In this context, the speaker underlined that volatility in international commodity prices has exposed the country’s macroeconomic vulnerability, generating twin deficits and limiting the State’s capacity to respond. In light of this scenario, the need was raised for a strategic pivot that would enable a transition from an economy based on the extraction of finite resources to a model centred on knowledge-intensive services, biodiversity, culture, and human talent—assets that gain value over time and support a more equitable territorial distribution of wealth.
One of the most prominent segments of the webinar was devoted to the role of tourism as the organising backbone of the new productive matrix. Comparative data were presented showing tourism’s efficiency in terms of investment and job creation, highlighting that the cost of creating a job in this sector is significantly lower than in extractive activities such as mining. Speakers also emphasised tourism’s decentralised impact, as it can activate local economies in rural areas and intermediate cities, reduce territorial gaps, and strengthen the social fabric.
The presentations also addressed the integration of tourism with the bioeconomy and gastronomy as value chains that connect sustainable production, local transformation, and the export of high value-added experiences. The potential of products such as cocoa, coffee, Brazil nuts, and other superfoods was highlighted, linked to gastronomic and cultural tourism proposals that reinforce national identity and position Bolivia in international niches defined by quality and sustainability.
Another central theme was the development of digital services and the export of knowledge, with the case of Cochabamba presented as an example of how the software industry and intellectual services can generate quality employment, overcome traditional logistical barriers, and compete in global markets on the basis of human capital. In parallel, the webinar analysed structural challenges related to air, digital, and logistics connectivity, as well as the need to move towards more efficient governance, with destination management models, public–private coordination, and legal certainty identified as pillars for attracting long-term investment.
The webinar also placed a strong focus on human capital, noting the urgency of closing skills gaps, improving technical training in hospitality, guiding, and services, and strengthening language proficiency in order to harness the so-called demographic dividend. All of this would need to be accompanied by policies for State digitalisation, smart fiscal incentives, green financing, and a clear roadmap to move from vision to implementation through concrete and measurable phases.
The high level of international participation and the diversity of attendee profiles reflected the interest Bolivia is generating in the global debate on development models that are more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient. The event concluded by underscoring that tourism, culture, and the services economy do not replace extractivism merely in a temporary way; rather, they outperform it in sustainability, the creation of decent employment, and the strengthening of the social fabric, establishing themselves as a strategic response for Bolivia’s future and an opportunity to reposition the country before the world with a renewed narrative grounded in value, identity, and long-term vision.
