Políticas públicas de educação em turismo na América Latina : um estudo comparado de Argentina, Brasil e México

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the ascension, consolidation and implementation of tourism education policy on the public agenda of Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. To achieve this goal we used studies on tourism as an object of knowledge, education and tourism education; public policies and tourism policies studies. It was found that there is no universally accepted definition of tourism, but it prevails a conception of tourism as industry. He sought to build an epistemology of tourism basen on the trip notion, or movement, as it is believed that this approach raises a broader reflection of tourism. About education, it started with a short course in the sociology of education in order to situate the debate on tourism education. It was noticed that, in general, the courses have mostly technical guidance to operational and supervision levels to meet the labor market. The discussion on public policies and in tourism policies left the question about how to explain the contrast between the policies on tourism in different nations. Theoretically it took into account the five stages of the policy cycle, and were investigated three of them, agenda setting, decision making and implementation. Methodologically departed from a historically grounded approach, which emphasizes the contexts and political processes in which political decisions were taken. In the countries analyzed, it was observed that the tourism policies enter the agenda of the three countries in the 1920s, in Argentina, tourism policy is born oriented to the domestic market, as a social right, while in Brazil and Mexico the policy has economic development objectives. From the 1960s, the tourism policies are consolidated on the public agenda with a single objective, economic development, in accordance with international guidelines. From the 1990s, tourism will not only remain on the agenda as become a priority for governments, mainly in Argentina and Mexico. As for tourism education policies, it was found that aligns with the more general tourism policies in the three countries. It was possible to see that in the first decades tourism education agenda of the three countries was different, however, the external factors conformed them in similar ways. About implementation, in summary, the analysis of the installed educational provision has shown that its purpose is to contribute to the objectives of tourism policies, linked to the development of tourism as a sector of the economy. However, so their contribution seems less crucial to the production of new knowledge, skills and techniques in tourism. Specifically as post graduate, although still incipient, it contributes to the scientific construction, the quality of education, and for the resolution of regional problems, despite the managerial approach of the tourism industry is still very present, especially in Mexico. It also concludes that a unilateral vision of tourism policy and tourism education policies limits the advancement of education in tourism and tourism development in these nations.