This article analyses community-based tourism (CBT) as a methodology of work that aims to improve the livelihood of the communities that choose this activity as an economic development strategy. Using examples from Brazil, the objective is to address methodological questions about the development stages as well as issues pertaining to access to markets, governance and monitoring. These case studies demonstrate that in order to achieve and maintain the sustainability of community-based tourism programs the presence of tourism associations and cooperatives that fomented initiatives of cooperation and institutionalization has been vital. Due to the complexity and existing variables that are both implicit and linked with tourism activities in communities, this article also provides suggestions to increase the adoption of local strategies that involve the community in tourism development and implementation, whereas working with local tourism chain can provide better results.