The Cliffs Route structures the tourism sector on the East Coast.
Sebrae Ceará, the State Government, municipalities, and local businesses are joining forces to structure a tourist route, primarily benefiting micro and small businesses in the region's tourism production chain.
Ceara 247 - Joining forces to gain competitiveness and sustainability. This is the challenge for the eight municipalities that make up the eastern coast of Ceará. The destination, formed by beaches and highly sought-after tourist attractions such as Canoa Quebrada Beach in Aracati and Beach Park in Aquiraz, is currently promoted in isolation by the main national tour operators, missing the opportunity to better leverage the region's full potential.
Aware of this untapped potential, Sebrae Ceará, the State Government, Municipalities, and local businesses are joining forces to structure a tourist route on the East Coast, as a way to increase the flow of tourists, ensure longer stays, and increase the average spending of visitors in these municipalities, primarily benefiting micro and small businesses in the region's tourism production chain.
The Cliffs Route brings together the tourist attractions and businesses of the region formed by the municipalities of Eusébio, Aquiraz, Pindoretama, Cascavel, Beberibe, Aracati, Fortim, and Icapuí. According to the technical director of Sebrae (Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service), the structuring of this route will contribute to a better utilization of the potential and greater integration and enhancement of the links in the tourism production chain, expanding the activity's contribution to the economic development of that region.
According to Alci Porto, the "Sun and Beach" segment should continue to be the main attraction for visitors to the East Coast, both national and international, as the tourist facilities and services available in the region are compatible with this attractiveness in terms of quality and quantity. But according to him, the idea of the itinerary is also to strengthen other segments such as cultural tourism, sports tourism and ecotourism.
“On the East Coast, we have great potential to develop, such as gastronomy, handicrafts, and cultural events. We also have trails through mangroves and dunes, and nautical activities in lagoons, rivers, and the sea, such as windsurfing and kitesurfing, which can attract visitors interested in ecotourism and sports tourism.”
Route structuring
The work of structuring the route is divided into two stages. The first consists of preparing a diagnosis of the tourism offer and analyzing the current situation of existing businesses, products and services in the territory, in addition to market analysis, to identify competitors, the profile and expectations of customers and the positioning of the route in the regional, national and international scenario.
In the second phase, the focus of the work is on strengthening and qualifying local entrepreneurs to meet the new market reality and supporting the commercialization of the route. According to the technical director of Sebrae, the tourist route development strategy has already proven successful, as can be seen in the results obtained by the Route of Emotions, which involves the states of Ceará, Piauí, and Maranhão. “The work we have carried out on the Route of Emotions has already resulted in an increase from three to seven days in the average length of stay of tourists in that region and in the generation of resources of around R$ 219 million from tourist flow via travel agencies.”
Small business
According to Alci Porto, the structuring of the Cliffs Route will stimulate the creation of new businesses and the expansion of existing ones, broadening and improving tourist services and facilities in the region. "Sebrae, together with the partners involved, will help micro and small entrepreneurs to better prepare themselves so that they can become suppliers of products and services to tourists, generating more jobs and income in the municipalities involved."