Geodiversity and geoturism: a look at the tourist potential of the Moatize distrit in Mozambique

Abstract

This research aimed to highlight the importance of Geodiversity for the development of Geotourism, as well as to inventory and evaluate the natural tourist attractions of the Moatize District, in order to realize its potential. The methodological procedures applied to carry out this study are based on bibliographic research, fieldwork, semi-structured and informal interviews; and office work. Likewise, points (tourist attractions) were collected with a GPS receiver and subsequently inserted in an environment of GIS - Geographic Information System (software ArCGIS 10, version ARCMap 10.3) allowing the spatialization of attractions on a map. In the same perspective, the Hierarchical Methodology for Tourist Attractions, exposed by the OMT and adapted by CICATUR, was applied. For the characterization of the potential attractions, a selection was made through field research, which allowed a brief tourist inventory of the place, using the inventory forms of the methodological proposal of the Ministry of Tourism (Brazil, 2006). From the research carried out, the results show the existence of several natural attractions with high potential for the practice of geotourism. However, despite the inestimable potential, it is clear that the attractions are practically unknown to the public, although they are highly confidential. The tourist attractions inventoried in the studied region are strictly linked to the elements of geodiversity, namely: Hydrothermal vents of Nhaondue and Mawhira 1 and 2, respectively; Caves of Nhaondue and Phiriganga, Landscape of the Lookout of the community of Nhaondue, waterfalls of the Moatize River, Monte Zobue, Mushroom Rock and Rock Paintings of Nakalata. With a good structure of these attractions, Moatize will be able to register significant gains in the tourism sector resulting from the demand for its services and/ or tourism products, thus being able to contribute, in the improvement of the living conditions of the local communities and perhaps in the development of the province and the country of general way.