In 2004, the Brazilian Ministry of Tourism launched the Tourism Regionalization Program (Roteiros do Brasil), which presented new prospects for Brazilian tourism through decentralized management. One of the goals of this program was to disperse Brazil’s tourism supply, predominantly located along the coast, and bring tourism to the interior of the country. Brazil’s formal recognition of the need for diversification of its tourist destinations was a positive step toward the development of a thriving Brazilian tourism market, but in the global tourism market, Brazil continues to be associated with a limited number of stereotypical attractions. Despite the advances achieved by the Tourism Regionalization Program, tourism remains geographically concentrated in cities such as Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. This research serves as an analysis of the lesser-known tourism market in the Serra Gaúcha region of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Through the use of fundamental qualitative research methods, namely semi-structure interviews and questionnaires completed by students and professionals involved with tourism—both in the Serra Gaúcha as well as outside of Brazil—I assess the current state of tourism to the region in order to formulate key recommendations for the development and improvement of the industry there. From the results, I conclude that the tourism boards of the municipalities throughout the Serra Gaúcha should join together to function regionally in order to more effectively market themselves as a desirable tourist destination and to compete on a national scale for tourists’ attention. In light of the magnified attention Brazil is enjoying due to its selection as the host for both the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics, now is an optimal time for competitive touristic regions, such as the Serra Gaúcha, throughout Brazil to actively build their brand and pursue tourism development strategies tailored to their unique regional strengths and weaknesses. / text

O objetivo geral deste trabalho é propor e estimular reflexões críticas sobre a produção discursiva do turismo na contemporaneidade, ou seja, sobre a forma como o turismo vem sendo construído, por diversos tipos de discursos elaborados por diferentes agentes sociais. A principal hipótese de trabalho é que a produção discursiva do turismo não é simples comunicação, mas um processo de persuasão, pois tem sido usada intencionalmente por poderosos agentes sociais que desejam legitimar interesses próprios em nome daquilo que chamam de turismo. Assim sendo, tal produção não é uma atividade neutra, é, antes instrumento de um jogo de poder: o turismo é um dos mais acabados aparelhos de subjetivação capitalista já desenvolvidos. O objeto de análise da tese é a \'produção discursiva legitimadora do turismo\'. A metodologia deste estudo é a Análise Crítica de Discursos. A tese está dividida em seis capítulos. Ao final, sob a forma de considerações finais, propomos novos estudos críticos ao turismo. / The aim of this work is to propose and encourage critical reflection on the discursive production of tourism in contemporaneity, in other words, on how tourism is being constructed by different kinds of speeches prepared by different actors. The main working hypothesis is that the discursive production of tourism is not simple communication, but a process of persuasion as it has been used intentionally by powerful social actors who wish to legitimize their own interests in the name of what they call tourism. Therefore, such production is not a neutral activity, but an instrument of a power play: tourism is one of the most finished devices already developed for capitalist subjectivity. The object of analysis of this thesis is the \'legitimating discursive production of tourism\'. The methodology of this study is the Critical Analysis of Discourses. The thesis is divided into six chapters. At the end, in the form of final remarks, propose new critical studies to tourism.

O objetivo geral deste trabalho é propor e estimular reflexões críticas sobre a produção discursiva do turismo na contemporaneidade, ou seja, sobre a forma como o turismo vem sendo construído, por diversos tipos de discursos elaborados por diferentes agentes sociais. A principal hipótese de trabalho é que a produção discursiva do turismo não é simples comunicação, mas um processo de persuasão, pois tem sido usada intencionalmente por poderosos agentes sociais que desejam legitimar interesses próprios em nome daquilo que chamam de turismo. Assim sendo, tal produção não é uma atividade neutra, é, antes instrumento de um jogo de poder: o turismo é um dos mais acabados aparelhos de subjetivação capitalista já desenvolvidos. O objeto de análise da tese é a \'produção discursiva legitimadora do turismo\'. A metodologia deste estudo é a Análise Crítica de Discursos. A tese está dividida em seis capítulos. Ao final, sob a forma de considerações finais, propomos novos estudos críticos ao turismo. / The aim of this work is to propose and encourage critical reflection on the discursive production of tourism in contemporaneity, in other words, on how tourism is being constructed by different kinds of speeches prepared by different actors. The main working hypothesis is that the discursive production of tourism is not simple communication, but a process of persuasion as it has been used intentionally by powerful social actors who wish to legitimize their own interests in the name of what they call tourism. Therefore, such production is not a neutral activity, but an instrument of a power play: tourism is one of the most finished devices already developed for capitalist subjectivity. The object of analysis of this thesis is the \'legitimating discursive production of tourism\'. The methodology of this study is the Critical Analysis of Discourses. The thesis is divided into six chapters. At the end, in the form of final remarks, propose new critical studies to tourism.