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P 302132Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY LA PAZ
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LA PAZ 002669 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV ECON ENVR BL
SUBJECT: GET THIS MONKEY OFF MY BACK: BOLIVIAN ECOTOURISM 
 
¶1. SUMMARY. Known as the "Tibet of the Andes," Bolivia has 
long relied on beautiful mountains, lush valleys and the 
opportunity for adventure for its tourism industry. As more 
of Bolivia's mystique is revealed to the outside world, 
ecotourism experts continue to clash on how to develop (or 
not) one of South America's hidden treasures. Some want to 
promote Bolivia to whomever will come, while others worry 
that such an invasion would cause more harm than good. Both 
sides agree, however, that infrastructure problems, lack of 
regulation, and overt poverty will hinder Bolivia's chances 
to become the next Costa Rica, at least in the short-term. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
- - - - - - - - -  - - - - - - - 
TROUT TO TRAILS; SALT TO SNAKES 
- - - - - - - - -  - - - - - - - 
 
¶2. Nearly every state (department) in Bolivia is working to 
thrive as an ecotourism destination. Sucre offers fossils, 
Potosi offers the Salt Flats, Santa Cruz, Beni and Pando 
offer the jungle and La Paz focuses on Lake Titicaca and the 
Andes. Not all locales are created equal, however. Beni and 
La Paz ecotourism officials have joined together to promote 
linked travel between the two departments. Supported by the 
Vice-Ministry of Tourism, the La Paz-Beni Tourism Foundation 
promotes travel to Lake Titicaca for the Altiplano experience 
and a trip to protected area Madidi National Park to 
experience the Amazon rainforest. Pando ecotourism expert 
Etelka Debreczeni lamented to Emboff that the national 
government support for La Paz-Beni tourism limits the 
capability of the other departments, who rely on state and 
private funding alone. Recent changes within the state 
government also cause conflict. "The people in the government 
now aren't from Pando -- they don't know the rainforest and 
it's hard to get them to care," says Debreczeni. 
Vice-Minister of Tourism Ricardo Cox told Emboff that the 
national government is not trying to discriminate against 
anyone. Cox said, "we want people to experience all of 
Bolivia, but the Lake (Titicaca) is one of our most popular 
destinations." 
 
- - - - - - - - - - 
NO HARM, NO FOWL? 
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¶3. Despite the boom, tourism in Madidi National Park remains 
controversial. While Madidi is protected grounds, the area 
around it is not. Four flights a day in and out of 
Rurrenabaque bring hordes of backpackers, and locals undercut 
La Paz-based tour operators promising a cheaper deal. 
Environmentalists cringe as more "eco-lodges" spring up, 
cutting down trees without any regulation. The travel 
industry cheers success, but ecotourism experts worry that 
Rurrenabaque's growth will quickly burn out as the lure of 
nature becomes overrun with the sensation of a tourist trap. 
 
¶4. Rurrenabaque is not the only location struggling to 
straddle cheap tourism with environmental concerns. In many 
of the jungle towns, unemployment remains at around 50%, so 
the opportunity to make money will come before an 
environmental conscience. In the border-town of Guayaramerin, 
the Itauba Tourist Resort promotes a "wildlife park" with 
live jungle animals. Emboff visited the site and noted it was 
more of a glorified backyard zoo. Amazon birds, monkeys, 
capybaras and jaguars huddled in cramped cages while visitors 
snapped photos. Some parrots roamed freely, but their wings 
were clipped to prevent escape. When asked where he obtained 
the animals, the owner responded "You can buy anything in 
Bolivia if the price is right." 
 
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RUSSIAN ROULETTE ON THE ROAD 
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¶5. The Amazon's birds are not the only creature at risk in 
Bolivia. Thrill-seeking mountain bikers have flocked to one 
world-famous Bolivian passageway that was monikered the 
"World's Most Dangerous Road" by the Inter-American 
Development Bank in 1995. Locally known as the "Road of 
Death," it is rarely used for cars anymore, but thousands of 
 
LA PAZ 00002669  002 OF 002 
 
 
tourists come every year to ride down the steep 10-foot-wide 
unpaved path that offers no guardrail between the biker and 
the 2000 foot drop below. 
 
¶6. The view itself cannot be beat, but not everyone gets to 
covet the popular "I Survived Bolivia's Death Road" t-shirt 
handed out by tour companies at the end of the trip. At least 
13 bikers have died on the road in the past ten years, two in 
2008 alone. One was an experienced biker, whose traveling 
companions now say they want the road closed. "People aren't 
fully aware of the risks they are taking when they sign 
up...we certainly weren't,"  said biker Russell Herbert to 
press after the accident. Tour companies maintain that the 
trip is safe, and without regulation from any official 
Bolivian entity, tourists will have to just take their word 
for it. 
 
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POOR MAN'S PERU? 
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¶7. The variety of landscape in Bolivia is astounding, but 
other countries do offer similar sights -- and in a more 
organized manner. Peru is Bolivia's primary competition, as 
it not only offers Machu Picchu, but owns one-half of Lake 
Titicaca and has a Pacific coastline. Basic tourism services 
lag behind in Bolivia, making it that much harder to attract 
first-world clientele. American visitors have further been 
discouraged by the $135 visa requirement, put in place by the 
government in 2007. Access also remains a problem, with only 
one daily flight by American Airlines (AA) and three weekly 
Aerosur flights in and out of Miami. This proved troublesome 
for travelers who were stranded in Bolivia during the 
September unrest when AA canceled flights for over 15 days. 
 
- - - - 
COMMENT 
- - - - 
 
¶8. Ecotourism in Bolivia is a budding industry with lots of 
potential. Before it can really grow, however, a concerted 
effort needs to be made to organize it at a national level to 
attract high-paying visitors, not only the backpacking crowd. 
Additionally, regulations on safety and development would 
ensure that Bolivia's beauty is not being exploited beyond 
revival and visitors are not being placed at extreme risk. 
While ecotourism leaders may want to hold-off development 
until it can be catered to high-end tourism, those that are 
jobless and in poverty may not be able to wait that long to 
accept traveler's money. Due to continued political and 
economic instability, Bolivia's ecotourism future remains one 
that will attract "risk takers," leaving protected areas more 
and more vulnerable. END COMMENT. 
LAMBERT