COMMUNITY-BASED TOURISM AND NETWORKS: AN ANALYSIS OF THE COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS IN THE TUCUM NETWORK, BRAZIL

Objective: The paper aims to analyze the collaborative relationships within the Community Tourism Network of Ceara (Tucum Network), based on the levels of collaboration of Tolkach, King & Pearlman (2013). Methodology: Data was collected through documentary research and interviews with 62 actors. The research approach was qualitative, and data was analyzed using an adaptation of content analysis. Originality/Relevance: The research is relevant because studies on community-based tourism networks focus mainly on proposing a network approach to strengthen community-based tourism initiatives, or on the role, structures, and organizations of these networks. There is little emphasis on understanding the collaborative relationships between the network's nodes, and the impacts of these relationships on the development of tourism, and on the networks' success. Main Results: The results showed that the first level of collaboration is influenced both by the formation of community ties and by external factors. At the second level, the role of non-governmental organizations was identified as a support link between the various communities, as they stimulate the connections between community-based tourism initiatives. Finally, at the third level, the process of collaboration between Network members is weakened, mainly due to barriers in the communication process and lack of resources faced by the Network and the communities, causing connections to be disjointed. Theoretical/Methodological Contributions: A deeper understanding of how these collaborative relationships occur in the Tucum Network has made it possible to identify obstacles to be solved and successes to be strengthened, which may contribute to the strengthening of tourism in these communities.