Conceptualizing Permatourism

Abstract

Permatourism is a holistic approach to the study and design of equitable tourism development strategies, which leverages adaptive complex systems thinking and permaculture design principles. Permatourism advocates for the symbiosis between the formal and informal sectors of the tourism system, through creating and nurturing meaningful, functional relations among multiple actors. The formal tourism sector must embrace the sociocultural characteristics of the host community and grassroots business development strategies must be pursued to align local microentrepreneurs with expected business opportunities generated by big tourism investments. This chapter provides an overview of the conceptual foundation of this new approach as well as examples illustrating its pertinence to destination stewardship.

Citation

Ferreira, B.S., Morais, D.B., Brothers, G.L., Brookins, C. and Jakes, S. (2021), "Conceptualizing Permatourism", Morais, D.B. (Ed.) Tourism Microentrepreneurship (Bridging Tourism Theory and Practice, Vol. 12), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 165-179. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2042-144320210000012013