RESPONSIBLE TOURISM: FRAMEWORK PROPOSAL BASED ON THE EXPERIENCE OF THE SOCIAL SERVICE OF COMMERCE IN BRAZIL.

ABSTRACT:

The growth of the tourism sector and the consequent impacts on destinations make it important to study alternatives to mitigate the negative impacts and intensify the positive impacts, focusing on the quality of life of the resident and the value generation for the organizations. This article aims to develop a framework based on identifying and analyzing the Responsible Tourism dimensions through the case study of tourism operations of the Social Service of Commerce (Sesc). The study adopts a quantitative approach: Through the application of a questionnaire with the firm’s employees and descriptive and factorial statistical analysis, the results showed that the most expressive dimensions were socio-cultural responsibility (participation and local cooperation, engagement of residents and local businesses); environmental responsibility (use of sustainable accommodation and transport, monitoring of environmental impacts and reduced tourism groups); economic responsibility (encouraging purchase from local producers and use of local labor); image and reputation of the organization (marketing, reputation, and competitive advantage) and incorporation of sustainability into management (sustainable management and perception of quality). The framework designed recognizes the complexity of tourism activity and can contribute to the responsible management of tourism.

KEYWORDS:
responsible tourism; stakeholders; social responsibility; framework; tourism management