The profile of the new tourist who travels is to have more and more cultural experiences. This fact means to be better able to know the modus vivendi of the countries that visit and so appropriate a little and live behaviors and activities that locals include in their day to day. The airbnb, for example, has been growing by giving possibility to a greater contact with families and above all to live as a member of that group.
In the case of Rio de Janeiro, there has always been a great desire of foreign tourists to know favelas and understand their importance in the context of the city. The idea is not only of a tour but of contact with residents, through for example visiting the slabs, where you have a beautiful view of the beauties of Rio and a coffee, a lunch, a snack and lots of interaction. The communities were thus preparing to receive tourists, organizing handicraft fairs, giving employment opportunities to the residents in the various activities carried out and allowing a “social” experience. I must remember that it is not something typical of Rio. South Africa was able to successfully implement guided tours with mini lectures and the possibility of an overnight stay. Here were born inns, hotels, restaurants with homemade food, among other actions. It was important for residents to understand the importance of tourism. The “Favela Tour” were structured with specific transportation, qualified guides and a social action within the districts visited. There is even monitoring, in some cases, of periods where experiments may or may not occur. I have always been and continue to be in favor of such a product, though I disagree, for example, with the use of jeeps and co-workers as if it were a safari.
It occurs, however, that at the moment, Rio is living a war. Such a war that is being reported daily in Brazil and in the world has a focus today: the communities, especially Rocinha, who began the work of visitation. The German, with the closing of the cable car almost left the tourist route. And so, today the visitors are concentrated in the south zone of Rio. The big problem is that in the streets of the communities, the situation is of imminent danger, with confrontations between traffickers and constituted authorities or between even rival factions. So the moment is a lot of caution and the visits need to be suspended, with the greatest urgency. Rio can not have any more cases of dead tourists, when they enjoyed the city, during their vacations. What happened to the Spanish tourist showed lack of preparation in the security protocols, which demand training perhaps more directed to the troops, although we must confess that they live a stress and a lack of support, which end up generating inappropriate behaviors.
The tourism trade experiencing its worst crisis in recent years must remain cohesive and not be led by false promises from the public sector, which has shown lack of focus, management and left the actors lost and throwing everywhere to survive. A sacrifice needs to be put into practice as long as the war is going on within the communities, with enough caution, so that potential interested tourists, still do not take advantage of the temporary suspension, to write on social networks and blogs that violence is so much, that were “Forbidden to visit favelas”.
There are some reflections …

Photo: Reproduction
Source: DiáriodoTurismo / Bayard Do Coutto Boiteux