This article summarizes and discusses the views of some key players in Bolivia’s
tourism industry, along with case studies of three successful projects. Although Bolivia’s
natural and cultural diversity offers great potential for tourism, the country’s tourism
industry currently lags behind those of its neighbors. The government seeks to stimulate
growth and alleviate poverty primarily through community-based projects. These are more
likely to succeed if based on partnerships between communities and private tour operators,
with support from Non-Governmental Organizations, institutions such as the IDB, and the
public sector. Some of the key players interviewed for this article suggest that the
government should do more to utilize the expertise of private tour operators in developing
and promoting community-based tourism, and that a perceived hostility towards the
private sector could place severe constraints on growth.