Analysis of the production of tourist place in Bonito – Mato Grosso do Sul

Abstract

The municipality of Bonito is located in the micro-region of Bodoquena, southwest of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, a region that has unique hydrogeological characteristics, whose occurrence provides the emergence of varied morphological features, for example, caves, sinkholes, underground rivers, sinks, upwellings, limestone tufas, crystal clear rivers, among others. These physical-spatial attributes aroused the creation of an imaginary of recreational activities based on the exploration of the natural elements of the landscape, with a view to valuing the peculiarity of the phenomena found there. In this sense, Bonito has established itself over time as one of the main ecotourism destinations in Brazil, which is also highly attractive internationally. In this work, we used bibliographic reviews and interviews as a method to understand how the city of Bonito was transformed into a tourist place and which agents are responsible for these changes, in addition to analyzing the changes in the way subjects perceive the landscape and, thus, if they appropriate it as a source of profit or as a means of survival through waged or informal work.