TURISMO DE BASE COMUNITÁRIA E POLÍTICAS PÚBLICAS: limites e possibilidades na Ilha de Bubaque, Guiné-Bissau

Abstract

Tourism as an economic sector has been recognized by governments as an important generator of foreign exchange capable of offering development, generating employment and income and contributing to the reduction of regional social inequality in different parts of the world. But, this does not always occur in the traditional communities of which Bubaque Island in inserted, located in Bolama-Bijagós Archipelago in Guinea-Bissau, thus requiring an alternative tourism model that is committed to environmental, social, cultural and economic sustainability and equity in the distribution of benefits generated by tourism. In this sense, this research aims to analyze the tourism practiced in Bolama-Bijagós Archipelago, in relation to the conservation and preservation of natural resources and local cultures, based on sustainable use, with the full and effective participation of communities. As well as establishing the specific objectives: identify the impacts of tourism in Archipelago-Bolama/Bijagós, trace the process of formation of the state of Guinea-Bissau and its interference in public policies, carry out a survey of environmental, historical and cultural heritage (material and immaterial) that can be transformed into tourist attractions, investigate the tourist potential of the Bubaque Island for the realization of community-based tourism and assess the viability of preparing the proposal to implement and develop local community based tourism. For that, in the theoretical and conceptual framework, tourism and the Formation of the State of Guinea- Bissau were considered in the interference of political and institutional instability, consequently causing the lack of public policy for tourism and for the implementation of TBC in traditional communities; establishing the guiding principles for local development based on community-based tourism. The methodology used in this work is descriptive and exploratory, with bibliographical research, for which it was necessary to consult websites, books, theses, dissertations, articles, magazines and official documents. The results show that the environmental and cultural heritage (material and immaterial) are a daily register in the memories of the bijagós, in their relationship with nature; in relation to land ownership; in its connection with forests and sites; sacred places; in the historical fact that refer to Bijagó ancestry. It was discovered that there is still no national policy on tourism and community- based tourism. Therefore, with the participation of the community, local development can be seen, and a proposal with guidelines for the implementation of Community Based Tourism - TBC in Bubaque, municipality of Bolama is created.