Saber além do sabor: o turismo sob a perspectiva de catadores de caranguejo, em Ilha Grande, Piauí

Abstract

This research investigates the relationship between tourism and the appreciation of the traditional knowledge of crab gatherers in the municipality of Ilha Grande, Piauí, specifically seeking to understand how these workers perceive the impacts that tourism has on their way of life and the activity in which they are involved. The methodology adopted is qualitative and descriptive research, conducted through bibliographic surveys and field investigation, using participant observation, field diary entries, and semi-structured interviews applied to six crab gatherers. The results show that tourism generates greater visibility and income, but does not guarantee the full appreciation of traditional knowledge and practices. Some tourist activities in Ilha Grande, Piauí, offer opportunities, but also reinforce the spectacularization and depreciate the activity of the crab gatherers. Thus, tourism produces both positive effects and chal-lenges, situated between the appreciation, adaptation, and commodification of local know-how. The study emphasizes the complexity of the relationship between tourism and culture, contributing to de-bates on sustainable tourism and cultural preservation in traditional communities, and recommending policies that truly value local knowledge without reducing it to mere attractions.