Brazilian sustainable tourism experience recognized by the G20

Pousada Uacari, from Amazonas, is one of the highlights of model initiatives for inclusive community development through tourism

Pousada Uacari is an inclusive community development model through tourism - Photo: Ministry of Tourism

Oct 13, Ecotourism: Five bungalows that float on the waters of the Solimões River in the middle of the largest protected lowland area in the world. The Uacari inn, located 1h30 by speedboat from the municipality of Tefé (AM), has been internationally recognized for combining environmental conservation with the social and economic development of the region, through tourism. The report Inclusive Community Development through Tourism, which highlights the Brazilian initiative, was presented last week at a meeting of Ministers of Tourism of the G20 - a group of countries with the greatest influence in the world.

“The inclusion as a case study of Pousada Uacari, in Amazonas, is, for us, a source of pride for presenting a participatory ecotourism management model”, highlighted the Minister of Tourism of Brazil, Marcelo Álvaro Antônio. “My orientation at the head of the Ministry is to explore the possibility of using the recommendations from this study in other tourism ventures in traditional communities that help to develop ecotourism in areas of biodiversity conservation”, he concluded.

The document was developed by the World Tourism Organization (WTO), in partnership with the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), at the request of the G20. In addition to Brazil, experiences from 18 other countries were also highlighted, such as Canada, Mexico, France, Italy, Japan and Switzerland. The indications of good practices were made by each country and approved by the presidency of the G20 Tourism, which this year is exercised by Saudi Arabia. The objective is for the initiatives to serve as inspiration for other countries.

Encouraging inclusive community development through tourism is among the commitments made by the ministers of tourism of the countries that make up the group. The idea is to support the growth of authentic and, at the same time, sustainable experiences for tourists, as well as promoting rural development and community empowerment.

When presenting the Inclusive Community Development through Tourism report, WTO Secretary-General Zurab Polikashvili assessed that “tourism helps communities maintain their natural and cultural heritage, supporting conservation, safeguarding endangered species, lost traditions or flavours”.

Pousada Ucari

Protecting the planet and conserving cultural heritage, offering tourists unique opportunities to experience nature and local culture is the recipe for success at Pousada Flutuante Uacari. Located in the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve - a state conservation unit -, the area has more than 1.1 million hectares of nature.

The entire structure of the inn is sustainable, from solar energy to ecological tiles, produced by the same technology for recycling PET bottles. There are 10 rooms, with capacity for 24 guests at a time. Each of the five bungalows has two suites overlooking the forest.

The administration is done in a shared way between the Mamirauá Institute - a Social Organization linked to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations - and 11 communities that are part of the Mamirauá Reserve and are close to the inn, through the Association of Ecotourism Assistants and Guides of Mamirauá (AAGEMAM).

Through this shared management, reservations are made and guests' arrival and departure logistics are organized. Management of employees, service providers and sellers of agricultural and handicraft products is also carried out. The work is on a rotation basis, that is, each person works, on average, 10 days a month, which allows communities to continue exercising traditional activities.

The format generates socio-economic benefits for local residents and contributes to the conservation of natural resources. About 100 families in the community have direct or indirect employment, based on the relationships in the production chain, including women, young people and the elderly. The estimate is that, for every R $ 1 invested in the inn, R $ 5 have returned to the regional economy.

Thus, of the 19 countries with good practices highlighted in the G20 report, only Pousada Uacari scored on all four topics analyzed: empowering people, safeguarding the planet, prosperity and collaboration between people.