NATIONAL NETWORK OF RURAL TOURISM: FACTORS THAT DIFFICULT ITS INTERACTIVE DYNAMIC

Abstract

Officially launched in 2010, the “Rede Nacional de Turismo Rural” (National Network of Rural Tourism) aims to be a virtual information exchange tool to strengthen the relationships between diverse partners and organizations interested in this segment. This paper aims to analyze the factors that hinder its interactive dynamic, based on its member’s perspectives, from observation of the content posted on the Web and the hits received until May 2012. In addition to the observation (topics of discussions, hits and statistical report), a survey was conducted through a self-administered questionnaire addressed to all network participants. Building on contributions from network and social capital theories, it has been observed that, despite having a significant growth in the number of participants, the discussions show that neither coordinated actions is being generated, nor the commitment and confidence among its members and organizations is promoting knowledge exchange. Therefore the challenges of this network are to fulfill the expectations recorded initially by the first members of the group and objectives of the government ministries involved.