Home to some of the most diverse and spectacular landscapes in South America, from high-altitude salt flats to virgin jungles and world-renowned historical sites, Bolivia has always had enormous — though often overlooked — tourism potential. In recent years, realizing the strategic relevance that tourism has begun to play in Bolivia’s economy, the days of tourism as a neglected sector are finally over. In 2019, with almost 1.2 million international visitors and revenues of US$837.3 million, foreign exchange generated by international tourism accounted for 9.4% of the total value of exports, doubling that of agriculture, livestock, forestry and fisheries combined. Furthermore, according to government statistics and projections, close to 1.3 million foreign tourists are expected to have arrived in the country by the end of 2024, surpassing pre-pandemic figures. Nevertheless, Bolivia’s tourism performance continues to lag behind the region, so the public and private sectors are working together to improve the country’s tourism offer and its visibility both locally and internationally.

Earlier this year, the government announced that it will allocate over Bs 200 million to execute more than 20 tourism projects aimed at strengthening and promoting “Destination Bolivia”, with special emphasis on cultural, adventure and ecotourism. These projects, which are structured in four programs financed by the IDB (Inter-American Development Bank), the Italian Cooperation, the CAF (Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean) and the General Treasury of the Nation (TGN), seek to develop sustainable tourism through the recovery of historical and cultural sites, the training of guides and tour operators, the construction and upgrading of Tourist Information Centers (INFOTURS) and interpretive trails, the digital promotion of the country’s diverse tourism offerings, and the implementation of service quality standards and responsible practices through SIRETUR, a formalization system that seeks to categorize and certify tourism service providers.

These initiatives are concentrated in two main areas: on the one hand, already consolidated destinations such as the Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt flat in the world; Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake; the North Yungas Highway, better known as the “Death Road”, a 64 km cycling route linking the city of La Paz with the Amazon jungle; or the historic cities declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO such as Potosi, Sucre, Samaipata and the Jesuit missions of Chiquitos; and on the other hand, the emerging municipalities with a tourist vocation, where community-based tourism is being developed. In addition, in the framework of the celebrations of the second bicentennial of independence that will take place in 2025, Bolivia has created a National Strategic Plan that seeks, among other objectives, to promote tourism and national culture through a commemorative country brand and a series of initiatives to encourage visits to the country’s historical and cultural sites, such as the “Sucre Tourist Museum Route”, to explore the city’s rich historical heritage; Memorial Houses in the departments of La Paz, Chuquisaca, Santa Cruz, Cochabamba and Oruro to preserve the memory of the people and their struggle for democracy; or the “Free Ticket” initiative, which will allow visitors to visit three museums every first Friday of the month until August 6, 2025.