On October 9, 2024, the “II Seminário Estadual de Turismo Rural e de Aventura” took place at the Le Canton hotel in TeresĂłpolis, RJ. The place is known for its European-style architecture, and upon arrival, one is immediately greeted by an impressive castle. The event was held in an outdoor area of the hotel, where panels with presentations, as well as areas for exhibition, tasting, and sale of products such as honey, coffee, cheese, and preserves from local producers, took place simultaneously. I took the opportunity to taste some delicacies and brought home coffee cream, freshly ground coffee, and an eggplant antipasto!
I could stay here talking about these delicacies… but back to the presentation panels. Topics such as sustainability, craft beer tourism, wine tourism, rural tourism, and experiences were addressed with a focus on the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro. Discovering that Teresópolis has wine producers and wineries open for visits was a pleasant surprise! During the event, Henrique Silva, the region’s tourism director and tour guide, presented the Petrópolis x Teresópolis crossing hike, highlighting its beauty but also the care and preservation of the environment. He spoke about nature as if it had no borders, saying something like: “When birds fly, they pass through Guapimirim but also through Teresópolis and other regions. When the wind carries seeds, it scatters them across various areas, without limiting them to one space. The river that springs from the top of the mountains has no borders; it flows through many regions.” This reflection emphasizes our relationship with and care for nature, considering that the crossing connecting Petrópolis to Teresópolis passes through Guapimirim for part of its route, also showcasing the region with its beautiful waterfalls!
Another area near TeresĂłpolis, the town of Santa Maria Madalena, was beautifully and generously presented by Anna Mostowik, president of Madalena C\&VB. She told us that the region received an international award, the Dark Sky Park, being recognized for astrotourism, with one of the best skies for stargazing with the naked eye! In fact, in May 2025 the traditional festival of the stars will take place.
Overall, the event brought together, for the most part, entrepreneurs, business owners, marketing and communication professionals, masters and PhDs in environmental studies, as well as government representatives, such as the former tourism secretary of Teresópolis, Flávio Guerreiro, and the superintendent of the vice-governorship of the state of Rio de Janeiro and former INEA president, Philipe Campello.
Reflections on Experiencing Adventures and Tourism
During the presentations, some phrases were highlighted, such as the connection between tourism, the quest for experiences, and the revival of memories. These ideas aimed to encourage entrepreneurs to meet customer needs, which creates an interesting contrast with those who live daily cultivating the land, where living and experiencing are part of everyday life.
This relationship between tourism and experience really caught my attention. There seems to be a search for something that makes us relive memories, as if we were disconnected from these experiences. Do we really need to buy experiences to relive something, like the smell of coffee that brings back family moments, if we drink coffee every day? Where are these sensations in our daily lives? To what extent are we living in the present moment? Tourism, by offering experiences and memories as a product, seems to highlight this disconnection from what is part of our everyday life, as if there were a need to buy memories and experiences.
If these needs are so highlighted, it says even more about our need for a connection with all of this. It seems that our very act of living “needs to have” an extra meaning. And what about the very act of living? Are we truly living our days and enjoying present relationships? Are we lacking space to recall beautiful memories from the past?
I wanted to bring up these points as reflections for each of us (or for anyone willing to reflect), because I believe that when we are more aware of what we consume, we make better choices.
To conclude, the event created a space that served as a potential environment for presentations about the region, both through lectures and through the exhibition of products and services. Our region has priceless richness!
This post is also available in: Português (Portuguese (Brazil)) Español (Spanish)
