Sustainable Tourism

To preserve the original features of a determined environment it's the golden rule to make sustainable activities a reality. It's possible to reach the sustainable development of a region by following the current legislation, promoting the social-economic equity, respecting the historical and architectural heritage, valorizing the local culture and maintaining the natural environment.

The Cama e Café has been demonstrating highly capacity to promote solidarity ties and professional qualification to the local services related to a tourist visit. At one hand, the residents that offer their residences for the tourists find in the hosting a complementary income; on the other hand, besides the host, the taxis and cable car drivers, bars and restaurant managers and waiters also take part on the training. The company still stimulates the means to restoration and maintenance of the houses and promotes tours to the architectural heritage of the neighborhood in order to valorize it.

The practice of diversified tourism activities must be understood as a strategy towards the local development, concerning its capacity to create work, increase the yield and at the same time to strength the locality's identity. The tourism has great potential to promote the development in Brazil through consolidating actions that can contribute to reduce the social disparities and this way increase the well-fare conditions to the people today and to the future generations.

The result are residents finding in the tourism new economic opportunities and becoming more conscious and proud of their own space, meanwhile the visitors feel welcome and protected, becoming aware of an interest far beyond enjoyment: the consciousness of social responsibility.

Basic rules to sustainable tourism practice:

(Extracted from: www.viajemaisbrasil.com.br)

1. Look for tourist services that valorize the local population, their culture and economy. And have procedures concerning the local sustainability.

2. Learn about the cultural and natural history from the community you are visiting before traveling and respect the local habits. Try to talk to residents, and listen to their histories and tales.

3. Avoid traveling to popular areas during the high season and holidays. The low season is cheaper, and not so crowd. This way you will produce less impact to the environment.

4. Always be familiar with the rules and habits of the tourist areas you are visiting.

5. Try to consume local products and local art craft during your trip.

6. Prefer the services (hotels, guides and tourism operators) registered by the sustainable tourism or committed with its principles.

7. Do not remove pieces from ruins or historical objects as souvenirs. Take a picture or buy a postcard instead.

8. Save water and energy wherever you go visit. It's good for the environment, it's god for everybody.

9. Make a research about the place you are going to visit on magazines, books or internet before your trip. It will be helpful to you to know the habits and the history of different regions of Brazil, improving the cultural aspect of your trip.

10. When it's possible, try politely to advice visitors with incorrect behavior that may represent a threat to the tourist attraction.