Sustainable Tourism and Local Development in Barra Grande, Maraú-Ba

The aim of this study was to assess the local conditions for sustainable tourism and local development in the village of Barra Grande, the main tourist destination on the Maraú peninsula, on the southern coast of the state of Bahia, Brazil. Since tourism is considered to be the main economic activity in the town and the main element that mobilizes the whole community in the search for socio-economic benefits, it is argued that any attempt to trigger a process of Local Development should be based on the convergence of efforts to strengthen tourism and improve the environmental, social and economic conditions that support it. In an attempt to provide an indication of the current conditions in the area, an assessment was made of indicators representative of Sustainable Tourism and Local Development based on the perceptions of three segments: residents, visitors and the hotel sector. The results indicate the need for interventions in basic sanitation and greater involvement by the local government.