Tourism in Rio Grande do Norte has lost 100,000 arrivals!

Abstract The Case Study "Tourism in Rio Grande do Norte has lost 100,000 arrivals" describes a particular and challenging scenario within the destination Natal. Thus, this case study presents the tourism investment background of Natal and discusses the decisions that should be adopted by the current Tourism Secretary of Natal to face the difficulties brought by the demand drop of this destination among international tourists. This situation took place mainly after the global economic crisis with a reduction of charter flights for (and from) Natal. Infrastructure and public safety issues also contributed to a reduction in the number of visitors to the city. Within this context, a reflection on Natal's situation is put forward aiming to highlight the importance of the implementation of public policies, tourism marketing actions, analysis of internal and external environments of the destination, and the establishment of competitive advantages. For the preparation of this case study actual data were collected from newspapers, magazines and scientific journals. This case study can be used in graduate or postgraduate programs in Business Administration, Marketing and Tourism.