Tourism, innovation and local economic growth

Abstract

This paper focuses on tourism in Natal in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Natal has witnessed an outstanding growth of tourism since the 1980s. Here, the objective is to analyse the tourism as an agent of spatial transformation and innovation. In addition to building new territories, tourism has brought about economic growth - although impacting on local values - and is now responsible for the creation of new posts in the labour market. The paper also highlights the socio-environmental impact of tourism in Natal as this activity has revolved around the three S’s: sea, sun and sand. Geographers have increasingly been concerned about the inadequate occupation of the coastal areas where tourism takes place.