https://journals.scientia.international/SIJSocial

Scientia International Journal for

Social Sciences

Vol. 1, 1 (2026)

Type: [Research Article] | DOI: 10.56365/cytfpc45

(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0).

The Relationship Between the Sustainable Development Goals and the

Construction of a Tourist Destination Image: The Case of Mariana,

Minas Gerais

Águeda Maria Gomes dos Anjos1, Solano de Souza Braga1*, Thays Regina Rodrigues Pinho1, Simone

Cristina Putrick1

1Graduate Program in Tourism and Heritage, Federal University of Ouro Preto - UFOP, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil

*Corresponding author: solano.braga@ufop.edu.br

Abstract

This article analyzes how the tourism image of Mariana (Minas Gerais, Brazil) is constructed in the digital environment and how

this representation relates to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 11 and 12. Methodologically, the study adopted a qualitative

approach based on documentary and thematic analysis of Google-indexed content retrieved through the search query “tourism in

Mariana-MG.” Results were collected from the “All” tab (n=50) and the “Images” tab (n=40) between October and November

2024. The findings indicate that, although Mariana has strong potential associated with its historical and cultural heritage, the

destination’s digital visibility is significantly shaped by the memory of the Fundão dam collapse (2015), which remains highly

salient in the results and contributes to a polarized narrative between heritage and disaster. This dynamic tends to influence

expectations and visitation decisions, affecting destination communication and the ways in which tourism promotion, territorial

management, and sustainability are articulated. As a contribution, the study operationalizes SDGs 11 and 12 as an analytical lens

for interpreting the visibility and hierarchy of narratives in search engines, highlighting communication-governance challenges in

post-disaster historic destinations. In applied terms, the results support tourism-planning and territorial-communication strategies

aimed at improving the quality of digital content, strengthening the destination’s heritage image, and aligning it with sustainability

practices.

Keywords: Tourist destinations, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Tourism

Article details | Open peer review

Edited by:

Bruno César Alves Marcelino

Reviewed by:

Juliana Porto Machado

Angela Mara Bento Ribeiro

Citation:

Anjos, Á. M. G. dos, Braga, S. de S., Pinho, T. R. R., & Putrick, S. C. (2026). The relationship

between the Sustainable Development Goals and the construction of the image of a tourist

destination: The case of Mariana, Minas Gerais. Scientia International Journal for Social

Sciences, 1(1), 11. https://doi.org/10.56365/cytfpc45

Article history

Received: 08/09/2025

Revised: 05/02/2026

Accepted: 06/02/2026

Available online: 30/07/2026

Scientia International Journal for Social Sciences 2 of 19

Scientia International Journal for Social Sciences | Scientia International

1. Introduction

The construction of a tourist destination image is a complex process produced by multiple layers of

information - narratives, photographs, news reports, and descriptions - that shape perceptions and

representations of place in the social imaginary and, consequently, influence travel decisions. In the digital

environment, this construction becomes even more sensitive to the visibility and ranking of content in search

engines, because the most prominent results tend to serve as a “gateway” to public knowledge about a

destination, reinforcing certain frames while relegating others to peripheral positions.

In the case of Mariana (Minas Gerais), the image projected online tends to reflect simultaneously its

cultural and heritage values, associated with the municipality’s historical significance and visitation potential,

and the memory of the Fundão dam collapse (2015), which received extensive news coverage and is

repeatedly reactivated in the digital public sphere. The coexistence of these narratives reveals a relevant

tension for tourism: the attractiveness of historic destinations may be conditioned by “critical events” that

remain salient in media circulation, producing lasting effects on public image and visitor expectations.

Although the literature recognizes the centrality of destination image in tourism choice, the dynamics

through which search engines organize and make certain narratives more visible than others remain less

explored in tourism and planning studies, particularly in destinations affected by socio-environmental

disasters. Accordingly, this article assumes that understanding Mariana’s digital image requires examining

what appears (content and themes), how it appears (position and prominence), and the implications for

territorial tourism management and sustainable development.

In light of this problem, the study uses Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 11 (Sustainable Cities and

Communities) and 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) as its frame of reference, focusing on

targets directly related to the case: the protection and safeguarding of cultural and natural heritage (Target

11.4), the reduction of disaster-related impacts (Target 11.5), and principles for the environmentally sound

management of waste and risks throughout production and consumption cycles (SDG 12).

The selection of these SDGs is justified by two complementary factors: the recurring presence of heritage

and tourism content in representations of the municipality, and the persistence of disaster-related content,

which may negatively affect the destination’s attractiveness and challenge tourism-communication strategies

aligned with sustainability. The research question guiding the study is therefore: how does the tourism image

of Mariana (MG), as projected in Google and Google Images results, relate to dimensions associated with

SDGs 11 and 12? To answer this question, the study analyzes the elements that contribute to the formation

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of Mariana’s image as a tourist destination when users conduct online searches, using as its empirical corpus

Google-indexed results from the “All” and “Images” tabs collected between October and November 2024.

The guiding assumptions (working hypotheses) are that the digital memory of the disaster tends to remain

highly salient and to compete with efforts to promote the municipality’s cultural heritage and tourism

experiences; and that the predominance of disaster-related content in highly visible positions may narrow

public perceptions of Mariana, limiting awareness of the diversity of its attractions and consequently creating

challenges for tourism planning and sustainability-oriented territorial communication.

The article is organized as follows: first, it discusses destination image and tourism planning; next, it details

the methodological procedures used to collect and process the data; finally, it presents and discusses the

results, emphasizing implications for planning and territorial-communication strategies aligned with SDGs

11 and 12.

2. Theoretical Framework

The influence of destination image on travelers’ decisions has been debated since the 1970s, when

Hunt initiated studies on tourist-destination analysis (Pike, 2002). This image is constructed in the individual

imagination, often through narratives, descriptions, photographs, and information, while purchase decisions

are driven by expectations that the destination will satisfy particular needs (BIGNAMI, 2002;

RUSCHMANN, 2006, cited in OLIVEIRA & HARB, 2012). Perceptions of a place as a tourist destination

are shaped by numerous variables beyond the variety of tourist attractions; these variables may confer a

competitive advantage over other destinations. In this sense,

[...] tourism competitiveness is the capacity of the agents involved in the tourism activity of a country,

region, or area to achieve their objectives above the sectoral average in a sustained and sustainable

manner. This may be accomplished by attaining above-average financial profitability in the business

sphere and social and environmental returns as a consequence of the actions of public agencies and

institutions, while also achieving the highest possible level of tourist satisfaction. The ultimate

objective of competitiveness is therefore to better meet the expectations of all agents participating in

tourism activity (ESTEVE SECALL, 2002, cited in SILVA, 2004, pp. 385-386).

To consolidate a positive image of a place as a tourist destination and provide it with a competitive

advantage, planning is required. Cooper et al. (2007) argue that such planning should consider the

characteristics of the territory and align with policies at the global, federal, and state levels, integrating

economic, physical, social, and cultural dimensions. From the perspective of the World Tourism Organization

(UNWTO, 2003), planning should pursue an integrated, controlled, and sustainable development path; it

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should remain flexible rather than rigid in response to constant market transformations; it should be based on

systematic procedures, including the definition of objectives, research development, and data analysis; and it

should involve local social actors affected by the planning process from its initial stages.

Spontaneous or planned increases in tourism flows can stimulate local and/or regional economies by

generating demand for accommodation, food services, and leisure activities. Without organization

and planning, however, tourism can disrupt local culture, degrade natural environments, contaminate

water resources, encourage real-estate speculation, damage the image of the place, and territorially

exclude residents, potentially causing irreversible harm and worsening the social conditions of local

populations. Such disorder may therefore promote social exclusion and act as a mere devourer of

landscapes (OLIVEIRA & HARB, 2012).

Accordingly, encouraging tourism flows without sound planning negatively affects people’s lives,

particularly those of residents, and consequently hampers progress toward the Sustainable Development

Goals, an agenda whose implementation is a shared responsibility of the public sector, private organizations,

and civil society. The SDGs seek to enable all citizens, without restriction, to enjoy a better quality of life

through positive social, economic, and environmental impacts.

Tourism policies should draw on the 17 SDGs, which support sound planning of tourism activities,

contribute to a high-quality visitor experience, and improve residents’ lives by fostering a harmonious,

respectful, integrated, and healthy environment. As with any territory, analyzing the municipality of Mariana

through the lens of the 17 SDGs would allow extensive discussion of any of the Goals shown below (Figure

1):

Figure 1: The 17 SDGs. Source: United Nations Brazil (2024)

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Considering the municipality’s relationship with tourism, however, this study focuses on SDG 11 -

Sustainable Cities and Communities - and SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production - because

they strongly affect the prospects for developing tourism activity. The SDGs and targets addressed in this

study are as follows:

• SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities, which aims to make cities and human settlements inclusive,

safe, resilient, and sustainable

o Target 11.4 - Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage;

o Target 11.5 - By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected by

disasters, and substantially decrease the direct economic losses caused by them relative to global gross

domestic product, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in

vulnerable situations;

• SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production, which aims to ensure sustainable consumption and

production patterns

o By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their

life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release

into air, water, and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the

environment;

In this context, the effects of the Fundão dam collapse in 2015 must be recalled. The disaster ran counter

to the SDGs described above and generated negative associations that circulated especially through news

coverage worldwide and online, damaging the image of the place as a tourist destination and compromising

its attractiveness, understood as the set of future perceptions and mental representations, together with past

memories, that tourists hold regarding their chosen destination (ACERENZA, 2002; BIGNAMI, 2002).

3. Methodological Procedures

The study adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative interpretive analysis with quantitative

descriptive systematization of the data in order to understand how Mariana is represented as a tourist

destination in the digital environment. The empirical corpus consists of content indexed by Google, with

emphasis on the visibility and ranking of information accessed by users when they conduct searches related

to tourism in the municipality. Data were collected between October and November 2024, a period selected

to capture a time-specific portrait of the most salient narratives at the time of the study.

The data-collection procedure used a destination-related search query (“tourism in Mariana-MG”) and

covered two complementary fronts: the “All” tab, which brings together textual results and links with titles

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and descriptions (“snippets”), and the “Images” tab, which presents visual representations indexed for the

same term. To increase the protocol’s replicability and reduce interference from algorithmic personalization,

searches should be conducted in an incognito session after clearing browsing history and cookies, while

recording the date and time of the search, the language, and the approximate location of access, since results

may vary according to the browsing context. The first 50 results displayed in the “All” tab and the first 40

images returned in the “Images” tab were collected, preserving Google’s order of presentation as an indicator

of prominence and visibility.

The corpus was selected according to explicit inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results representing

Mariana in a tourism context were included, such as content on attractions and cultural heritage, visitor

information (itineraries, access, services, and tourism facilities), and institutional or journalistic materials

with a direct bearing on the construction of the destination image. Content concerning the Fundão dam

collapse (2015) and its consequences was considered part of the sphere in which the municipality’s public

image is produced, because it recurs in the digital environment and may affect perceived attractiveness.

Results unrelated to tourism or irrelevant to the municipality (homonyms and geographically displaced

references), duplicates (the same URL or domain repeated, or repeated images and very similar variations),

pages unavailable at the time of verification, and items whose title or description did not permit at least a

minimal identification of the predominant theme for categorization were excluded.

After collection, the data were organized in a database with sequential numbering and identification of the

result type (text/link or image), source domain, and basic descriptors (title and snippet for the “All” tab;

caption and indexing context for the “Images” tab). When a publication date was available, it was recorded

to support interpretations of temporality and narrative reactivation; when no date was available, the item was

treated as continuously available web content, such as a permanent information page. The corpus was then

processed by removing duplicates and verifying compliance with the scope criteria.

Thematic categorization was conducted through thematic content analysis, combining categories defined

in advance from the study objective and the SDG 11 and 12 framework with inductive refinements developed

during reading. In the “All” tab, the primary unit of analysis consisted of the title and snippet, with the linked

content consulted only when necessary to clarify the dominant theme. In the “Images” tab, classification

considered the thumbnail, caption, and, where relevant, the source page. When a result contained more than

one theme, the predominant theme was recorded and, when relevant to the interpretation, co-occurrence

between categories was marked - for example, heritage associated with references to the disaster - in order

to preserve relevant nuances within the set of narratives.

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Data analysis was conducted in two complementary stages. First, a descriptive analysis examined the

distribution of results across categories and their positions in the rankings in order to identify patterns of

visibility and thematic recurrence. Second, an interpretive analysis examined how the simultaneous presence

of heritage/tourism content and disaster-related content contributes to a potentially polarized narrative about

the destination, as well as the implications for tourism communication, tourism planning, and sustainability.

This interpretation was linked to SDGs 11 and 12, particularly regarding the safeguarding of cultural heritage,

risk management, and the promotion of responsible consumption and production practices.

Finally, the study acknowledges limitations inherent in the use of search engines as an empirical source.

Google results are dynamic and partially opaque, and may vary according to location, language, browsing

history, and algorithmic updates. The findings therefore describe a time-specific snapshot (October-

November 2024) and are suited to interpreting trends in narrative salience and ranking, without claiming to

establish algorithmic causality. Even so, the adopted protocol makes it possible to understand how a

destination image may be conditioned by the visibility of particular content in the digital environment,

providing support for management and communication strategies aligned with sustainability. This mapping

helped identify the predominant narratives and their impact on the formation of Mariana’s tourism image, in

line with methodologies that emphasize the influence of online narratives on destination perceptions (Pike,

2002; Favero, 2012; Oliveira & Harb, 2012).

4. Results and Discussion: Mariana, Minas Gerais, and the Factors Influencing the

Construction of Its Image as a Tourist Destination

The tourist destinations known as the “historic towns of Minas Gerais” comprise former settlements

founded approximately three centuries ago that played a prominent role in earlier centuries because of gold

and gemstone extraction. They hold a particular appeal in the tourist imagination, especially because of the

expressive built heritage dating from the Brazilian colonial period. Mariana is one of these towns and is often

referred to as the Primaz de Minas, or the first town of Minas Gerais.

Its tourist attractions display considerable diversity beyond the built heritage, including

archaeological sites, gold mines, waterfalls, trails, and museums with extensive collections, thereby enabling

a broad range of tourism modalities. Its hillsides also host visual artists’ studios where each artist creates

distinctive carved works; the municipality has eleven active community bands based in the urban center and

its districts, as well as choirs, Congado groups, artisans, writers, and popular cultural expressions that enrich

its culture.

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The municipality also hosts events of regional and national significance, including mountain-biking

competitions (Iron Biker Brasil and Chaoyang Estrada Real Internacional), the Festival da Vida, the

Encontro Internacional de Palhaços, and the Mariana and Ouro Preto Winter Festival. Mariana is also

located approximately 10 km from Ouro Preto, which was designated a National Heritage Site in 1938.

According to the Ouro Preto Municipal Government (2023), the municipality “is one of the most visited

historic towns in the country.” Despite this proximity, Mariana receives only a small share of the tourists who

visit the region.

Since 2008, Mariana has experienced political instability, with frequent changes of mayors and,

consequently, of municipal department teams. This has negatively affected the continuity of government

plans and the consolidation of public policies capable of effectively establishing the territory as a tourist

destination. In 2015, the municipality received extensive news coverage and negative media exposure

because of the Fundão dam collapse, described as

the country’s greatest environmental tragedy; the disaster killed people, engulfed communities and crops,

polluted waterways, and left a trail of destruction throughout the Doce River basin in Minas Gerais, with

effects extending to the river mouth in the state of Espírito Santo and the Atlantic Ocean (PUBLIC

PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE OF MINAS GERAIS, 2020).

Given the influence of tourist-destination image, particularly as conveyed online - currently one of the

most democratic communication tools - the search query “Mariana, Minas Gerais” was entered in Google’s

“All” tab to identify how positive and attractive the first 50 results (Appendix 1) were for promoting the

territory as a tourist destination during the period analyzed. It should be noted that the period between October

and November 2024 included three events related to the 2015 Fundão dam collapse that increased media

coverage of the municipality’s name online and in television, radio, and newspapers at both national and

international levels:

1. The signing and ratification of the Renegotiation Agreement on 25/10/2024 and 06/11/2024,

respectively;

2. The beginning, in London, of the trial in the lawsuit brought by approximately 620,000 people affected

by the dam collapse against the Anglo-Australian company BHP, a Samarco shareholder, on 21/10/2024;

3. Commemorative events marking the ninth anniversary of the dam collapse on 05/11/2024.

The topics in the analyzed results were classified into nine themes, described and quantified below

(Chart 1):

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Chart 1: Classification of publications by topic

Source: Prepared by the author (2025).

The chart “Classification of publications by topic” shows that 50% concern “tourist attractions.” Most

of these publications address the built heritage - churches and historic houses - located in the city center, also

known as the historic center. This area contains Praça Minas Gerais, one of the most significant architectural

ensembles in Minas Gerais, comprising Nossa Senhora do Carmo Church, São Francisco de Assis Church

(recently reopened to visitors after a lengthy restoration process), and the Casa de Câmara.

Although most publications concern the built heritage, the first result classified under “tourist attractions”

refers to Mina da Passagem, the world’s largest gold mine open to public visitation. Owned by a family

group, it is located in the district of Passagem de Mariana, between Mariana and Ouro Preto. Of the 25

publications on tourist attractions, three focus on Mina da Passagem.

It should be emphasized that, in the order in which the publications appear in the rankings, tourist-attraction

results begin only with the 12th result: seven appear between positions 10 and 19; eight between positions

20 and 29; four between positions 30 and 39; and six between positions 40 and 50. From this perspective,

publications concerning tourist attractions appear only from the end of the first results page onward, which

may affect users’ willingness to continue browsing subsequent pages.

The “tourist information” category (restaurants, hotels, inns, tourist sites, and useful telephone numbers)

is represented by Mariana’s Official Tourism Website, which appears in 10th position, still on the first page.

Ten of the 50 analyzed publications were classified under “dam collapse and renegotiation”: six concerned

the dam collapse - nine years; three concerned the dam collapse - renegotiation; and one concerned the dam

collapse - nine years / renegotiation. All ten publications associated the name “Mariana (MG)” with words

such as “tragedy,” “affected,” “crime,” “mud,” and “dam,” in addition to images similar to Figure 3 below,

from November 2015.

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Figure 3: Bento Rodrigues community (Mariana, MG), after 05/11/2015

Source: Poder360 (2015).

Publications on the topic “dam collapse and renegotiation” appeared in the following positions: 3rd, 4th,

5th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 30th, 33rd, 36th, and 50th. This shows that, during the period analyzed, the topic

continued to negatively affect the circulation of Mariana’s image as a tourist destination even nine years after

the event. Moreover, as in 2024 and previous years, November is likely to remain a period in which Mariana

receives media attention associated with the anniversary of the Fundão dam collapse.

One publication addressing “the dam collapse and Mariana’s attractions” was identified and included an

account of Mariana’s history. It emphasized life in the Bento Rodrigues community, a subdistrict of Mariana,

before the collapse and, unlike the other results, helped to some extent to challenge the idea that mud from

the Fundão dam affected the entire municipality of Mariana. This result appeared in 45th position, that is, on

the fifth search-results page. The “general information” category comprised six publications with information

on demography, population, political affairs, and history on Wikipedia (three), IBGE (two), and IPHAN (one)

pages. The content was predominantly textual and visually unappealing for users seeking information about

a tourist destination.

Five publications were identified under “information for the local community,” providing content

specifically directed toward local residents, including municipal-government news, daily events, and job

vacancies. The institutional website of the Municipality of Mariana was the first of the 50 analyzed results,

while the remaining publications appeared from the 21st position onward. Two publications from the same

domain, in 35th and 44th positions, directed users to photo albums, as shown in the screenshot below (Figure

4):

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Figure 4: Photo album result for the search query “Mariana, Minas Gerais” on Google

Source: Getty Images (2024).

Although the first images relate to the tangible built heritage, from the fourth image onward there are

many images associated with the dam collapse and the impacts left by the mud in the days following the 2015

event - 23 among the first 40 images. The final images among the first 40 also show religious manifestations,

which are not mentioned in the other 49 results included in Chart 1, “Classification of publications by topic.”

After examining the result that led to a photo album, the analysis was extended to Google’s “Images” tab

using the same search query, “Mariana, Minas Gerais.” The results are shown in the screenshot below (Figure

5):

Figure 5: Search for the query “Mariana, Minas Gerais” on Google - Images tab

Source: Google (2024).

These results corroborate the focus of most of the 50 publications analyzed in the “All” tab, namely the

tangible built heritage - churches and historic houses. Of the first 40 images returned by this search, three

concern the Fundão dam collapse, the first of which appears in 24th position. Unlike the previous album, the

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image results are more attractive for destination-related searches; however, they remain focused on tangible

heritage and do not explore other attractions that could influence an individual’s decision to choose Mariana

as a travel destination, such as waterfalls, trails, cycling, events, cuisine, popular festivals, and museums. It

is also noteworthy that Mina da Passagem, mentioned three times in the “All” tab, did not appear in the

“Images” tab. Another issue observed during the analysis concerns the dates of the publications, as shown in

Chart 2:

Chart 2: Dates of the analyzed publications

Source: Prepared by the author (2024).

The oldest publication identified, dated October 2017, concerned “tourist attractions.” The next was

a 2018 publication classified under “dam collapse and Mariana attractions,” which emphasized life in the

Bento Rodrigues community, a subdistrict of Mariana, before the collapse and, unlike the other results, helped

challenge the idea that mud from the Fundão dam affected the entire municipality. No publications from 2019

were identified. In 2020, two publications were found - one in October and one in December - both

concerning “tourist attractions.” In 2021, three publications were identified: one dated 16 July, the

municipality’s anniversary, and two in December; all concerned “tourist attractions.” In 2022, one publication

was identified, in July, the month of the municipality’s anniversary, and it also concerned “tourist

attractions.” In 2023, five publications were identified - in February, May, July, August, and December - all

concerning “tourist attractions.”

In 2024, 11 publications were identified: one in February, one in July, and nine between October and

November, coinciding with the dates of the agreement renegotiation, the beginning of the trial in London,

and the commemorative events marking the ninth anniversary of the dam collapse. Of the 11 publications

identified in 2024, ten concerned the “dam collapse,” while only one concerned “tourist attractions”; the latter

was published in February 2024.

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The remaining publications, for which no publication date could be identified, concerned “photo albums,”

“tourist attractions,” “general information,” “information for the local community,” and “tourist

information.” Most were continuously updated informational pages containing historical information,

recommendations for restaurants, hotels and inns, useful telephone numbers, and similar content. The

mapping undertaken for this study covered a period of considerable public emotion, as noted above, which

may partly explain the volume of publications concerning the dam collapse. Nevertheless, the production of

content about tourist attractions remains very limited and does not represent the municipality’s cultural

diversity or range of leisure opportunities.

5. Conclusion

This article analyzed how Mariana’s tourism image is constructed in the digital environment through

results indexed by Google and Google Images. The empirical focus was the search query “tourism in

Mariana-MG,” with attention to the visibility of content in the highest-ranking results. The data show that

the destination’s representation is not organized solely around its attractions and heritage dimension; it is

strongly shaped by the persistence and recurrence of narratives concerning the Fundão dam collapse (2015),

which remains a dominant reference in online information circulation.

In terms of destination image, this dynamic contributes to a symbolic construction marked by tension and

polarization, in which cultural heritage and visitation potential coexist with the memory of the disaster in a

struggle for salience and public attention. By mobilizing SDGs 11 and 12 as an analytical lens, the study

interprets this struggle not merely as a marketing problem, but as an issue of communication governance and

sustainability-oriented territorial tourism planning. Under SDG 11, the high visibility of disaster-related

content reiterates the challenge faced by historic destinations in articulating, within the digital public sphere,

narratives that value the safeguarding of cultural heritage and territorial resilience while acknowledging

disaster risks and impacts and avoiding reductive representations of a place through a single frame.

From the perspective of SDG 12, the results highlight the relevance of information quality and the

organization of content that guides tourism-consumption choices. The way information is presented and

ranked in search engines tends to shape expectations and visitation decisions, influencing practices, flows,

and perceptions of the destination.

In applied terms, the results suggest that tourism-promotion policies and strategies in Mariana should

incorporate the digital environment as a structural dimension of planning rather than as a supplementary

action. First, this entails periodically monitoring keywords and search engine results pages (SERPs) as an

instrument for managing the destination image, thereby making it possible to track trends in narrative salience

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and assess the impacts of communication initiatives. Second, interpretive content on heritage, itineraries, and

tourism experiences should be produced and curated through coordination between public and private actors

- municipal management, cultural institutions, tourism-sector stakeholders, the local press, and community

initiatives - in order to expand the presence and consistency of high-quality tourism information. Finally,

symbolic repositioning and territorial-communication strategies should treat the memory of the disaster as a

component that must be acknowledged and contextualized, avoiding both erasure and the event’s absolute

dominance over the place’s digital narrative, with a view to strengthening a more plural image compatible

with sustainability and heritage protection.

The study has limitations arising from the dynamic and partially opaque nature of search engines, whose

results may vary according to location, browsing history, and algorithmic updates. The findings therefore

describe a situated snapshot (October-November 2024) and do not support causal inferences about ranking.

In addition, the analysis focused on one search term and two specific tabs (“All” and “Images”), which

delimits the corpus and does not encompass the diversity of platforms involved in constructing contemporary

tourism images. Future research could expand triangulation to social media, review platforms, and travel

websites; test variations of search terms; compare post-crisis historic destinations; and further examine the

types of institutional, journalistic, collaborative, and commercial sources that sustain dominant narratives in

the digital environment.

The study demonstrates that Mariana’s tourism image, when examined through its visibility in search

engines, is shaped by narrative disputes with significant effects on tourism and sustainability. By connecting

digital communication, destination image, and SDGs 11 and 12, the research provides a basis for

understanding how memories of critical events may remain central in the information environment and how

tourism planning can respond through integrated strategies for governance, content curation, and the

strengthening of heritage narratives aligned with sustainable development.

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Caxias do Sul. Uses online-content mapping to identify predominant narratives and their impact on

tourism attractiveness.

PUBLIC PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE OF MINAS GERAIS. Rompimento da Barragem de Fundão, em

Mariana: resultados e desafios cinco anos após o desastre [Fundão dam collapse in Mariana: results and

challenges five years after the disaster]. 29 Oct. 2020. Available at:

https://www.mpmg.mp.br/portal/menu/comunicacao/noticias/rompimento-da-barragem-de-fundao-em-

mariana-resultados-e-desafios-cinco-anos-apos-o

desastre.shtml#:~:text=Considerada%20a%20maior%20trag%C3%A9dia%20ambiental,Santo%2C%20

e%20no%20oceano%20Atl%C3%A2ntico. Accessed: 27 Oct. 2024.

OLIVEIRA, G. C., & HARB, L. N. (2012). A construção da imagem de destinos turísticos através de

narrativas e conteúdos online [The construction of tourist destination images through online narratives

and content]. Examines qualitative and quantitative analytical methods for understanding the impact of

digital content on tourism image.

WORLD TOURISM ORGANIZATION. Guia de desenvolvimento do turismo sustentável [Guide to

sustainable tourism development]. Porto Alegre: Bookman, 2003.

PIKE, S. (2002). Destination image analysis: a review of 142 papers from 1973 to 2000. Tourism

Management, 23, 541-549. Reviews methods for analyzing destination image, including textual and

visual online data.

PIKE, S. Destination image analysis: a review of 142 papers from 1973 to 2000. Tourism Management,

vol. 23, pp. 541-549, 2002.

OURO PRETO MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT. Turismo cresce em Minas Gerais e Ouro Preto é um dos

destinos favoritos no Estado [Tourism grows in Minas Gerais and Ouro Preto is one of the state’s

Scientia International Journal for Social Sciences 16 of 19

favorite destinations]. 24 Feb. 2023. Available at:

https://www.ouropreto.mg.gov.br/noticia/3147#:~:text=Ouro%20Preto%20%C3%A9%20uma%20das,e

col%C3%B3gico%2C%20de%20experi%C3%AAncia%20e%20rural. Accessed: 2 Nov. 2024.

SILVA, J. A. S. Turismo, Crescimento e Desenvolvimento: uma análise urbano regional baseada em

Cluster [Tourism, growth, and development: an urban-regional cluster-based analysis]. 2004, 480 pp.

Doctoral dissertation (Geography) - Faculty of Philosophy, Languages and Human Sciences, University

of São Paulo. USP, São Paulo.

Scientia International Journal for Social Sciences 17 of 19

Scientia International Journal for Social Sciences | Scientia International

Appendix 1 - Mapping of the first 50 publications returned for the search query “Mariana, Minas Gerais” - cut-off date:

07/11/2024

Website

Topic

Search query:

Update

Municipality of Mariana

Information for the local

community

Mariana, Minas Gerais

Permanent

https://www.mariana.mg.gov.br/

Wikipedia

General information

Mariana, Minas Gerais

Permanent

https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariana

Dam collapse - 9 years

Mariana, Minas Gerais

05/11/2024

https://noticias.r7.com/minas-gerais/mg-no-ar/video/maior-tragedia-

ambiental-do-pais-rompimento-da-barragem-em-mariana-mg-completa-

9-anos-05112024/

Consultor Jurídico

Dam collapse - renegotiation

Mariana, Minas Gerais

06/11/2024

https://www.conjur.com.br/2024-nov-06/stf-homologa-acordo-de-

reparacao-por-tragedia-em-mariana-mg/

Joven Pan News

Dam collapse - renegotiation

Mariana, Minas Gerais

07/11/2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d3XiNqDCLg

IBGE

General information

Mariana, Minas Gerais

Permanent

https://www.ibge.gov.br/cidades-e-estados/mg/mariana.html

Official Tourism Website -

Mariana

Tourist information

Mariana, Minas Gerais

Permanent

https://mariana.org.br/

X - Jornal Hoje

Dam collapse - renegotiation

Mariana, Minas Gerais

06/11/2024

https://x.com/jornalhojeemdia?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5

Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

X - Carlos Viana

Dam collapse - 9 years

Mariana, Minas Gerais

05/11/2024

https://x.com/carlosaviana?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Ese

rp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

X - Duda Salabert

Dam collapse - 9 years

Mariana, Minas Gerais

05/11/2024

https://x.com/DudaSalabert/status/1853786689740648595?ref_src=twsrc

%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

IPHAN

General information

Mariana, Minas Gerais

Permanent

http://portal.iphan.gov.br/pagina/detalhes/1491/

Minas da Passagem

Tourist attractions

Mariana, Minas Gerais

Permanent

https://mariana.minasdapassagem.com.br/

Record News

Tourist attractions

Mariana, Minas Gerais

18/12/2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruRJZkCBd2w

Instituto Estrada Real

Tourist attractions

Mariana, Minas Gerais

Permanent

https://institutoestradareal.com.br/cidades/mariana-mg/

IBGE

General information

Mariana, Minas Gerais

Permanent

https://cidades.ibge.gov.br/brasil/mg/mariana/historico

Tripadvisor

Tourist attractions

Mariana, Minas Gerais

Permanent

https://www.tripadvisor.com.br/Attractions-g303386-Activities-

Mariana_State_of_Minas_Gerais.html

Portal Minas Gerais

Tourist attractions

Mariana, Minas Gerais

Permanent

https://www.minasgerais.com.br/pt/roteiros/mineiridades-descubra-

marianamg

Mariana City Portal

Information for the local

community

Mariana, Minas Gerais

Permanent

https://www.instagram.com/portaldacidademariana/

Minas da Passagem

Tourist attractions

Mariana, Minas Gerais

Permanent

https://mariana.minasdapassagem.com.br/visitacao/

Viagens e Caminhos

Tourist attractions

Mariana, Minas Gerais

23/02/2024

https://www.viagensecaminhos.com/mariana-mg/

Destinos notáveis

Tourist attractions

Mariana, Minas Gerais

07/05/2023

https://destinosnotaveis.com.br/mariana-minas-gerais/

Num Pulo

Tourist attractions

Mariana, Minas Gerais

05/12/2021

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=uQ2aQp0edfE

Scientia International Journal for Social Sciences 18 of 19

Website

Topic

Search query:

Update

Nerds Viajantes

Tourist attractions

Mariana, Minas Gerais

Oct/17

https://www.nerdsviajantes.com/2017/10/05/mariana-passeio-cidade-

historica/

Vida sem paredes

Tourist attractions

Mariana, Minas Gerais

01/08/2023

https://vidasemparedes.com.br/o-que-fazer-em-mariana-mg/

Wikipedia

General information

Mariana, Minas Gerais

Permanent

https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariana

Ouro Preto Travel

Tourist attractions

Mariana, Minas Gerais

Permanent

https://ouropretotravel.com/passeios/mariana/

Caminha Gente -

Registrando destinos

Tourist attractions

Mariana, Minas Gerais

Dec/20

https://caminhagente.com.br/o-que-fazer-em-mariana-minas-gerais/

Itatia Ouro Preto

Tourist attractions

Mariana, Minas Gerais

15/07/2023

https://www.itatiaia.com.br/ouropreto/2023/07/15/mariana-celebra-327-

anos-de-historia-e-cultura-no-coracao-de-minas-gerais

Mariana MG

Tourist attractions

Mariana, Minas Gerais

Permanent

https://marianamg.com.br/

Gov.Br

Dam collapse - 9 years

Mariana, Minas Gerais

25/10/2024

https://www.gov.br/planalto/pt-br/repactuacao-do-acordo-do-rio-

doce/conheca-a-linha-do-tempo-da-tragedia-de-mariana-mg

Archdiocese of Mariana

Information for the local

community

Mariana, Minas Gerais

Permanent

https://arqmariana.com.br/

Getty Images

Photo album

Mariana, Minas Gerais

Permanent

https://www.gettyimages.com.br/fotos/mariana-minas-gerais

Dam collapse - 9 years /

renegotiation

Mariana, Minas Gerais

Between

21/10/2024 and

07/11/2024

https://g1.globo.com/mg/minas-gerais/cidade/mariana/

Mapa na mão

Tourist attractions

Mariana, Minas Gerais

16/02/2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAK79N7t4pQ

Wikipedia

General information

Mariana, Minas Gerais

Permanent

https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariana

Agência Minas

Dam collapse - 9 years

Mariana, Minas Gerais

15/07/2024

https://www.agenciaminas.mg.gov.br/noticia/medalha-do-dia-de-minas-

presta-homenagem-a-pessoas-e-instituicoes-com-atuacao-em-defesa-

dos-atingidos-pela-tragedia-de-mariana

Minas 300 Anos

Tourist attractions

Mariana, Minas Gerais

05/10/2020

https://www.minas300anos.mg.gov.br/noticias-e-artigos/primeira-

capital-de-minas-mariana-guarda-memorias-do-ciclo-do-ouro/

Vai de Promo

Tourist attractions

Mariana, Minas Gerais

02/07/2022

https://www.vaidepromo.com.br/blog/mariana-minas-gerais/

Num Pulo

Tourist attractions

Mariana, Minas Gerais

05/12/2021

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ2aQp0edfE

Bahia (international)

Tourist attractions

Mariana, Minas Gerais

Permanent

https://www.bahia.ws/en/tourist-guide-to-mariana-in-minas-gerais/

Getty Images

Photo album

Mariana, Minas Gerais

Permanent

https://www.gettyimages.com.br/fotos/mariana-minas-gerais

Jornal da Unicamp

Tourist attractions / dam

collapse

Mariana, Minas Gerais

18/01/2018

https://unicamp.br/unicamp/ju/noticias/2018/01/17/o-municipio-de-

mariana/

Court of Justice of the

State of Minas Gerais

Tourist attractions

Mariana, Minas Gerais

16/07/2021

https://www.tjmg.jus.br/portal-tjmg/noticias/16-de-julho-dia-de-minas-

celebra-42-anos.htm

Mariana City Council

Tourist attractions

Mariana, Minas Gerais

Permanent

http://camarademariana.mg.gov.br/historia/

Scientia International Journal for Social Sciences 19 of 19

Website

Topic

Search query:

Update

Emprega Mariana

Information for the local

community

Mariana, Minas Gerais

Permanent

https://mariana-mg.curriculointerativo.com.br/vagas

Mariana City Portal

Information for the local

community

Mariana, Minas Gerais

Permanent

https://mariana.portaldacidade.com/

Mbigucci

Tourist attractions

Mariana, Minas Gerais

Permanent

https://www.mbigucci.com.br/mariana-a-primeira-cidade-de-minas-

gerais/

Minas da Passagem

Tourist attractions

Mariana, Minas Gerais

Permanent

https://mariana.minasdapassagem.com.br/videos/

Tripadvisor

Tourist attractions

Mariana, Minas Gerais

Permanent

https://www.tripadvisor.com.br/Tourism-g303386-

Mariana_State_of_Minas_Gerais-Vacations.html

Brasil de Fato

Dam collapse - 9 years

Mariana, Minas Gerais

05/11/2024

https://www.brasildefatomg.com.br/2024/11/05/9-anos-depois-

inseguranca-ainda-marca-a-vida-de-atingidos-por-barragem-em-

mariana-mg