Enterprises and towns are investing in tourism and leisure activities in search of a share of this rapid growth market. To make the most of this potential, research and knowledge exchange are necessary to develop a kind of tourism that balances interests in environmental conservation and local peoples’ needs.

COODESTUR’s research projects are tools for better identifying the potential for tourism. Through diagnostic studies, we can indicate the best opportunities for investing in tourism and can qualify (I don’t like the verb qualify here – maybe replace with certify?) enterprises, towns and regions.

Research in tourist potential and tourist use permit the revitalization of regions (sounds strange), attractions and equipment (what kind of equipment?). They are also important tools for managing enterprises that work with tourism, as well as for guiding the sustainable use of local resources.

Some of the research developed by COODESTUR includes:

• tourist use and potential of bodies of water, water reservoirs and areas affected by dams
• inventories and diagnostic studies for regional tourism development