TUI Futureshapers Brazil
The Brazilian Amazon is home to vibrant communities with rich cultural traditions, a unique understanding of the environment and strong connections to the forest. Tourism offers these communities a powerful opportunity to generate sustainable income whilst preserving their way of life. However, many face barriers that prevent them from fully benefitting from this potential. Limited technical capacity, weak product structuring, and poor access to commercial channels mean that tourism remains underdeveloped as a consistent income source. TUI Futureshapers Brazil addresses these challenges by equipping communities with the tools, skills, and market connections they need to transform tourism into a viable and sustainable livelihood.
TUI Futureshapers Brazil strengthens community-based tourism in two cooperatives located in the Brazilian Amazon: MMIB on Cotijuba Island near Belém, and Turiarte in the Tapajós-Arapiuns region near Santarém. Both territories possess remarkable natural and cultural assets, yet tourism remains either sporadic or under-structured as a reliable income stream.
This project explores models of community-based tourism products in the Amazon region, reinforcing the value of standing forest and traditional knowledge.
The core challenge isn’t a lack of tourism potential, it’s the absence of structured pathways to turn that potential into sustainable, market-connected enterprises. Communities often lack the technical support needed to design, price, and operate tourism products competitively. Even where experiences exist, weak commercialisation strategies and limited visibility beyond local networks result in irregular visitor flows and unstable income.
The project tackles these barriers through three interconnected pillars. It delivers structured capacity building and training for approximately 100 community members, covering tourism operations, hospitality, pricing, sustainability practices, and visitor experience design. It also supports product development and structuring by co-creating tourism experiences with each community, including itinerary design, operational planning, pricing models, and quality assurance. Finally, it enables market access and commercial integration by connecting communities to a network of 120 agencies and operators, as well as corporate clients, educational institutions, and tourism operators.
Project Partners
Vivalá is a Brazilian sustainable tourism company that designs and operates immersive experiences in natural and culturally rich territories, particularly in the Amazon. Founded over 10 years ago, Vivalá works at the intersection of tourism, sustainability, and community development, connecting travellers, companies, and institutions with local communities through meaningful, place-based experiences. Vivalá is a certified B Corporation with one of the highest scores in the global tourism sector and has received multiple national and international recognitions for its impact.
