GET THIS MONKEY OFF MY BACK: BOLIVIAN ECOTOURISM

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? - - - - - - - - - - ¶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." - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - RUSSIAN ROULETTE ON THE ROAD - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶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. - - - - - - - - - POOR MAN'S PERU? - - - - - - - - - ¶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