In tourism, at least 100,000 direct jobs are in danger and several companies were forced to cut staff.
The economic fall of the Bolivian tourism industry is close to US$1 billion due to the standstill caused by the coronavirus pandemic since March of this year, says Marco Mercado, president of the Bolivian Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies (ABAVYT) and Private Tourism Sector (SEPTUR).
“According to a study carried out by Unifranz, as well as other companies, the country is going to lose more than 1 billion dollars this year regarding the tourism industry,” said the businessman.
Mercado explained that Bolivia’s tourism took a huge blow and that the last eight months it did not generate enough revenue, which is why he believes that the reactivation should come as soon as possible.
The president of ABAVYT reported that at least 100,000 direct jobs are in danger, in addition to the fact that many companies involved in the industry closed due to the virus. Others were forced to cut staff, according to state company ABI.
He also said that the association will propose a plan to the government to reactivate domestic tourism, which includes the cooperation of governors and mayors.
“What we need is support on the reactivation issue […] we hope to be able to present these proposals to the new authorities,” Mercado said.