Tourism and Cultural Subsistence: Income Strategies among the Tuyuca Indigenous People in the Brazilian Amazon

Summary This case study examines the Tuyuca Indigenous community’s engagement with tourism in the Alto Rio Negro region of the Brazilian Amazon. Based on the ethnographic fieldwork and applying the Community-Controlled Tourism Assessment Framework (CCTAF), it analyses how Tuyuca balances cultural integrity, economic opportunity, and ethical challenges in Indigenous-led tourism. Field observations included ritual performances, handicraft sales, wildlife exhibitions, and informal conversations with community members. Findings reveal that Tuyuca exercises meaningful agency in deciding which cultural practices to present, how to price handicrafts, and how to manage interactions with visitors. While tourism provides vital income and fosters cultural revitalisation, it also generates concerns about dependency, unequal benefit distribution, and ethical implications of commodifying wildlife and sacred traditions. Rather than treating tourism as an external threat, the Tuyuca case demonstrates how communities creatively negotiate authenticity and adapt traditions for new contexts. The study underscores the need for inclusive community-led governance, ethical wildlife standards, and visitor education. It contributes to debates on sustainable tourism by showing how Indigenous peoples can maintain control, safeguard cultural dynamism, and engage with global markets on their own terms. Information © The Author 2025