Terroir do azeite e turismo: possibilidades para o olivoturismo em Maria da Fé/MG

Abstract

The olive oils produced in Serra da Mantiqueira have reached levels of excellence in official sensory evaluations around the world. The Minas Gerais city of Maria da Fé, in particular, a pioneer in olive growing in the country, with the first Brazilian extra virgin olive oil extracted in 2008, has stood out in the most prestigious national and international olive oil contests due to the high scores and medals recently won by its oils. This success has also been attributed to its terroir, which has aroused the interest of tourists and placed the city on the olive tourism circuit. The main objective of this study is to analyze the possible connections of the olive oil terroir with olive tourism in Maria da Fé. To this end, this article was methodologically based on qualitative, bibliographic and documentary research. The results demonstrated a relationship between the olive oil terroir and the increase in demand and supply of olive tourism, and the promotion of the city, describing the olive tourism offers of four local enterprises that have been practicing some of these experiences.