How does tourist monitoring alter fish behavior in underwater trails?

Nature based tourism is becoming more popular because it is perceived as a solution to the conflict between conservation and economic exploitation. Nevertheless, it is known to cause several effects. This paper reports findings whereby monitored tourism avoids triggering adverse effects for social cichlid fish species, Crenicichla lepidota. Measures used included aggression toward territorial intruders and the number of nests built in pristine reference areas for monitored and in non-monitored tourist areas. We observed suppressed aggressive behavior and suppressed nesting only in the non-monitored area. We conclude that by monitoring visits, and using techniques including avoiding stepping on the river bed, reducing the number of visitors, prohibiting fish feeding and protecting riparian vegetation, it is possible to avoid the enduring damage caused by nature tourism. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Route optimization and customization using real geographical data in Android mobile devices

Nowadays, there are several services and applications that allow users to locate and move to different tourist areas using a mobile device. These systems can be used either by internet or downloading an application in concrete places like a visitors centre. Although such applications are able to facilitate the location and the search for points of interest, in most cases, these services and applications do not meet the needs of each user. This paper aims to provide a solution by studying the main projects, services and applications, their routing algorithms and their treatment of the real geographical data in Android mobile devices, focusing on the data acquisition and treatment to improve the routing searches in off-line environments.

El rol de la marca en la comunicación del espacio turístico

El turismo es a menudo el aspecto promocional más visible en el proceso de creación y proyección de una determinada imagen territorial. Esto es debido a que la actividad turística acumula un amplio bagaje en aspectos vinculados a la comercialización de espacios geográficos, y esta circunstancia incide, por ejemplo, en la presencia de numerosa literatura relacionada con la promoción, el marketing y el branding de espacios turísticos. A nivel metodológico, se ha optado por un análisis de fuentes documentales, que ha servido para fijar los cimientos de la evolución de la comunicación de los espacios turísticos mediante el uso de marcas. Se concluye que el registro de la comunicación turística ha experimentado una clara mutación en base a una doble dualidad: de la información a la persuasión y de la promoción a la emoción. Asi mismo, el trabajo en cuestión muestra de qué forma la estrategia comunicativa transcurre nuevamente entorno a las necesidades emociona les del potencial turista y/o visitante en detrimento de las necesidades de información subyacentes al propio destino turístico.

O city marketing em Natal/RN e a construção da imagem da cidade

The growing importance of tourism in overall economic activity worldwide has favored the intensification of competition among cities that seek to create environments attractive to tourists and potential investors. It has been common practice to import characteristics of the business environment in the public management of cities. The city marketing is a key tool used by public leaders to promote a linkage between the tourism image and urban image and involves, in addition to promoting the image of the city, the planning of interventions in urban space, trying to formulate a positive image of the city able to facilitate the deployment of capital. This research seeks to understand the nature of city marketing as part of contemporary urban management and analyzes how is its application in decisions concerning the promotion of tourism in Natal/RN. The approach of this research is qualitative, exploratory and descriptive, in which respondents were the main leaders of two of the official tourism site, the Empresa Potiguar de Promoção Turística and the Secretaria Municipal de Turismo e Desenvolvimento Econômico. It was found that there is a strong articulation of public power with private enterprise in the design and conduct of the actions of urban marketing, that from the survey data show that the behavior of target markets provide guidelines for taking strategic decisions relating to tourism. Sun and sea are some key elements explored to form the image of Natal and to authorize the sale of the city as a tropical paradise. However, there is an increase in the diversification of tourism products, seeking to increase flow to the segments of ecotourism, adventure, business and culture. It s also growing the use of local culture as a tourism product, however, the cultural representation focuses on superficial values and does not bring to light the social and historical richness that the city has. Public authorities use the city marketing strategies as a means able to maximize the attractiveness of Natal urban space to investors, business groups and tourists. It can be observed that urban managers seek solutions that can continuously increase the tours, which often manifests in interventions that focus the tourist areas of the city, in oposition of those who do not contribute to a positive reading of the city, which ultimately generate the worsening of spacial and social inequalities

Lazer e urbanização: a dinâmica do setor de serviços no litoral de Parnamirim e Nísia Floresta - RN

The research here undertaken analyzes the process of urbanization on the coast of Panamirim - RN and Nísia Floresta - RN, arising from leisure, the main leisure expression was considered the second residence and coastal tourism. The leisure promoted the growth of businesses and public and private services to meet consumer demand in that area, which initially occurred with users of second home, and which also gradually begin to occupy the coastline of these municipalities in 1980 and more recently with the development of tourism in the 1990s until now. To undertake such an analysis, we did the georeferencing about the trade and also public and private services of that coast, characterizing them; evaluated the extent to which services deployed in this area meets the demands of tourists and users of second residence; it was also identified how the centrality of Natal interferes in the expansion of services in these locations. The spatial area of research includes the coastal municipalities of Parnamirim and Nísia Floresta, considering the limits of the census of the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística- IBGE, and about the time frame, it was considered the 1990s to the present day. The methodology consists of: 1. survey and reading of the literature related to the researched topic, serving as the theoretical analysis in the construction of the object studied; 2. collection and organization of secondary data by the IBGE and tourism sectors of the State of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal and main municipalities of the research; 3. Questionnaires and / or interviews with the traders, service providers, tourists, users of second homes, local residents, and government. The analysis of such data collected allowed the preparation of graphs, maps and tables that illustrate the results obtained in the research field, basing so the study. The relevance of the study is shown by the extensive survey data involving agents of the research, including tourists, users of second homes and, above all, the data for the service sector that did not exist in the analyzed area. The study results identified in the area analyzed the emergence of three new centers, arising from the urbanization process from leisure, one of them located in the municipality of Nísia Foresta Beach in Barra de Tabatinga, and two in Parnamirim, more specifically in locality Pium and Beach Pirangi do Norte. It was further observed that, being located in tourist areas, the main feature of these new centers is seasonality

Protozoários de vida livre em dois trechos da bacia hidrográfica do rio pirangi (RN): relações com a educação em ciências e preservação

The vast hidric wealth of Brazil gets its watersheds more susceptible to impacts that compromise the water quality, affecting the ecosystem stability of aquatic environments. The decrease in the quality of water resources also results in a decrease of its multiple uses, especially in tourist areas of the coast, where the continuous flow of people to these sites increases even further the probability of inappropriate behavior of both tourists and local residents. Studies regarding the microbiological communities are still scarce, especially on the free-living protozoa that play unique roles in the food chain of aquatic ecosystems. Due to the large role played by this group of microorganisms in aquatic environments, the present study aimed at identifying the genus and species of free-living protozoa present in two sections of the Pium River, east coast of Rio Grande do Norte, making an association between the its occurrence and trophic conditions of the environment in which they are, also checking the bioindicator capacity of these organisms in water quality. It also aimed to conduct a survey with students to identify the main difficulties regarding the knowledge of free-living protozoa and hydric transmission diseases in two public schools near the river studied in the Pium district, county of Parnamirim. The survey was analyzed by means of questionnaires at both schools. Students identified several activities developed Pium river, highlighting its multifunctionality and importance to the region. A total of 76 taxa of free-living protozoa was recorded, of these, 33 were ciliates, 19 flagellates and 24 sarcodia. The spatial and temporal patterns of these organisms to both points studied revealed the bioindicator potentiality of some effective species identified. However, knowledge about the free-living protozoa proved quite lagged, presenting misconceptions that show them as pathogenic organisms exclusively, totally disregarding their ecological role. In order to remedy the flaws existing in students in relation to the functional role of protozoa, workshops were planned on these microorganisms while also addressing issues related to hydric transmission diseases through lectures, recreational activities and interactive presentations. These practical activities of Science Education had the goal of bringing students the context of local water resources, aiming to promote a greater clarification regarding of the functional role of free-living protozoa in aquatic environments

O processo de urbanização turística em Natal: a perspectiva do residente

The objective of the study was to analyze and discuss the process of urbanization in the tourist city of Natal focusing on the actions of the resident agent as a producer of space tourism. The production and expertise in the areas of the city for the performance of tourism have led to the intensification of social problems of nature that comes to few expelling the residents of the beaches. The cut space of the study included the four beaches of Natal / RN, the praias do Centro, Via Costeira, Ponta Negra beach in the Redinha. For this, was conducted a case study, using the technique of questioning, with the application of one hundred and sixteen (116) questionnaires to residents, with age from thirty-five years, between the four of the City Administrative Regions. The results show that the process of urbanization has interferido tourism on the practices of the recreation of residents in the areas as tourism has shown a trend seen in the intensifying problems of social order, such as prostitution, insecurity, pollution of beaches, etc. The combination of these problems are reflected negatively on the tourist areas and are gradually removing the residents. Through this framework problematic, given to tourist areas in the city, the resident still has not positioned the way criticizes the defense of these, choosing not express or adopting a form of discrete event, such as the gradual exit of the areas and electing tourist beaches in other municipalities. The results are of great significance for the direction of a trip planning committed with the participation of the resident in the planning process. The study is to corroborate with the importance of the participation of the resident, before the trip planning, as it is a fundamental agent for the sustainability of space tourism

Os farofeiros em excursão nas lagoas de Arituba, Boágua e Carcará (Nísia Floresta/RN): análise de uma outra face do turismo potiguar

This thesis analyzes another side of Potiguar tourism , the unplanned side, neglected and kept out of touristic activities: excursionism, a leisure practice enjoyed by tourists with low consumer power, and who are commonly referred by the pejorative term farofeiros (picnic lovers). The geographic research sites considered for this study include Arituba, Boágua and Carcará lakes in Nísia Florest, Rio Grande do Norte, where on Sundays and holidays the arrival of hundreds of excursionists, from around the metropolitan region of Natal, from surrounding municipalities, and neighboring States, such as Paraíba and Pernambuco, can be observed. The objective of this study is to analyze the appropriation of the physical site by the practice of excursionism, focusing on its relation to other social agents that also appropriate a designated touristic area. The theoretical discussion considers the use of the space by the touristic leisure practice and the appropriation by distinct social agents, using categories of analysis, such as, production of the space, territory and leisure. The field work was completed with interviews and questionnaires administered to excursionists, excursion organizers, local merchants, representatives of the public setor from the municipalities, and professional dune buggy drivers; besides this, photos, informal dialogue and field observations were important methodological instruments used. From the data, statistical analysis and the development of thematic maps demonstrating the established flux between excursionists and the segregated activity were done. With this research, one can affirm that the practice of excursionism is neglected by the public sector, contrary to the intention of the hegemonic agent‟s intentionality present in this touristic territory which aim at the development of a lucrative activity, geared toward tourists with greater spending power. This ignored and neglected faction of Potiguar tourism is considered poor or dirty , and generate conflicts among the distinct social agents: tourists, the market and the public sector, simultaneously peaking interest, which is then appropriated by the informal sector and formal economy. Excursionism is an expressive phenomenon, a socially relevant practice, enjoyed by citizens of the working class who, in order to have a day of leisure, use alternative consumer practices and subvert various strategies of segregation that are imposed within these tourist areas, behavior that, in part, justifies the nickname, picnic lovers , given to these tourists

Impactos do uso público EM atrativos turísticos naturais no município de AltinóPolis (SP)

This work was developed aiming to evaluate the environmental impacts of the public use in natural touristic attractive at Altinópolis city (SP), using the Visitor Impact Management method (VTM). In each analyzed natural resource a specific questionnaire was elaborated in accordance with the appropriate pointers that allowed to determinate environmental quality of each point. The results indicated that only two tourist areas need special attention for their preservation. Minimization methods, monitoring and educational practices are proposals in order to tourist practices be made with environmental responsibility.

A Swiss paradox? Higher income inequality of municipalities is associated with lower mortality in Switzerland.

It has long been surmised that income inequality within a society negatively affects public health. However, more recent studies suggest there is no association, especially when analyzing small areas. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of income inequality on mortality in Switzerland using the Gini index on municipality level. The study population included all individuals >30 years at the 2000 Swiss census (N = 4,689,545) living in 2,740 municipalities with 35.5 million person-years of follow-up and 456,211 deaths over follow-up. Cox proportional hazard regression models were adjusted for age, gender, marital status, nationality, urbanization, and language region. Results were reported as hazard ratios (HR) with 95 % confidence intervals. The mean Gini index across all municipalities was 0.377 (standard deviation 0.062, range 0.202-0.785). Larger cities, high-income municipalities and tourist areas had higher Gini indices. Higher income inequality was consistently associated with lower mortality risk, except for death from external causes. Adjusting for sex, marital status, nationality, urbanization and language region only slightly attenuated effects. In fully adjusted models, hazards of all-cause mortality by increasing Gini index quintile were HR = 0.99 (0.98-1.00), HR = 0.98 (0.97-0.99), HR = 0.95 (0.94-0.96), HR = 0.91 (0.90-0.92) compared to the lowest quintile. The relationship of income inequality with mortality in Switzerland is contradictory to what has been found in other developed high-income countries. Our results challenge current beliefs about the effect of income inequality on mortality on small area level. Further investigation is required to expose the underlying relationship between income inequality and population health.

Riesgos naturales en la actividad turística

El propósito de la presente aportación se centra en la consideración de los riesgos de origen natural en la actividad turística, desde una doble vertiente: el efecto de los riesgos naturales, sobre todo los de carácter excepcional, en el desarrollo de las prácticas turísticas, y la consideración del papel que corresponde al turismo en la configuración de modelos territoriales sobre territorios en riesgo. Como enmarque general, el tema de estudio es analizado como una de las dimensiones dentro de las interacciones entre medio ambiente y sistemas de ocupación del territorio, bien entendido que el desarrollo del turismo, como manifestación de las intervenciones del grupo humano en un territorio, implica y genera nuevos modelos de organización y gestión del suelo. En definitiva, formas de afectar a la relación del hombre con su entorno.

Beyond megaprojects?. Water alternatives for mass tourism in coastal Mediterranean Spain

Water availability in adequate quantities and qualities is a fundamental requirement for tourism. In the Mediterranean, one of the world’s leading tourist destinations, water availability is subject to modest and erratic precipitation figures which may decline with climate change. The tourist industry therefore may have to assure future supplies by either recurring to new technologies such as desalination or increasing efficiency in water use. A third and yet little explored alternative would be to seek for complementary of uses with irrigation, the traditional user in many coastal Mediterranean areas and holder of substantial amounts of water. In this paper we present the example of the Consorcio de Aguas de la Marina Baja to show how Benidorm, in Mediterranean Spain and one of the most important tourist centers of the Mediterranean, obtains part of its water through agreements with farmers by which these trade their water with Benidorm and other towns’ treated wastewater of enough quality to be used for irrigation, and obtain several compensations in return. The advantages and disadvantages of the water trade between farmers and tourist interests in the Benidorm area are discussed and we argue that solutions to the pending water crisis of many coastal Mediterranean tourist areas may not need to rely uniquely on expensive technologies to generate new resources but may attempt other alternatives.

Complejos turísticos residenciales: análisis del crecimiento del turismo residencial en el Mediterráneo español y en el Litoral Nordestino (Brasil) y su impacto socio-ambiental

Entre las diversas formas de turismo que aparecen a partir de la segunda mitad del siglo pasado, el turismo residencial surge como uno de los principales fenómenos en los escenarios brasileño e internacional. El crecimiento de esta actividad ha sido un factor importante para la generación de empleo e ingresos en los municipios del litoral sudeste de Brasil y de la costa española mediterránea. Pero recientemente, se observa un crecimiento acelerado de esta modalidad de turismo en la costa del Nordeste de Brasil. Este proceso ha generado beneficios económicos para la región al igual que impactos socioambientales. El primer objetivo de este artículo fue realizar un enfoque exploratorio, identificando el escenario de la oferta y la demanda de la construcción de complejos turísticos residenciales en el Nordeste brasileño por medio del relevamiento de sites y entrevistas a las inmobiliarias, constructoras, incorporadoras, operadoras hoteleras y organismos públicos. Los resultados de la investigación muestran el gran interés del capital internacional en construir mega proyectos de segunda residencia en el nordeste, adaptados a la demanda internacional, principalmente europea. El segundo objetivo fue comparar y analizar la evolución, las etapas y las características del turismo residencial en la costa española mediterránea, como ejemplo de modelo consolidado, con la actividad en el Nordeste brasileño, como modelo en expansión. Se verificó que ambas regiones turísticas fueron afectadas por la crisis económica y por deficiencias estructurales de sus respectivos modelos, las cuales potencian impactos económicos y socioambientales.

Los espacios turísticos de la Comunidad Valenciana: ¿planificación territorial del turismo o evolución espontánea? Los planes regionales y el caso de Peñíscola

La ordenación territorial es la práctica que resulta imprescindible para organizar el uso turístico del espacio. Sin embargo, el objetivo pendiente de algunas autonomías continúa siendo la interrelación entre planificación territorial y planificación turística, dando paso al urbanismo como técnica de ordenación territorial del turismo. Este estudio plantea determinar si la ordenación territorial del turismo en la Comunidad Valenciana a escala autonómica, local e interrelación entre ambas, se encuentra en una etapa integradora o espontanea, y de igual modo, plasmar la problemática de la conceptualización del turismo desde la perspectiva territorial. Mediante la integración de los catorce indicadores propositivos, que Exceltur extrajo de Planes de Ordenación Territorial de distintas autonomías insulares y del litoral mediterráneo, se comprobaron las buenas prácticas en planificación territorial del turismo de la Estrategia Territorial, el Plan de Espacios Turísticos de la Comunidad Valenciana, así como del Plan General de Ordenación Urbana de Peñíscola. Asimismo un hecho que afecta a la elaboración, redacción y consecución de los planes territoriales y/o turísticos valencianos, es la conceptualización sesgada del término turismo, tal y como muestran los resultados de diversas entrevistas en profundidad realizadas a actores especializados en planificación. Los hallazgos de este estudio sugieren que la planificación territorial del turismo en la Comunidad Valenciana continúa su etapa espontánea, mientras que los municipios mantienen su independencia a la hora de gestionar la ordenación y la gestión territorial del turismo.

La localización de la clase creativa en ciudades turísticas. Un análisis a escala local del sistema urbano Mediterráneo español

La tendencia a la concentración de flujos económicos y humanos en las principales aglomeraciones ha generado unos polos de atracción global en detrimento de las opciones de desarrollo del resto de territorios. Sin embargo la recomposición territorial está siendo más compleja y afecta también al territorio no metropolitano. La introducción de elementos de creatividad en las economías urbanas es un ejemplo de la relativa dispersión territorial de nuevas actividades productivas. La localización de actividades económicas creativas ha sido analizada para el caso de ciudades medias, periferias urbanas y espacios rurales, pero no para el de ciudades turísticas. El objetivo del trabajo es analizar, a escala local y partiendo del cálculo de un índice sintético de creatividad, el comportamiento de dicho índice y en qué medida la clase creativa se localiza en los destinos turísticos del mediterráneo español y las Islas Canarias en comparación con otros tipos de municipios y entre municipios turísticos según su grado de especialización. Los resultados obtenidos permiten formular la hipótesis sobre cómo contribuyen los espacios turísticos a la reorganización productiva del territorio y valorar sus posibilidades de competitividad basadas en la mejora de la tolerancia, la innovación y el emprendimiento, proporcionando oportunidades de desarrollo más integrales y diversificadas en el momento de crisis actual.