SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF TOURISM SERVICES AND ATTRACTIONS OF THE ‘CIRCUITO DOS DIAMANTES’: SUPPORT FOR TOURISM PLANNING

The ‘Circuito dos Diamantes’, (Diamond Circuit) is a region comprising 15 municipalities located in the Espinhaço mountain Range of Minas Gerais, Brazil. This study presents the results of a spatial analysis carried out with a Geographic Information System (GIS), using data from the georeferenced tourism inventory. The methodological stages of this exploratory research were: bibliographical research and review; standardization of the inventory data in the GIS software; map making; and analysis of tourism services and attractions. The analysis resulted in density maps of tourism attractions and services, in which the main problems identified are outlined here. There is a lack of tourism services in certain areas and a significant concentration of services around the Estrada Real highway and the cities of Diamantina and Serro. The tourism inventory was incomplete for municipalities with less tourism importance, showing a need for further investments in this basic instrument of tourism planning