News Releases

Nov 10, 2006

MIF grants totalling $1.8 million will promote tourism to missions in Guaraní World in Paraguay

Technical cooperation to build network of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises

The Inter-American Development Bank’s Multilateral Investment Fund announced today the approval of grants for a total of $1,8 million for a program to promote tourism to the former Jesuit and Franciscan missions in Guaraní World in Paraguay.

The area known as Guaraní World involves the open towns of the Franciscan trail and a route linking seven Jesuit missions built during the XVI century. The area is today considered the heart of Guaraní culture in Paraguay.

“The Franciscan and Jesuit worlds are where the Indigenous and Spanish cultures merged,” said MIF Team Leader Santiago Soler. “They produced an extraordinary example of a mestizo society in the Americas. The resulting civilization and its diversification is what is valuable to the current and potential tourism industry.”

“The Franciscan churches located in the center of large plazas show the humility of this religious group and its adaptation to the environment of the indigenous culture and are still open for worship to this day,” added Soler. “UNESCO declared two of the ‘reducciones’ or Jesuit settlements as World Heritage Sites. The Jesuit mission route starts 226 kilometers east from Asunción, capital of Paraguay.”

The program will help develop a sustainable tourism activity in the missions area and better position it as a tourism destination both nationally and internationally. All aspects of the route and trail concept will be designed, a package of tourism products and a network of enterprises in the missions area will be built to help promote this destination in South America.

For this purpose, at least 180 stakeholders in the public and private sectors will be incorporated to the route/trail concept; 300 new and existing micro, small and medium-sized enterprises will participate in the program; and the awareness of at least 2,000 firms located in the area will be increased. At least 40 public sector representatives will work on tourism product development and 500 people will be trained in relevant job skills.

The program will have two non-governmental executing agencies: The Paraguayan Touring and Automobile Club will receive more than a $1 million in financing. Fundación Tierranuestra will receive a $795,000 grant.

MIF, an autonomous fund administered by the IDB, supports private sector development in Latin America and the Caribbean, focusing on microenterprise and small business.

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