PlanetaEXO documentary reveals how sustainable travel advances forest conservation, local actions that put climate discourse into practice and strengthen Amazonian communities.
São Paulo, November 2025 – Following the conclusion of COP30 in Belém, a new documentary reinforces that protecting the Amazon increasingly depends on local and continuous action. The sustainable travel platform PlanetaEXO has just released “Tourism that Keeps the Amazon Alive,” a 5-minute film that portrays how Amazonian communities are transforming tourism into an effective strategy for conservation and income generation.
The mini-documentary directed by Lucas Ribeiro, who is also the founder and CEO of PlanetaEXO, features accounts from residents who have replaced old extractive activities with community-based tourism models. By accompanying visitors, sharing traditional knowledge, and directly caring for the territory, they demonstrate that it is possible to keep the forest alive while strengthening their local economies.
Recent figures reinforce the urgency of this movement. Between August 2024 and July 2025, the Legal Amazon recorded 5,796 km² of deforestation, the lowest rate in more than a decade, according to PRODES/INPE. Even so, degradation caused by fire already accounts for almost 40% of recent losses, indicating that pressure on the biome remains high. For many families, tourism is emerging as a concrete alternative to remain in the territory without resorting to practices that compromise the forest.
One of the most striking testimonials in the film sums up this change in perspective. “Tourism showed me that price is different from value. A caboclo cuts down a 300-year-old tree to buy a chicken for lunch and ends up without dinner. That’s price. But when you understand value, that’s when things start to change,” says Roberto Britto, a former logger and current tourism entrepreneur.
”Tourism showed me that price is different from value. A caboclo cuts down a 300-year-old tree to buy a chicken for lunch and ends up without dinner. That's price. But when you understand value, that's when things start to change.
Roberto BrittoEmpreendedor e ex-madeireiro na Amazônia
PlanetaEXO has observed a growing interest in responsible travel, which strengthens community projects and amplifies the positive impact of ecotourism. In 2025, the platform recorded a 210% increase in the number of tourists in the Amazon compared to the previous year, with visitors coming from the United States, France, Germany, and other countries.
World Bank data shows that sustainable tourism already generates around US$ 2.3 billion per year in the Amazon. The figure is still far from the US$ 45 billion generated by extractive activities, but it is a new and growing market. The Planeta EXo documentary highlights the stories of forest dwellers who have discovered responsible tourism as a more sustainable source of income.
“The film focuses on the people behind these efforts. In their own words, they describe how tourism has transformed their daily lives, brought them independence, and offered a dignified alternative to extractivism,” says Lucas Ribeiro. These accounts complement, in a concrete way, the climate discussions raised during COP30.
Technical Data Sheet “Tourism that Keeps the Amazon Alive”
Format: Documentary
Duration: 5 minutes
Director: Lucas Ribeiro
Interviews: Larissa Mariano and Isadora Sá
Production Assistant: Lucas Pinelli
Participants: Joarlison Garrido – Nova Esperança Community; José Pancrácio – Nova Esperança Community; Roberto Brito – Tumbira Community; and Izolena Garrido – Tumbira Community
