind Energy Development in the Rocky Mountains

In recent years, the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains in northeastern British Columbia have received interest as a site of industrial wind energy development but, simultaneously, have been the subject of concern about wind development coinciding with a known migratory corridor of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos). We tracked and quantified eagle flights that crossed or followed ridgelines slated for one such wind development. We found that hourly passage rates during fall migration peaked at midday and increased by 17% with each 1 km/h increase in wind speed and by 11% with each 1°C increase in temperature. The propensity to cross the ridge tops where turbines would be situated differed between age classes, with juvenile eagles almost twice as likely to traverse the ridge-top area as adults or subadults. During fall migration, Golden Eagles were more likely to cross ridges at turbine heights (risk zone, < 150 m above ground) under headwinds or tailwinds, but this likelihood decreased with increasing temperature. Conversely, during spring migration, eagles were more likely to move within the ridge-top area under eastern crosswinds. Identifying Golden Eagle flight routes and altitudes with respect to major weather systems and local topography in the Rockies may help identify scenarios in which the potential for collisions is greatest at this and other installations.

Sox1-deficient mice suffer from epilepsy associated with abnormal ventral forebrain development and olfactory cortex hyperexcitability

Mutations in several classes of embryonically-expressed transcription factor genes are associated with behavioral disorders and epilepsies. However, there is little known about how such genetic and neurodevelopmental defects lead to brain dysfunction. Here we present the characterization of an epilepsy syndrome caused by the absence of the transcription factor SOX1 in mice. In vivo electroencephalographic recordings from SOX1 mutants established a correlation between behavioral changes and cortical output that was consistent with a seizure origin in the limbic forebrain. In vitro intracellular recordings from three major forebrain regions, neocortex, hippocampus and olfactory (piriform) cortex (OC) showed that only the OC exhibits abnormal enhanced synaptic excitability and spontaneous epileptiform discharges. Furthermore, the hyperexcitability of the OC neurons was present in mutants prior to the onset of seizures but was completely absent from both the hippocampus and neocortex of the same animals. The local inhibitory GABAergic neurotransmission remained normal in the OC of SOX1-deficient brains, but there was a severe developmental deficit of OC postsynaptic target neurons, mainly GABAergic projection neurons within the olfactory tubercle and the nucleus accumbens shell. Our data show that SOX1 is essential for ventral telencephalic development and suggest that the neurodevelopmental defect disrupts local neuronal circuits leading to epilepsy in the SOX1-deficient mice

Examining the interaction of growing crops with local climate using a coupled crop-climate model

This paper examines to what extent crops and their environment should be viewed as a coupled system. Crop impact assessments currently use climate model output offline to drive process-based crop models. However, in regions where local climate is sensitive to land surface conditions more consistent assessments may be produced with the crop model embedded within the land surface scheme of the climate model. Using a recently developed coupled crop–climate model, the sensitivity of local climate, in particular climate variability, to climatically forced variations in crop growth throughout the tropics is examined by comparing climates simulated with dynamic and prescribed seasonal growth of croplands. Interannual variations in land surface properties associated with variations in crop growth and development were found to have significant impacts on near-surface fluxes and climate; for example, growing season temperature variability was increased by up to 40% by the inclusion of dynamic crops. The impact was greatest in dry years where the response of crop growth to soil moisture deficits enhanced the associated warming via a reduction in evaporation. Parts of the Sahel, India, Brazil, and southern Africa were identified where local climate variability is sensitive to variations in crop growth, and where crop yield is sensitive to variations in surface temperature. Therefore, offline seasonal forecasting methodologies in these regions may underestimate crop yield variability. The inclusion of dynamic crops also altered the mean climate of the humid tropics, highlighting the importance of including dynamical vegetation within climate models.

The rise of urban tourism in Havana since 1989

This article looks at the development of urban tourism in Havana, Cuba, in the period since the collapse of state socialism in the USSR and Eastern Europe. It provides an interesting case study of the adoption of an outward-oriented state development policy in the context of a socialist state. The dramatic rise of urban-based tourism in Havana since 1989 is described, followed by a review of the socio-economic impacts of such tourism. These include: income generation; job creation; the rise of the informal economy, including crime and prostitution; increased migration to the primary city, along with spatial concentration on the coastal strip, and associated environmental impacts. In conclusion, the article considers the fat that the promotion of tourism has returned Havana to some of the conditions that existed in the city Socialist Revolution in 1959.

Evolution of the modern Nile delta promontories: development of accretional features during shoreline retreat

The active accretional features that have developed along the modern Nile Delta promontories during shoreline retreat are analysed using topographic maps, remote imagery, ground and hydrographic surveys, together providing 15 time-slice maps (1922-2000) at Rosetta and 14 time-slice maps (1909-2000) at Damietta. Small double sandy spits developed and persisted at Rosetta between 1986 and 1991. At Damietta, a much larger single spit, 9 km long, formed approximately east of the mouth of the Damietta Nile branch between 1955 and 1972, although its source has now been depleted. Both the Rosetta and Damietta inlets are associated with submerged mouth bars that accumulated prior to the damming of the Nile, but that continue to contribute to local sedimentation problems, particularly at Rosetta. The development of the active accretional features along the Nile promontories reflects a combination of factors including sediment availability, transport pathways from source areas, a decrease in the magnitude of Nile flood discharges, as well as the impact of protective structures at the river mouths.

The Victoria Falls 1900-1940: Landscape, tourism and the geographical imagination

This article is about the politics of landscape ideas, and the relationship between landscape, identity and memory. It explores these themes through the history of the Victoria Falls, and the tourist resort that developed around the waterfall after 1900. Drawing on oral and archival sources, including popular natural history writing and tourist guides, it investigates African and European ideas about the waterfall, and the ways that these interacted and changed in the course of colonial appropriations of the Falls area. The tourist experience of the resort and the landscape ideas promoted through it were linked to Edwardian notions of Britishness and empire, ideas of whiteness and settler identities that transcended new colonial borders, and to the subject identities accommodated or excluded. Cultures of colonial authority did not develop by simply overriding local ideas, they involved fusions, exchanges and selective appropriations of them. The two main African groups I am concerned with here are the Leya, who lived in small groups around the Falls under a number of separate chiefs, and the powerful Lozi rulers, to whom they paid tribute in the nineteenth century. The article highlights colonial authorities' celebration of aspects of the Lozi aristocracy's relationship with the river, and their exclusion of the Leya people who had a longer and closer relationship with the waterfall. It also touches on the politics of recent attempts to reverse this exclusion, and the controversial rewriting of history this has involved.