Socio-economic Contribution of the Private Sector to Tourism: the Case of Canindé de São Francisco - SE

Abstract The aim of this study was to outline the profile of tourism companies, and analyze the socio-economic contribution of these companies to the tourism activity of the town of Canindé de São Francisco, located in the semi-arid region of Sergipe. It used a combination of bibliographic and documentary methods, as well as field research, which enabled the collection of primary data. It was observed that the town has eleven private tourism establishments, distributed in the sectors of catering, accommodation, tourism agency, nautical transport and the sale of handicrafts. These companies generate 103 direct, formal jobs and the average salary is from 1 to 1.47 minimum salaries. It is concluded that tourism still does not make a proportionally significant contribution to job creation in the town, since the formal jobs generated by the local tourism companies represent only 1.6% of the town's total EAP (EconomicallyActive Population), however, the fact that they are formal jobs (i.e. signed on the worker's employment card) makes a great difference. Key words: Tourism Companies; Economic Impacts; Social Impacts.