Hospitality and innovation of “Natal Luz” in Gramado (rs), a pioneer and an unique christmas event in Brazil.

Abstract

Hospitality is a social phenomenon present in all contexts and interactions of human beings. It brings people together and provides the exchange of experiences, knowledge and affection. Thereby, hospitality presents itself as a key factor for tourism, since this is a phenomenon of experiences and relationships between people. The objective of this paper is to discuss hospitality and innovation as strategies for attracting tourists to the Christmas event “Natal Luz” in Gramado City (RS, Brazil) considering the cultural aspects and traditions of the local community. The realization of this work was based on bibliographic and documental research, as well as on the technique of participant observation. Considering that “Natal Luz” is a pioneer and unique event in Brazil and that it has been accomplished for 25 years in Gramado, becoming one of the largest in the world, this research points out the relevance of the study, through the analysis of hospitality as strategy of innovation. In this perspective, the conclusion shows the importance of the relationship between hosts and visitors in the context of the attractions of “Natal Luz”, since these relations of hospitality are one of the main motivations of visitors who go to the city of Gramado (RS, Brazil).