Sustainability control and management of Porto Belo Island, Santa Catarina State, Brazil: 14 years of experience

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the structure and results of a project between university and enterprise aimed at managing and controlling sustainable and competitive tourism in a fragile area: an island. The project started in 1996 and was completed in 2009. It helped the island to preserve its environment and to structure equipment and services adequate to market needs - with quality and responsibility. It also helped young professionals to develop their skills toward market needs, creating not only standards of highly professional behaviour, but also ethical values of respect, comprehension and hospitality. Design/methodology/approach - To understand the market needs, the use of equipment and services of the island by visitors and the visitors' profiles, personal interviews were conducted. The approach to visitors happened when leaving the island as it was agreed that only when visitors have had the experience were they able to comment. In addition to this paper, an observation of visitors was also developed, in order to check if their behaviour was compatible with their answers in formal interviews. The sustainability of the island was analyzed and evaluated through specific reports that defined indicators and qualitative criteria for the evaluation process. Findings - The results presented are favourable since it is clear that the negative impacts on the environment were minimized, the island became a good business, the local community was involved, the trainees learnt in practice, and the visitors were very satisfied with the results of the project. Research limitations/implications - The paper is limited to understand two aspects of sustainability: management and market. To achieve more sustainability for the island very important complementary studies need to be considered: the characterization of local flora and fauna, both terrestrial and marine; landscape studies and research about the business impact on the life of the local community. Originality/value - The paper is a case study that compiles 14 years of successful experience using methods, techniques and instruments to manage and control sustainability in a place that combines a fragile environment, tourism, recreation and business. This case is a reference for similar environments in Brazil.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]