A Geografia Gastronômica dos Campos Gerais do Paraná na perspectiva da Regionalização do Turismo

Abstract

Even being obvious, the connection between food and territory is not always evident to the consumer. When associated with tourism, food tourism has more tasks than nutrition. Food tourism can provide experiences and relations at the tourist spot visited through flavors and knowledge. In a globalized context, tourism destinations are improving their differentiation through food promoting gastronomy as an option to highlight typical dishes and their connection to the visited territory. The Campos Gerais (CGPR) region, located at Paraná state (Brazil), is ethnically populated and has until the present day a significant influence from the tropeirismo gastronomy. Over the years agribusiness has grown at CGPR, and currently, agricultural production is an important economic activity. Touristically, CGPR has its offer associated with nature but business and events activities are also important for the local tourism trade. The gastronomy is not very strong as a touristic product but its offer is evident at Carambei (Dutch pies) and the Village of Witmarsum (German cuisine). It does not mean that the gastronomic offer at CGPR is limited. Considering the ethnic, economic, and geographical scenarios was questioned: which relations can be found between the gastronomy and geography of CGPR? The main objective was defined to understand the gastronomic offer at the CGPR, under the perspective of tourism regionalization theory. This perspective was necessary because the analyzed area is configured as a region. As methodological procedures were adopted a bibliographic review in primary and secondary sources. As is proposed in the work the look at gastronomy through Gastronomic Geography, is also considered exploratory research. For the data collection, interviews and questionnaires were used. The research had as actors entrepreneurs and residents of the region. The methodological procedures adopted were sufficient to achieve the specific objectives, defined as a) Describe the relations between gastronomy and geography; b) Discuss food identification models with the territory; c) Identify the typical gastronomy of the CGPR d) Diagnose the potential of tourism gastronomic in the Campos Gerais do Paraná; e) Propose an identification stamp for „Geogastronomic Products of the Campos Gerais do Paraná‟. This thesis is organized into three chapters: Methodological Procedures, Literature Review, and Results. In the literature review, the following issues were addressed: the relationship between gastronomy and geography, sustainability in gastronomy, food identification models with the territory, and gastronomic tourism from the perspective of regionalization. These topics were necessary to develop the theoretical discussion. As a result, was identified 31 geogastronomic products distributed in 11 of the 19 Campos Gerais´s municipalities. This identification was possible by the methodological tools in the Methodological Procedures chapter. To evaluate it is suggested that distinguish authors from this thesis use this proposed model as a methodological tool in studies with gastronomy and territory as a research subject for possible adjustments. The masterpiece of this research consists of a label proposed to identify Campos Gerais´s geogastronomic products at the shops in which are sold.