Social Capital, Networks, and Stakeholders: A Study on the Role of Managers and Their Influence on Interorganizational Relations in Regional Governance Bodies of Minas Gerais

The article aims to investigate the social networks of stakeholders within three Regional Governance Bodies (IGRs) in Minas Gerais, with the objective of understanding their cooperation and the impacts on public tourism policies. The framework intersects the concepts of social networks and tourism governance to analyze how stakeholder interactions influence the formation and effectiveness of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in regional tourism, based on empirical cases from the IGRs "Circuito do Ouro," "Villas e Fazendas de Minas," and "Trilha dos Inconfidentes." A multiple case study method was applied using a mixed approach, combining both quantitative and qualitative analyses, with semi-structured interviews and social network analysis in the mentioned IGRs. The main results show that stakeholder networks in the IGRs are complex, with varying degrees of cooperation and competition. However, the density and connectivity of the networks directly impact the success of PPPs and the effectiveness of tourism policies, thus confirming existing literature. Nevertheless, the study highlights some moderating factors in this process. It concludes that the strengthening of the IGRs depends on greater stakeholder coordination, and its implications point to the need for public policies better adapted to local realities, along with continuous investment in training and infrastructure to ensure the sustainability and development of tourism in the studied regions.

We thank the Minas Gerais State Research Support Foundation (FAPEMIG) (process: APQ 03073/21) for the grant conceded to the project "Institutionalization of Tourist Circuits in Minas Gerais: Diagnosis, Analysis, and Action Proposals for Agglomeration Economies and Their Governance in Tourism Services," coordinated by Prof. Dr. Thiago Duarte Pimentel.