Public tourism policies in the Brazilian Amazon: Participation and networks

The aim of this study is to analyze the tourism network in Marajó, PA, Brazil. To do so, we sought to elucidate the concept of participation, networks and public policies so that the mechanisms of their organization in this region can be understood. This work is an excerpt from the dissertation entitled “Tourism governance on Ilha do Marajó, Pará, Brazil: An analysis of the relationship networks established in public tourism policies” (Farias, 2018). This analysis uses an interdisciplinary approach in tourism, seeking to interpret it from theoretical perspectives on participation in public policies. The study follows several steps which in the end could be connected and interpreted based on the assumptions of qualitative research. The bibliographical deepening, documentary analysis, the elaboration and application of semi-structured interviews directed the study to reach the proposed objective. Thus, the analysis revealed that the participation of agents in the decision-making process in tourism does not aim to disregard the State, but seeks to confirm the importance that institutions represent. Some examples are civil initiatives and organizations such as the Women’s Association of Pesqueiro (Associação das Mulheres do Pesqueiro - ASMUPESQ), as evidenced in the study.