The MUDA! Brazilian Collective for Responsible Tourism is sounding the alarm about the image Brazil — and especially the Amazon — will present to the world during COP 30, set to take place in Belém, Pará, in November 2025. Amid reports of abusive accommodation prices and concerns about a potential change of venue, MUDA! stresses that such basic issues must not paralyze us or divert attention from what truly matters: building and showcasing a responsible, inclusive tourism model that reflects the reality of the Amazon.

“We cannot remain hostage to primary problems and miss the opportunity to show a living, diverse Amazon rich in responsible tourism experiences, with genuine involvement of communities and traditional peoples throughout Pará,” says Tatiana Paixão, president of MUDA!.

For Ana Karolina Jorge, owner of Vivenciar Turismo de Base Comunitária — a community-based tourism company operating in Pará for over five years and a member of MUDA! — COP 30 represents a unique opportunity:

“It's the global stage we need to strengthen existing initiatives, open new opportunities, and generate income and development for those who live here. But this will only happen if communities are placed at the center of decision-making.”

Ana Karolina notes that she has already received COP-related inquiries, but many potential visitors haven't booked trips due to a lack of accommodations.

“We're stuck on an important issue — but we also need to think beyond accommodations.”

To help expand lodging options during the event and include local residents in the resulting socioeconomic impact, Raízes Desenvolvimento Sustentável and Diáspora.Black recently offered a free training course on how to host visitors during COP 30. The training guided 50 residents on converting their homes into accommodations, with tips on hospitality, pricing, and guest experience.

“It's essential to turn this large influx of visitors into real, long-term opportunities for local people who need it most,” says Mariana Madureira, director of Raízes Desenvolvimento Sustentável. “Through this training, we aim to help expand the supply of quality lodging, ensuring more families can benefit economically — and that visitors enjoy an authentic and welcoming experience in the Amazon.”

In 2024, COP 29 in Baku made history by hosting the first-ever Tourism Day and Ministerial Meeting on Tourism, bringing together over 700 representatives to discuss the role of tourism in achieving climate goals. MUDA! hopes that Brazil will continue this leadership at COP 30, recognizing tourism as a vital part of the climate and development agenda.

Tourism for COP 30 is currently being addressed by Brazil's Ministry of Tourism through the National Tourism Council, of which MUDA! is a member. The Collective advocates for the active participation of communities and traditional peoples in tourism planning and decision-making. This stance aligns with the Declaration of the Regional Meeting of Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Peoples and Communities of Brazil and the Amazon Basin towards COP 30, which demands that these groups be heard across all levels of the global conference structure.

“COP 30 can be the turning point to reposition tourism in the Amazon and Brazil as a force for positive transformation — but only if it's responsible, fair, and truly participatory,” says Solange Barbosa, MUDA!'s vice president and representative on the National Tourism Council.

About MUDA! Brazilian Collective for Responsible Tourism

The MUDA! Brazilian Collective for Responsible Tourism brings together professionals, entrepreneurs, and organizations who believe in tourism as a tool for social, environmental, and economic transformation. MUDA! works to strengthen ethical and inclusive practices across the country. Created in 2018 with the goal of positioning Brazil as a destination that values responsible and transformative tourism, MUDA! sees tourism as a powerful force to empower communities and cultures, conserve the environment, mitigate the effects of climate change, create economic alternatives, build resilience in destinations, combat social and gender inequalities, fight racism, foster understanding and peace among peoples, and drive sustainable development.

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