ECOTOURISM IN STRICT PROTECTION CONSERVATION UNITS: LEGAL LIMITS AND EFFECTIVENESS CHALLENGES IN BRAZIL

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the legal limits and possibilities for ecotourism in protected areas, based on the 1988 Federal Constitution, the National Environmental Policy (Law No. 6,938/1981), and the National System of Conservation Units (Law No. 9,985/2000). The methodology was based on a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive approach, supported by bibliographic and documentary research, with a multiple case study of Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park (GO), Iguaçu National Park (PR), and Jalapão State Park (TO), guided by content analysis. The main results demonstrate that the cases studied present different implementation conditions regarding public use, land tenure regularization, and institutional capacity. It is concluded that the main challenge lies not in the absence of legal instruments, but in the concrete conditions for their implementation, highlighting the need to strengthen environmental management, enforcement, and planning.