As redes sociais virtuais na formação da imagem turística da Praia de Flecheiras/CE

Abstract

The tourism activity has consolidated the figure of the responsible tourist, who, worried about the impacts generated in the places visited, develops behaviors with socioenvironmental criteria of sustainability for tourism. The way in which the consumer chooses, plans and shares his travels on the Internet, has made tourists the main constructor of the image of tourist places, and makes the monitoring of virtual environments a competitive strategy for the management of the attractiveness of the receiving nuclei. With the use of netnography, an attempt was made to identify the image of the receptor center of Praia de Flecheiras tourism in the virtual social networks, and, in this way, to understand how the relation of the tourists with the natural and cultural resources can impact the attractiveness of the place. We analyzed 813 comments on Praia de Flecheiras on the TripAdvisor website posted between July 15, 2014 and August 10, 2018. In the Instagram social network, we analyzed 1161 photos shared during the months of June and July 2018 marked with the hastags : #flecheiras, #praiadeflecheiras, #flecheirasbeach, #flexeiras, #praiadeflexeiras and #flexeirasbeach. With the use of the Writewords software, the words with the highest number of repetitions in the comments were identified, and, like the photographs, classified in segments of tourist attractions: i) Natural Attractions ii) Cultural Attractions iii) Lodging and Food Infrastructure. The natural pools formed amid the reefs during the low tide, as well as the marine fauna of this ecosystem, are the natural attractions of greater prominence for tourists and visitors, although little is mentioned about the maintenance of these resources. The installation of wind turbines on the dunes is pointed by tourists as a way of producing clean energy, presented in comments and photographs as a healthy interaction of man with the environment. The routine of the fishermen to come and go to the sea with their rafts is seen as a positive aspect of the place, which, together with the traditional seafood cuisine, consolidates the fishing culture as a prominent cultural attraction. Another valued aspect refers to the rustic structure of inns and restaurants, considered harmonious with the traditional architectural characteristics of the place. It was concluded that, aware or even without an exact notion, visitors to Praia de Flecheiras create well-defined motivations in natural and cultural tourist attractions preserved.