Paraty, between parties and festivals: from partnership to cultural marketing in times of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

This article aims to show Paraty's parties and festivals, emphasizing some editions of the PEF as important products from the perspective of the city's cultural marketing. Due to social isolation, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which kept the city closed to tourism, it was decided to dialogue with some of its characters and follow up on nine social networks, where the focus is on the Paraty region. Also, we used field trips carried out, with ethnophotographic inspiration, during the event Festival Internacional de Fotografia – Paraty Em Foco, in the editions of PEF2017, PEF2018 and PEF2019. Relying on the concepts of Culture by the authors Bauman (2012) and Hall (1997), as well as the concept of Cultural Marketing by the authors Constante (2020), Neto (2006) and Silva (2004), the research is justified by the importance given to cultural events along with the worldwide recognition for winning the title of World Heritage (mixed) by UNESCO and for the significant changes in the cultural scenario due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. It appears that investment in cultural projects by companies has been decreasing for at least five years. Observation in the field also indicates that the Festival organizers were able to carry out the last four editions of the event with visible sacrifice and dedication. And PEF2020 was one of the very few events on the Paraty Cultural Calendar that, in addition to the online format, also took place in person.