Fonte: Journal of Tourism & Development; v. 3, n. 21/22 (2014); 273-282
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Resumo: The Lençóis Maranhenses National Park (PNLM) is considered the main natural tourist attraction in the State of Maranhão, in Brasil. In order to investigate the quality of the visitor experience at PNLM, this research aims to contribute to the understanding of the relationships established between the visitor and the Park. The research is set on a qualitative approach, developed in two stages: the first was exploratory and descriptive research by means of bibliographic and documentary review and the second corresponded to field research. Were conducted 111 interviews and data collection occurred both before and after people visited the Park. The results showed that the quality of the experience of the visit depends on the personal characteristics of the visitors, their motivations, preferences, expectations and behavior. The indicators adopted in the research helped identify the aspirations of visitors, what they want or need to have a quality experience in a protected natural area. The results can contribute to the management of the facility in the public use of the National Park.
