Geographical indication of São Matheus as a boost to gastronomic tourism

Yerba-mate has undeniable historical-cultural and economic value, especially in Southern Brazil. The consumption of yerba-mate as chimarrão or tea is usual, and the product can also be creatively used as an ingredient in other food preparations. In Paraná, the state flag has a branch of this plant on it, representing the importance of this production in its colonization, emancipation, and consolidation as a state. Aiming to protect and promote products in connection to their origin, appears the sign of geographical indications (GIs). Regarding this product, the first GI, namely, the GI São Matheus, was granted in 2017 and its territory comprises 06 municipalities located in the South of the state of Paraná. Taking that into consideration, this article sought to analyze how the implementation of a geographical indication might boost gastronomic tourism in a given region. To carry out the investigation, the potentiality of the territory of São Matheus, located in Southern Paraná – Brazil was observed.  The data was organized and treated by developing an interpretive case study. The participants were 28 actors (producers, support organizations, and other relevant individuals, employing a process called “snowball”), document analysis and direct observation were also used. The data analysis employed content analysis aided by the software IRaMuTeQ for key questions.  After crossing evidence, we verified the existence of actors promoting local gastronomy and tourism. However, strengthening the GI management is still needed along with the aggregation of other territorial assets to promote the rediscovery of its potentialities.