Ecotourism on the Araguaia River

a Historical Analysis

Abstract

The Araguaia river rises in the Serra dos Caiapós between the states of Mato Grosso and Goiás, inserted in the Cerrado biome. In the dry season, its beaches are very popular for camping. In this study, the data from the project "Ordering of Tourism and Ecotourism in the
Araguaia River", implemented by the National Center for Research and Conservation of Reptiles and Amphibians in the region of the middle Araguaia River, comprising the Environmental Protection Area Meandros do rio Araguaia, Lago do Cedro Extractive Reserve and Araguaia National Park. The following steps were carried out: 1) survey of data obtained from the application
of questionnaires to tourists on the ways of using beaches and the surrounding environments; 2)
development of a database; and, 3) systematization, analysis and propositions. The results of
the detailed evaluation of the first 11 years of the project's execution are presented in this article,
comprising 1913 questionnaires applied regarding the environmental behavior of campers on the beaches of the Araguaia river, contemplating a total of 4697 campsites monitored between 2003 and 2012. It was observed that those responsible for the camps, in their majority, come from the state of Goiás (89.70%), in line with Goiás state people habit of camping in Araguaia.Of 1746 (91.27%) questionnaires containing information about the destination of the garbage, it was found that 61.74% of the camps opted for positive attitudes, such as leaving the garbage in the nearest city, burying only the organic garbage in the river banks, or leave it to the city hall or boatmen's association to collect. Of 1696 (88.66%) questionnaires that contain information about the material used in the structure of the camps, it was observed that the use of native wood occurred in a small way (5.60%), and the use of suitable materials reached 81.66%. This study indicates that the evaluated
project resulted in an improvement in the relationship between tourism and conservation of natural
resources in the middle Araguaia river, and its actions and activities should be encouraged, continuous
and improved.