CHARACTERIZATION AND POTENTIAL OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM ON THE DISCOVERY COAST: THE CASE OF THE LOCAL PRODUCTIVE ARRANGEMENT OF TRANCOSO, PORTO SEGURO, BAHIA

Abstract

This research aims to analyze the environmental sustainability of tourism in Bahia, considering it from the perspective of sustainable development. The work starts from current discussions on the tensions between economic growth and environmental preservation and adopts an interdisciplinary perspective to examine the environmental externalities resulting from tourism activity, understood here as one of the most relevant expressions of human intervention on the natural environment. The study is anchored in the debate about Local Productive Arrangements (LPAs), conceived as mechanisms that induce socioeconomic dynamism in specific territories. From a methodological point of view, the investigation combines bibliographic and documentary analysis and the use of secondary data, structured in two complementary axes: (i) a quantitative approach, based on the use of the Location Quotient (LQ) to measure the degree of productive specialization, and (ii) an analytical approach, focused on the characterization of productive clusters in contexts of low and medium development. The empirical application was conducted in the tourist destination of Trancoso, municipality of Porto Seguro, Bahia. The results demonstrate that the locality can be classified as a tourism Local Productive Arrangement (LPA) in the consolidation phase, revealing significant progress, but still lacking in terms of strategic coordination and integration of local actors. In the environmental field, the need to expand public and private actions aimed at efficiency in the use of resources, solid waste management, cultural enhancement, and long-term sustainability practices was identified. In terms of contribution, this study seeks to: (a) deepen the theoretical and practical understanding of sustainability in tourism; (b) offer elements for the improvement of regional development policies; and (c) support the formulation of public policies that reconcile the expansion of tourism activity with environmental preservation.