International Dialogue Circle: Southern Right Whales Inspiring Tourism Rooted in Territory and Memory

Garopaba, Santa Catarina – August 2025

As part of the celebration of southern right whales along the southern coast of Santa Catarina, Brazil hosted an International Dialogue Circle that brought together voices from Latin America and Europe around a shared vision: Community-Based Tourism (CBT) as a pathway to care for territory, strengthen memory, and shape sustainable futures.

Moderated by Telma Amorin and Claudia Ranaboldo, the event opened with welcoming remarks from the Federal Institute of Santa Catarina (IFSC), which highlighted community tourism as a driver of territorial development, innovation, and locally grounded education. Sergio Pinheiro then reflected on a journey that began in 2008 with the Sustainable Territorial Development with Cultural Identity (DTS-IC) project, which gave rise to initiatives such as TBC Costa Catarina and the emblematic Whale Welcome Celebration.

Voices weaving lived experiences

The interventions formed a rich mosaic of living stories:

• Rodrigo G. Pingaro emphasized that tourism can be both constructive and destructive, and that only by working with communities and respecting nature can a truly meaningful path emerge.
• João H. Qoos highlighted the unique privilege of observing southern right whales from land, within their natural nursery, without causing them stress.
• Simona Signorile shared how her experience visiting communities along the Costa Catarina transformed her perspective and her life, illustrating the power of cultural exchange.
• From Peru, Andrés Ugaz and Josué Abad explained how gastronomy and artisanal fishing can sustain identities and livelihoods through experiential tourism.
• Ana Paula Machado (“Paulinha”) recounted a story of family succession in a quilombola community, where an organic garden became a meeting point for visitors through the café “Sabores da Roça.”
• Joaquim S. Fermino spoke about crafts made from rush and cattail, which have found renewed hope through CBT despite the scarcity of raw materials.
• Leonardo de Souza recalled how his family had long practiced community tourism without naming it, welcoming visitors to his grandfather Vô Zeca’s distillery and flour mill. “In CBT, we sell experiences, not just products,” he emphasized.

Beyond tourism: encounter, memory, and future

The event made clear that community-based tourism does not require artificial narratives or external packaging to attract visitors. Its value lies in local knowledge, in cuisine that tells stories, in crafts that endure, and in landscapes that hold memory.

Participants agreed that this form of tourism connects ecosystem conservation with intergenerational dialogue, recognizing the spatial and temporal boundaries that only communities themselves can safeguard.

A call that transcends borders

The International Dialogue Circle was more than an exchange—it was a celebration of life, memory, and a shared future. The southern right whales, which return each year to the coast of Santa Catarina, became a powerful symbol of a collective message: another kind of tourism is possible—one that emerges from communities, cares for nature, and builds living, sustainable territories.

An agenda for the future

Among the key takeaways was the importance of strengthening collective capacities, as demonstrated by initiatives such as Sinergia Brasil–Italia and Entre Dos Aguas, as well as the essential role of institutions like IFSC in bridging tradition and innovation while providing accredited, territorially rooted education.

There is a clear opportunity to invest in younger generations, reinforce international networks grounded in strong territorial bases, and involve local knowledge holders in training processes, learning journeys, and the co-design of collaborative projects, sharing approaches and methodologies.

In this context, platforms such as Juntanza remain open to gathering testimonies, lived experiences, analyses, and insights from local and institutional actors, with the aim of amplifying voices, fostering dialogue, and generating new shared initiatives.