Bolivia’s community-based tourism bolsters cultural identity

LA PAZ — Communitybased tourism has served to bolster cultural identity among Bolivia’s indigenous communities, experts say.

Deputy Tourism Minister Ricardo Cox says this travel segment attracts nature lovers and culture mavens, and helps to reinforce cultural heritage and preserve the environment.

“A new trend has emerged out of Bolivia’s diverse tourism that coincides with the appearance of a new type of traveler, who is seeking to have a different kind of experience and close contact with rural communities,” Cox says.

“The country has seen this segment develop quickly and with much success.”

The World Tourism Organization has recognized Bolivia as one of the South American countries with the best-developed community-based tourism industries.

Bolivia is home to numerous indigenous groups that have preserved their ways of life and traditions.

There are about three-dozen indigenous groups. Each has its own language and customs, which are reflected in their homes, clothes and celebrations.

Bolivia’s community-based and rural tourism is “on a par with Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Nicaragua and Costa Rica”, Cox says.

Other communities have worked to rescue their ancestral heritage, inspired by the experiences of traditional towns in attracting tourists, says Erudita Quispe de Mamani, director of the La Paz-based Bartolinas National Confederation of Farming, Indigenous and Native Women.

Community-based tourism allows indigenous groups to improve their quality of life and educate younger generations about their traditions and customs, she says.

“This type of tourism centers on the value of daily cultural, agricultural and festive practices. The community opens its doors to national and foreign tourists,” Quispe says.

Communities have reappraised their cultural heritage and generated revenue in the process, says Lourdes Omoyo, a manager of the state-run Bolivian tourism agency, Boltur.

The country’s constitution cites community-based tourism as a development strategy.

It provides alternative income sources and encourages habitat and natural-resource protection.

Bolivia ranks among the 15 countries with the most biodiversity.

Yet that’s not its only diversity.

“What makes Bolivia stand out from other countries is our living culture,” says Omoyo.

PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY A view of El Alto from a cable car in La Paz, Bolivia.