Cycle tourists at Estrada Real: profile, way of travel and the implications for the segment

Abstract

This paper contributes to discussion of cycle tourism and its specificities as segment, through a case study of the cycle tourists of Estrada Real, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The objective of this paper is to characterize the socioeconomic profile of the travelers of this route, their travel means and their necessities as tourists. The theoretical considerations of this research take on the following themes: tourism demand and cycle tourism. The results were accomplished through an analysis of semi-structured interviews conducted with 28 cycle tourists who travelled along Estrada Real, during the year of 2007, as well as an observational expedition carried out by the author while accompanied by one of the subjects, on October from 11th to 14th of same year. This study reveals the qualities of the cycle-tourism segment, which can benefit both tourists and inhabitants. However, this dissertation concludes that in order for the flow of cycle tourists to be of significant impact to the sights, it is necessary the planning of the tourism supply to meet the needs of such demand.