Tourism, cooperation and local development in protected areas: the case of the national park Catimbau, Buique - EP

The creation of protected areas can bring socio - economic development to the places where they were created. Particularly through tourism, it may generate some benefits such as incomes and the conservation. Therefore, the way the community is structured to foster these benefits can lead to social change processes. In this context, we sought to analyze the cooperative relations between social actors, like the Buique (Pernambuco, Brazil) residents, to promote tourism in the Catimbau National Park, considering the local development concept. This research was developed over a specialization course, and it is a qualitative study case, which includes literature review and field research with application of interviews. Therefore, it was found that, despite the existence of some 'cooperative' interactions, not all agents participate in this process. So, among other things discussed, it is believed that the Catimbau National Park might contribute to local development in future.