PALEONTOLOGICAL CRAFTS AS A FACTOR FOR STRENGTHENING CULTURAL TOURISM IN ARARIPE UNESCO WORLD GEOPARK, CEARÁ
Paleontological Representation; Geoproduct; Cultural Tourism; Araripe Geopark.
The present study aims to analyze the contribution of artisans residing in the municipality of Nova Olinda and Santana do Cariri, located in the UNESCO World Geopark Araripe, along with the strengthening of cultural tourism through the artisanal production of geoproducts of paleontological representation. The work is based on valuing local know-how in all its multidisciplinarity, bearing in mind the growth of tourist activity in the region and the insertion of artisans in this process. The research adopts a qualitative approach, with a descriptive method, and uses a participant research study to analyze the geoproducts produced by these artisans with a view to their tourist marketing. For that, data collection is carried out through the application of a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with the artisans, aiming at understanding their relationship with the environment in which they are inserted and with the tourist activity. For a better understanding of cultural tourism and the artisan's relationship with tourist activity, an exploratory bibliographical review was carried out. In short, this study aims to contribute to the understanding of the importance of geoproducts in strengthening cultural tourism, highlighting the appreciation of natural heritage and other local riches, promoting interaction between tourists and the local community.