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The Government of Bolivia announced on Monday the elimination of the visa requirement for tourists from the United States, Israel, South Korea, South Africa, Latvia, Estonia, and Romania, aiming to boost tourism and strengthen the inflow of foreign currency into the country.
According to the agency EFE, the Bolivian Foreign Minister Fernando Aramayo explained at a press conference that this is "a first measure" within a policy aimed at making tourism a national priority.
"It will be accompanied by other measures to ensure that migration information and border flow generate security," he noted.
Aramayo noted that the decision aims to turn tourism into a stable source of income, projecting 320 million dollars between 2026 and 2029.
The announcement was made at the Government House in La Paz, alongside President Rodrigo Paz and the Minister of Sustainable Tourism, Cinthya Yáñez.
The chancellor described the old visa requirement, imposed since 2008, as an "ideological and anti-economic" measure that caused "harm to the country" by discouraging the arrival of foreign visitors and negatively impacting the local business economy.
Additionally, Aramayo announced that the Executive is working to eliminate the Schengen visa for Bolivian citizens in the medium term, a goal that, he said, "previous administrations failed to achieve."
For his part, President Paz stated that the visa requirement for tourists from several countries has cost Bolivia more than 80 million dollars in revenue and asserted that "instead of benefiting, it was a disadvantage."
"We need to restore the world's confidence in the sense that Bolivia is a suitable and safe country to visit," he added.
Minister Yáñez recalled that since 2007, when visas were imposed on American citizens and later on other countries, Bolivia has lost about 900 million dollars in tourism revenue.
"The regional and international experience shows that the free entrance of tourists improves income in sectors such as gastronomy, hospitality, crafts, and guiding," he emphasized.
The Bolivian government recently unveiled its new country brand, focused on migration facilitation, international promotion, and tourist safety, with the aim of establishing Bolivia as an appealing destination in South America.
The elimination of the visa requirement for tourists from the United States and other countries announced by the Bolivian government is part of a broader strategy for international repositioning and economic reactivation led by President Rodrigo Paz. This measure aims not only to attract visitors and foreign currency but also to project a new image of the country based on openness, security, and regional cooperation.
Paz, who came to power after a historic victory at the polls, promised a new political era for Bolivia, moving away from the ideological isolation of previous administrations and embracing a pragmatic approach focused on growth and multilateral diplomacy.
In this context, the United States publicly expressed its willingness to collaborate with the new government in key areas.
Shortly after Paz's election, Washington announced that it would support Bolivia's economic recovery process through investment, sustainable development programs, and the easing of bilateral relations.
The removal of the visa requirement, in this context, is seen as a political gesture that opens the doors to greater exchange with allied nations, but also as a correction to what Foreign Minister Fernando Aramayo described as an "ideological and anti-economic" measure that had impacted tourism for over a decade.
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