In the jungle, students learn how to make tourism sustainable

When they say lights out in the Amazon jungle, student Erin Burke heeds the warning. “That’s when the snakes and wild animals come out,” said the travel and tourism management major. For two weeks, she and nine other students learned that lesson and so many others about how to create a sustainable tourism destination during a study abroad trip on the Amazon River in Brazil.

Students ventured into the jungle and took class aboard a riverboat to immerse themselves fully in the Amazon’s natural environment as part of the Global Sustainable Tourism Bachelor of Arts degree within the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management. The objective of the December trip was to learn about the social, economic and environmental pillars of sustainable tourism.

“Seeing the impact first-hand was eye-opening,” Burke said. “It really underscores how sustainable tourism can empower communities to protect their natural resources.” 

Students slept and listened to class lectures on the riverboat. (Photo courtesy of Fabio Lorenzo)

The Amazon rainforest covers about 40% of the country of Brazil and is known as one of the most biodiverse and ecologically significant regions in the world. Occupied by several million species of insects, birds, plants and other forms of life, the Amazon is also home to a population of 47 million people, a fraction of which represents indigenous communities.

Students observed how tour guides minimized their environmental impact by adhering to practices that avoided harm to nature, properly disposed of food waste and supported local artisans and businesses.

A highlight of the trip was the opportunity to see and interact with pink dolphins. Their existence is increasingly threatened by environmental degradation, and students learned about the conservation efforts in place to protect these beautiful and uniquely colored creatures. The dolphins, whose color can even blush bright pink when they’re excited, are tracked and monitored by local conservation groups.

The trip included visits to an indigenous tribe called Tatuyo (on Instagram @tatuyos.oficial) whose members live in jungle villages among the elements. When students visited the tribe, they learned about their unique customs, rituals and even some survival skills. Should you ever find yourself lost in the rainforest, the Tatuyos discovered a common vine that if tapped in the right area, can produce clean water for drinking. 

“It’s really interesting to see how people have grown up in the jungle and how all of their stories intertwine with nature,” said Fabio Lorenzo, a business student in the Honors College.

Like many students, Lorenzo was fascinated to learn about folktales meant to scare tourists into leaving the jungle unharmed. “The legend of the Curupia scared me the most,” Lorenzo said. “He’s a man whose feet are turned backwards that create footprints leading in the wrong direction to confuse people and he prays on poachers and hunters who take more than they need from the rainforest.” 

Rio Negro Sustainable Development Reserve (Photo courtesy of Fabio Lorenzo)

While many may think that making visits to areas inhabited by indigenous tribes can cause harm, Professor Carolin Lusby, co-director of the Global Sustainable Tourism program, promises that it can be done sustainably.

“When a tourist makes a conscious effort to work with accredited tour companies, this helps ensure that the money spent by travelers is reinvested into local communities or indigenous tribes like the Tatuyo and that any purchasing of goods from the tribe stays within the village,” Lusby said.

For many, the trip was not just an educational experience but also a career-defining moment. Burke, who works in the beverage distribution industry, was inspired to explore ways to incorporate sustainable practices into her profession, and Lorenzo said the experience reshaped his perspective in understanding the importance of considering environmental impact as part of any tourism business. Neglecting such concerns, he cautions, could ultimately result in the declaine of nature-based tourism and tour companies.

The Global Sustainable Tourism Bachelor of Arts degree is moving from fully online to in person in Fall 2025. To learn more about the program, please visit the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management.