The opportunities for creative tourism in Alagoas, Brazil: the case of Singeleza lacework in Paripueira.

Creative tourism represents an alternative form of transformational development since it involves people, communities and tourists in an exchange based on the value of local knowledge. In the case of Alagoas, one of the poorest States in Brazil but with a potential environmental and cultural value that is recognized throughout the world, mass tourism is predominant. While this is generally exclusionary, creative tourism can be a means of ensuring the survival of communities and the environmental preservation of local culture. The "Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage" project in Alagoas has the task of identifying cultural assets of an intangible nature and these have amounted to 1,000 referenced items that can apply to goods and services or experiences related to tourism. Throughout its history, Alagoas has undergone a form of economic inertia with most of the population suffering from poverty. The case for marketing the Singeleza lacework in the small town of Paripueira, illustrates the transformative power of creative tourism in the cultural and economic sector of Alagoas. The lacemakers are increasing their household income and achieving a degree of autonomy. Designated as a cultural asset of an intangible nature in 2013, the marketing of Singeleza lacework assists people in boosting their income, and preventing the disappearance of this traditional form of embroidery. Although their manufactured goods continue to be restricted to groups located in small towns, they are strengthened by close relationships, which pervade the period of their learning and are handed down to future generations by their mothers and grandmothers.