PAIS(VI)AGEM. Il turismo come opportunità di protezione e valorizzazione dei paesaggi naturali e culturali della baia di Guaraqueaba, Brasil [PAIS(VI)AGEM. Tourism as opportunity for valorisation and protection of natural and cultural landscapes in the Bay of Guaraqueçaba, Brazil]

Tourism and landscape form part of an interactive binomial of dependence: there is no tourist development without a landscape; it also seems that landscapes, especially those called cultural landscapes, need tourism as an economic activity to be sustained (Goula et al., 2012). How can these two elements, so apparently antithetical, coexist? The absence of natural or cultural landscapes causes a lack of interest in touristic investments. But when there are many iconic elements in an area, the risk of overdevelopment is high. Ecotourism is defined as sustainable tourism with a focus on the natural area, which benefits the environment and communities visited, fostering environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation and awareness. In the last few years, ecotourism is becoming nothing more than a kind of environmental show business. In order to reduce this risk, a possible strategy is to include environmental education activities in the touristic package tour. The article reflects on the possibility of introducing the ecotourism concept in the Guaraqueçaba Bay by working at two different scales: territorial and architectural, applying Urban Acupuncture’s theory by Jaime Lerner to the landscape. For the entire bay, tourism is not only an opportunity for the economy and local communities but also a necessity to address public attention, both local and international, and to reflect on abandoned natural and cultural heritage at high risk of destruction.