Place Insideness, the Host and Community-Based Tourism

Abstract

Considering the different levels of involvement, a place can be understood in an insideness relationship, for those who identify with it, or in an outsideness relationship, for those who experience a sense of rupture, separation from that place. Thus, the meanings and identities given to a place are not fixed and may vary according to the different degrees of attachment of individuals or groups. By reaffirming the principles of Community-Based Tourism (CBT) as a strategy for social development, an insideness relationship to a place features as a condition for CBT offers as alternatives to hegemonic, mass tourism. This article discusses the insideness relationships expressed by hosts of CBT projects, as opposed to the ideological values of hegemonic tourism and neoliberal capitalism. This investigation was carried out in the context of CBT projects developed in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil. The methodology used is based on the theoretical fields of Geography, Tourism and Critical Discourse Analysis. The interviewees expressed a commitment to valuing a conscious insideness relationship, a creative performance, and an aggregating perspective, in the quest to preserve the natural and cultural assets of the communities where the projects are carried out.

Keywords

• place
• insideness and outsideness relations
• community-based tourism (cbt)
• tbc host
• critical discourse analysis