A CACHAÇA COMO ATRATIVO TURÍSTICO NO TERRITÓRIO DO MUNICÍPIO DE VASSOURAS (RJ, BRASIL)

Abstract

This article presents preliminary reflections from my masters dissertation about the touristic potential of cachaça in the city of Vassouras, in Vale do Café (Rio de Janeiro State). The research was done through the Postgraduate Program in Geography at the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (PPGEO/UFRRJ), and it is aimed at analyzing the production and commercialization of cachaça in the city of Vassouras, in the context of its relevance for cultural heritage and as a product with touristic potential. The research makes use of both qualitative and quantitative methods, such as: interviews, participant observation, and bibliographical and documental review. These methods have preliminarily confirmed that cachaça has touristic value in the Vale do Café region, and that the region is beginning to see the fruits of investing in the product, such as through hosting increasingly successful events like Feira da Cachaça (Cachaça Fair) and Encontro Anual de Colecionadores de Cachaça (Annual Meeting of Cachaça Collectors).