The Merchants’ Road of Desterro-Lages and the heritage legacy: potentialities for the development of its cultural tourism

Abstract: The cultural heritage is an important factor in planning a tourist destination. The objective of this research is to observe the potential tourist attractions of the first mercantilist route between the brazilian cities of Florianópolis and Lages. To reach the objective, an exploratory and analytical research was carried out. A bibliographical and documentary research was done to evidence specific informations about the territory, observing historical vestiges and cultural patrimony. This research identified potentialities for the planning and development of tourism in the region.

Keywords:
cultural tourism; tourism planning; local development; Merchants’ Road of Desterro-Lages