Uso e potencial da fotoetnografia para os estudos turísticos

Abstract

Considering that tourism studies have been focusing on social issues and searching for tools to bring the researcher closer to the studied realities, this article aimed to discuss the suitability of photoethnography as a methodological resource for the development of academic research in the area of Tourism and Hospitality, especially when socio-cultural manifestations are emphasized. We achieved this objective with a theoretical essay combined with empirical research using the methodology to prove its suitability. The empirical stage was carried out in the municipality of Chapada do Norte, a remnant quilombo community in the Jequitinhonha Valley, registering the main traditional festival of the city. We used the photoetnographic technique stages proposed by the anthropologist Achutti and, from our 1300 photographic records, we elaborated a photoetnographic narrative composed of 31 images. Finally, combining the theoretical and empirical steps, we highlighted the potentials, advantages, and limitations of the photoetnographic technique. We concluded that the methodology is effective and may have several applications for studies in Tourism and Hospitality, especially regarding socio-cultural manifestations. However, it lacks depth into natural phenomena and spaces.