RUMOS Seminar opens discussions on sustainable and regenerative tourism in Pará post-COP30
Event marks less than 100 days to the UN Conference in Belém and brings together experts, entrepreneurs, and managers to outline the future of the sector in the Amazon
Focusing on sustainability and the regeneration of Amazonian territories, the State Secretariat for Tourism of Pará (Setur) launched, this Monday (4), the first edition of the RUMOS Seminar – "Post-COP30 Tourism". The event marks the countdown of less than 100 days to the 30th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP30), which will be held in November in the capital of Pará. Bringing together public managers, community leaders, entrepreneurs, experts, students, and professionals from the tourism trade, the seminar sheds light on the role of tourism as a protagonist in the environmental, economic, and social transformations that the planet demands.
The director of Tourism Products at Setur, Alessandra Pamplona, emphasized that the seminar symbolizes the maturation of a collective project that has been built over the years with the collaboration of multiple actors. "We want to discuss the directions and new paths of this tourism in the state. The tourism we have been doing, but now needs to consolidate as public policy, as a legacy for the future. And this future will only be possible with the active participation of the community, academia, the private sector, and public management. We are here to dream together, not to impose a ready-made model. Our work at the Secretariat is also about listening and building dreams," she declared.
Alessandra also reinforced that the moment requires courage and strategic vision. "We are receiving national and international attention because of COP30. This visibility needs to be used responsibly. I am very anxious for the event to arrive soon and for the world to understand that we are not just a destination in Brazil. We have already recognized our potential, now it is time for the world to recognize it too. And we will make this happen," she stated.
Tourism and climate: sector needs to take the lead in global negotiations, argues Jacqueline Gil
The opening keynote lecture was conducted by Jacqueline Gil, a professor at the University of Brasília (UnB) and former Marketing Director of Embratur. With international recognition for her work in sustainable tourism, Jacqueline highlighted that the sector is responsible for 8.8% of global greenhouse gas emissions and, therefore, urgently needs to take its role in the climate agenda.
"Tourism directly impacts the advancement of global warming. Therefore, it is not enough to reduce damage: we need to transform the way we travel, produce, and consume tourism, especially in biomes like the Amazon," she stated, while contextualizing the challenges of building a regenerative and low-emission model. For her, COP30 is a unique opportunity for Brazil – and especially Pará – to take global leadership in building a new world paradigm in tourism. "This is the largest political and economic event in the world on climate," she emphasized.
Jacqueline reminded that only at COP29, held in 2024 in Azerbaijan, tourism was formally included in the climate negotiation agendas. "It has been treated for decades as a rebellious sector, which pollutes, but also carries immense potential for transformation. We need concrete actions: cut emissions by reducing and compensating fossil fuels, prioritize the Circular Economy by reusing materials, eliminate the use of disposable plastic, encourage local food with healthy biomes without packaging, and especially, regenerate ecosystems, forests, mangroves, and corals," she advocated.
Local initiatives inspire transformative practices in Amazonian tourism
The program continued with the roundtable "Pará at the forefront of sustainable tourism," which brought together entrepreneurs and experts directly involved in building more ethical and conscious tourism practices. Participants included Ana de Sá (Espaço Aruna), Ana Karolina Jorge (Vivenciar Turismo), and Fernanda Freitas (Pará Birding Tour), moderated by Allyson Neri. They shared experiences related to ecotourism, community-based tourism, nature observation, and the appreciation of Amazonian culture, reinforcing that Pará already has consolidated paths and nationally recognized initiatives.
Amid the dialogue on strategies to consolidate Pará as a reference in sustainable tourism, entrepreneur Fernanda Freitas brought forth fundamental reflections. Leading Pará Birding Tour, an agency specialized in birdwatching in the Amazon, Fernanda shared her experience with contemplative tourism and the importance of preserving the Amazon biome as the basis of the entire production chain.
"Tourism has enormous potential to be a driver of transformation in Brazil. We still need to advance, and the first step is to understand that we must work in a network," she highlighted.
