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| The Amazon Basin contains the world’s largest remaining tropical forest, and the U.S. Congress has committed to supporting conservation of its vast biological resources. Because Bolivia contains globally important biodiversity, conserving these natural assets is a priority for USAID. As noted in Bolivia’s National Development Plan, this global importance is matched by its national importance for sustainable use in ways that will generate employment, grow the economy, and alleviate poverty. | |
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The overall project objective is to promote people-level impact by enhancing access to productive opportunities linked to the conservation and sustainable use of the biodiversity of the Bolivian Amazon region. Solimar’s specific objectives is to promote economic growth and increase incomes of local and indigenous communities and producer groups through sustainable use of natural resources and other land-based production systems, and improved commercialization and marketing links for related goods and services.
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Solimar is leading the project’s efforts in identifying tourism opportunities to promote economic growth and increase incomes of local and indigenous communities and producer groups. We are helping strengthen and improve community-based tourism enterprises primarily in the Northern La Paz and Southern Beni regions, specifically in the municipalities of Rurrenabaque and San Buena Ventura, through providing technical assistance in site assessment, participatory business plan development, tourism management training, nature guide training, tourism services training, sales and marketing, and monitoring and reporting. We are also exploring the potential for developing destination management organizations (DMOs).
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EXPECTED OUTCOMES
• Recommended tourism products/routes to be developed in the Northern La Paz/Beni region
• At least one existing tourism enterprise with increased access to markets and increased flow of clients.
• Formation of a Destination Management Organization (DMO)
• Improved business development capacity, entrepreneurship opportunities, service quality, and environmental and social performance of tourism businesses and DMOs.
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Project Dates:
October 2009-September 2014
Project Web site:
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Project Partners:
• Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS),
• Winrock International
•International Land Systems (ILS),
• Instituto Boliviano de Investigación Forestal (IBIF),
• Centro Amazónico de Desarrollo Forestal (CADEFOR)
• Fundación Pando, Fundación Valles
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