The Carnival of Oruro, the main one in Bolivia and one of the most significant in South America, generated an economic movement of more than 37 million dollars this year and exceeded the expectations of the organizers due to the increase significant number of foreign and national participants.
Deputy Minister of Tourism Eliana Ampuero told EFE that the Carnival of Oruro, declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), has generated more of $37 million, of which $34 million was distributed. throughout the tourism sector.
In addition, he pointed out that this 2023 carnival welcomed more than 348,000 spectators among foreigners, Bolivians from other regions and locals who enjoyed “culture, dances and folklore” with fervor for the Virgen del Socavon.
Ampuero said of the total number of visitors, around 28,000 came from Europe and North America, while more than 117,000 were local attendees.
He added that compared to 2022 this year there has been a growth of more than 227%, since last year, in the midst of the fourth wave of the covid-19 pandemic, there were 153,293 spectators of the main Bolivian carnival.
“The projections for this management were that visits were doubled, but spectator participation exceeded,” Ampuero said.
He stressed that tourism is a “strategic” pillar for the government of President Luis Arce and that these preliminary figures demonstrate the contribution of this sector in the economic reconstruction of the country.
In this sense, a group of content generators, international experts in tourism, tourist promotion and the specialized international press of Europe, visited at least six of the most emblematic tourist destinations in the country this month, including the Carnival of Oruro.
The idea of this visit is precisely to show the diversity of landscapes and culture of the country, to achieve digital positioning through the published content and to open more market segments to countries interested in knowing Bolivia, such as Belgium and Canada. according to Ampuero.
The Deputy Minister said that some of the most visited tourist spots during this Carnival holiday were the iconic Salar de Uyuni, the Cintis Valley, a route known for wines and singanis that can be enjoyed, there were also a large influx of people to Santa Cruz, the country’s largest region.
Carnival in Bolivia started last Saturday and will continue until this weekend, when the last activities are carried out in some parts of the country.