Finding alternatives to mass tourism
Tusoco is an association which coordinates and represents 18 circuits and community projects throughout Bolivia. Tusoco was formed following a meeting [2] in France at which Ruperto Vidal participated, who was at the time president of Coraca-Protal [3] and is now president of Tusoco. “Our only wish is to integrate our communities. We would like them to lead our networks”. Tusoco is a non-profit organisation. It has a threefold purpose: to reinforce tourism projects in the communities, to represent them and to provide marketing support. “We organize experience-sharing meetings between our members so that those who have just started can benefit from the experience gained by advanced projects. We guide them so that their projects become viable and sustainable and to ensure that our customers receive quality service” adds Ruperto. This is the philosophy which inspires the actions of this network, which the communities created themselves, and as shown by this fourth forum.
An intensive and creative forum
The program of this three-day forum was both dynamic and dense. After a general presentation of the aims of the forum came several workshops and debates. Participants discussed the main features of community-based tourism as well as its importance in the economical development of rural Bolivia. The 70 participants at the forum also visited the community of San Juancito (part of the Tusoco network) to see a community project in progress. As the leader of the Nuestras Raices of Uyun community explained: “it is a wonderful thing for us that communities from all over Bolivia can meet to share their experiences.”
Encouraging results
The proclamation signed by all the participants at the end of the third day sums up the results of the forum: to encourage Tusoco to continue to represent all the communities and to encourage the various authorities (state, department, city) to initiate policies to develop community-based tourism (for example by promoting this form of tourism). A partnership is also planned between the San Simon de Cochabamba state university and Tusoco in order to create a specific diploma for local guides. Tusoco regrets that the Secretary of State for Tourism did not attend the forum and is calling for the creation of a real Ministry of Tourism. Tusoco is also eager to know what will happen to the bill regarding sustainable tourism which was presented at la Paz on November 16.
