Bolivia Will Rule Own Travel Industry Out of 2005 Budget

Bolivian treasury authorities will give their own travel industry a black eye next year as they plan to leave the leisure sector out of the 2005 budget, Tourism Minister Ximena Alvarez said this weekend.

Mrs. Alvarez grumbled that despite her country’s attempts to turn Bolivia into an attractive travel destination for foreigners, “the country has not earmarked any money for tourism in the 2005 budget. I’m working hard on a legislation that could guarantee our own resources to be exclusively spent on tourism promotion in and out of the country.”

Funds for Bolivia’s tourist sector are generated by the industry itself. However, lack of confidence on the part of lawmakers is throwing a wrench on the country’s ability to plan its own resources in this sense and guarantee tourism development.