Interview with Cinthia Martha Yáñez
Minister of Tourism, Culture, Folklore and Gastronomy of the Plurinational State of Bolivia
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Cinthia Martha Yáñez
Minister of Tourism, Culture, Folklore and Gastronomy of the Plurinational State of Bolivia
How do you receive this appointment, and what will your first lines of action be to strengthen both sectors in a context of global transformation?
I receive this appointment with deep commitment, humility, and a clear awareness of the historic responsibility that leading such strategic sectors for the country’s comprehensive development entails. Bolivian tourism and gastronomy represent not only an economic activity, but also a living expression of our identity, cultural diversity, and natural wealth.
My first lines of action will be aimed at a revolution in the sector, through the reconstruction of the Ministry (which has been adrift for two decades) and the building of a shared strategy that serves as a reference for all tourism operators, enabling synergies, linkages within the tourism value chain, and the incorporation of responses to global challenges such as digitalization, climate change, and the new demands of responsible tourism.
What diagnosis have you been able to make regarding the current situation of Bolivian tourism, and what do you consider to be the main challenges in the short and medium term?
Bolivia has extraordinary tourism potential, which for a long time has only been exploited by private operators without State support and without spaces for relationship-building and mutual cooperation. The main short-term challenge is coordination among levels of the State and private stakeholders, as well as strengthening the linkages among the different elements of the tourism value chain.
In the medium term, we must consolidate a diversified, competitive, and sustainable tourism offering, ensure community participation, strengthen local capacities, and position Bolivia in the world with a coherent, authentic, and modern country brand.
How do you plan to promote a tourism policy that combines sustainability, social inclusion, and economic growth?
Our tourism policy will be based on the principle that tourism must generate well-being for host communities. We will promote models that integrate environmental sustainability, social inclusion, and economic profitability, prioritizing local employment, cultural respect, and the protection of our ecosystems.
Tourism must be a tool for redistributing opportunities, especially in rural and Indigenous areas, strengthening identity pride and the protection of protected areas.
In the gastronomic sphere, what strategies will you promote to consolidate a State policy?
Bolivian gastronomy will be promoted as a State policy, bringing together local production, cultural identity, innovation, and international promotion. We will work to enhance the value of our native products, regional cuisines, and ancestral knowledge, linking them to value chains, gastronomic tourism, and cultural diplomacy.
Bolivian cuisine is a living heritage and a powerful tool for international positioning.
How will you strengthen inter-institutional coordination and decentralized management?
We will promote collaborative tourism governance, strengthening coordination with governorships, municipalities, the private sector, academia, and communities. Decentralization, which is a State priority, will be key so that each territory develops its tourism identity in an authentic and competitive way.
The Ministry will be a strategic coordinator, not an isolated entity.
How will you strengthen community-based tourism?
Community-based tourism is a structural strength of the country. We will strengthen it by ensuring training, access to markets, service quality, and full respect for the ancestral and environmental traditions of the communities.
This model demonstrates that tourism can be human-centered, fair, cooperative, and sustainable.
What role will fairs, partnerships, and digital tools play in international promotion?
International promotion will combine a strategic presence at international fairs, public–private partnerships, and a strong commitment to digital marketing and technological platforms. Bolivia must communicate its history, diversity, and authenticity to the world more effectively.
Participating in global forums is not only promotion; it is institutional strategy.
How will you strengthen human capital development?
We will strengthen technical and professional education in tourism and gastronomy by linking academia with the productive sector. We will train guides and operators emerging from the communities themselves, both as facilitators of community-based tourism and as key operators of commercial services. We are committed to inclusive training focused on service quality, innovation, and sustainability.
We know that human talent is the main asset of Bolivian tourism.
What environmental policies will be integrated to address climate change?
Tourism development will be aligned with environmental conservation policies, responsible resource use, and climate change adaptation. With the new portfolio of the Vice Ministry for the Promotion of Sustainable Tourism, certifications, good practices, and regenerative tourism models will be promoted to protect our ecosystems for future generations.
What initiatives will you promote to strengthen women’s leadership?
We will promote specific policies to foster women’s leadership, their access to financing, training, and visibility. Women are fundamental protagonists in the country’s tourism and cultural development.
How do you envision the digitalization of the tourism sector?
Digitalization must be an ally for competitiveness and transparency, taking it as a cross-cutting axis: we will modernize information, promotion, statistics, and tourism management systems through technological platforms, open data, and digital marketing.
How will you articulate tourism and gastronomy as cultural diplomacy?
Tourism and gastronomy will be pillars of our cultural diplomacy, projecting an international narrative based on pride, diversity, and Bolivian authenticity. Showing Bolivia to the world is also reaffirming ourselves as a nation.
From the Tourism and Society Think Tank (TSTT), we express our most sincere gratitude to the Minister for her openness, vision, and commitment to strengthening tourism as a tool for comprehensive development. We reiterate our full willingness to collaborate institutionally to promote policies, projects, and initiatives that enhance Tourism, Culture, Folklore, and Gastronomy in the Plurinational State of Bolivia.
We consider that these fields represent a valuable identity-based, social, and economic heritage, capable of generating opportunities, territorial cohesion, and international projection, and the TSTT places at the disposal of its technical experience, analytical capacity, and cooperation networks to support sustainable, inclusive, and innovative processes, aligned with national priorities and with a shared and responsible long-term vision.
The authors are responsible for the choice and presentation of the facts contained in this document and for the opinions expressed therein, which are not necessarily those of Tourism and Society Think Tank and do not commit the Organization, and should not be attributed to TSTT or its members.
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