Mapas invisìveis do trabalho no turismo: realidades e desafios enfrentados no mercado de trabalho formal e informal em Juiz de Fora (MG)

Abstract

This study analyzes the working conditions faced by graduates of the Tourism program at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF), with emphasis on the challenges that mark their entry into and permanence within the local labor market. Although the tourism sector experienced significant economic growth throughout the twentieth century and plays a relevant role in national development, a disparity persists between the number of professionals trained in the field and the opportunities for formal employment compatible with this training. Based on a qualitative approach, a questionnaire was administered to Tourism graduates from UFJF between 2020 and 2025, seeking to identify the types of employment ties established, perceptions regarding professional recognition, and the strategies adopted to cope with contexts of instability, precariousness, and informality. The analysis is grounded in studies on the labor market, professional profile and insertion, and labor precarization, situated within the reality of Juiz de Fora (MG). The data reveal professional trajectories marked by uncertain paths and indicate the urgency of more effective public policies, as well as academic training more closely integrated with the concrete demands of the sector. By bringing these elements together, the study contributes to the debate on the current scenario of the tourism labor market and provides support for the recognition and appreciation of tourism professionals in the Brazilian context.