Marco Antonio Abastoflor Portugal
Bolivian Catholic University "San Pablo" of Bolivia. The Tourism Administration Degree
1. Background of the Action Plan.
The Bolivian Catholic University "San Pablo" is an institution of Higher Education dependent on the Bolivian Episcopal Conference, with its own legal status recognised by Law of the Republic Nº 1545 of March twenty-first, nineteen hundred and ninety-four.
Its fundamental mission is the constant search for truth, through research, conservation and communication of knowledge for the good of society.
Its Statute contemplates the principle of relationship with the environment and collaboration with institutions that facilitate its educational work, as well as the exchange and dissemination of scientific and cultural knowledge.
The University in the framework as part of its Research Policy and Regulations approved by the Board of Directors on 31 March 2017, has been establishing Research Centres as research units that depend on a faculty, career or department of the corresponding Regional Academic Unit, in charge of planning and executing research projects or programmes carried out individually or jointly, within the respective specific field of knowledge. The results of the research programmes or projects are publicly disseminated, according to the area of knowledge, e.g. through documentaries, books or scientific articles, preferably in internationally indexed journals or other means of dissemination subject to U.C.B. regulations.
The University through the Academic Unit La Paz; complying with its Policy and its research regulations, in July 2017, has created by Rectoral Resolution No. 006/2017 the Centre for Research and Services in Tourism (CISTUR), which will support research processes, innovation, training and development, knowledge and services in Integral Tourism positioning the University as a centre of excellence in the subject. Within the innovative process of professional and technical training, it will promote the integration of the student's competences and skills in an efficient insertion in the tourism labour market through structured pre- and professional internships.
The Plurinational State of Bolivia has a National Tourism Plan whose Vision highlights that: "The Plurinational State of Bolivia is recognised in the international context for having a sustainable, integral and innovative tourism offer that prioritises a community-based management model that contributes to the generation of socio-economic benefits for the well-being of Bolivians, aimed at visitors seeking different experiences". The National Tourism Plan establishes the priority of establishing policies and certification processes for community-based entrepreneurial services within the framework of Living Well.
During the 2019 Management, the first steps were taken to consolidate the establishment of CISTUR through a Work Plan and an institutional development strategy, achieving to have laid the foundations for the development of the CISTUR Research Centre, including the signing of inter-institutional agreements with the UNFI of Italy, OROBIES of Colombia Municipal Government of Tlaxcala Mexico and relations with the International Labour Organization (ILO), Municipal Autonomous Government of Toro Toro and various institutions in Bolivia.
Based on this background, the Bolivian Catholic University "San Pablo", through the Tourism Administration Degree, establishes the CISTUR Action Plan.
2. Objectives of the Plan.
General Objective
To develop projects for the benefit of the Bolivian population through tourism activity, fulfilling the objectives of sustainable development as a mission of the Centre for Research and Tourism Services (CISTUR), through the promotion and support of research, innovation, training and development processes, knowledge and services in Biocultural Heritage Tourism and Conscious Tourism.
2. Objectives of the Plan.
General Objective
To develop projects for the benefit of the Bolivian population through tourism activity, fulfilling the objectives of sustainable development as the mission of the Centre for Research and Tourism Services (CISTUR), through the promotion and support of research, innovation, training and development processes, knowledge and services in Biocultural Heritage Tourism and Conscious Tourism.
Specific Objectives
Objective 1.
To support the institutional development processes of CISTUR, through the development of strategic alliances for research, training, innovation and sustainable development concentrated in territorial laboratories.
Objective 2.
To generate inter-scientific knowledge through applied research, Knowledge Management (KM) and international workshops in strategic territorial laboratories in Bolivia (Case studies Toto Toro and Santiago de Huata).
Objective 3.
Support processes of technical and professional, inter-scientific training with access to employment, through undergraduate and postgraduate theses, internships and pre- and post-professional practices and volunteering in the labour market to consolidate the scaling up of the Integral Tourism Model and the integration into the labour market of the students of the Bolivian Catholic University "San Pablo" / with the career of Tourism Administration.
Objective 4
Strengthen the provision of technical assistance and services to the public, private and community sectors, related to innovation and biocultural tourism management, which will allow the sustainability and development of CISTUR.
3. Outcomes.
Result 1
Inter-institutional agreements are consolidated with Research and International Cooperation Centres for the development of CISTUR, through the development of a strategic plan, integrating the conceptual bases and instruments for the Research, Innovation and Development of tourism.
Result 2
An international inter-scientific and Knowledge Management (KM) workshop has been held in strategic territorial laboratories in Bolivia with the participation of Colombian and Mexican specialists in Community Biocultural Heritage and Conscious Tourism. - Technical training and certification processes have been carried out for more than 76 community leaders at the "Manager" level, in community enterprises, guiding, restaurants, hotels and lodging. - The Conscious Tourism Book has been produced, edited and published, as well as scientific documents as a result of the knowledge management and the international workshop. As well as teaching and learning manuals for the development of the process of innovative tourism.
Result 3
Technical and professional, inter-scientific training processes have been carried out through undergraduate theses and international and national voluntary work placements for students and professionals.
The training, certification and market insertion of women leaders in biocultural conscious guiding has been consolidated (Toro Toro case, Santiago de Huata in Lake Titikaka and Cholitas climbers) - The international certification of high mountain guides for sustainable destinations has been consolidated.
Outcome 4
Technical assistance has been provided to the public sector of the Municipal Government of Toro Toro through the implementation of the Solid Waste Management System. - Technical assistance has been provided for the consolidation of Sustainable Tourism Destinations through technical assistance and compliance with international sustainability indicators - Technical assistance has been provided for the consolidation of the PNTT Tourism Operation Regulation System.
4. Scope of the Project.
Temporary Scope:
The Plan has been worked on in the management 2020 and 2022 Geographical Scope: Departments, Potosí, Cochabamba, La Paz and Eventual Chiquitanía.
Conceptual Scope:
The Project can generate a Country Brand in Biocultural Conscious Tourism, considering the generation of innovative tourism models, based on the paradigms of Living Well, and Sustainable Development, whose final and central objective is to contribute to tourism development at the national level and of consciousness.
Marco Antonio Abastoflor Portugal
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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