Characterization of the Coastal Environment as a Baseline for Alternative Tourism Segments Development in Salinópolis, Pará

Abstract

Salinópolis in Pará State, Brazil, is a coastal city with a highly seasonal tourism industry. Despite the potentiality of the region, tourism is mainly focused on beach use for recreation. The purpose of this study was to analyze environmental conditions to provide a baseline for development strategies of additional tourism activities, decreasing unwanted impacts, and improving the local economy. We combined wind and pluviosity data, remote sensing, and wave model results for the environmental characterization. Wave climate analysis shows higher waves in the first part of the year, favoring sports like water-surfing. Winds are more intense and parallel to the coast in the second part of the year when rain is low, defining ideal conditions for wind sports, like kitesurfing. Apart from sport activities, appropriately designed beach accesses through mangrove forest would allow a more even distribution of tourists on the beaches. Sustainable walkways projects could include multipurpose structures for beach access and development of ecotourism activities such as environmental education or bird watching. Gastronomic and cultural tourism could also reduce seasonality effects, attracting tourists also during the rainy season.