The Revolving Investment Fund (FIR) for Sustainable Tourism has been officially selected among the 500 best socio-environmental projects in Ibero-America by the prestigious Green Awards 2026 platform. In the Finance category, this initiative ranks among the top eight projects in Latin America.
Lilian Painter, Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Bolivia Program, explained that the FIR is the result of a partnership built over several years.
“The territorial leadership and strategic vision of the Sustainable Tourism Destination Council (CTSD) of Rurrenabaque: Madidi Pampas were fundamental in driving the initiative, while WCS provided the technical, financial, and strategic support needed to design and develop the mechanism from its initial stages through the establishment of the fund with seed capital support financed by Expedia Group. FUNDESNAP contributed to strengthening and consolidating this mechanism through its expertise in managing conservation-oriented environmental funds” she said.
Maritza La Torre, President of the CTSD, the body representing the destination’s communities and tourism operators, stated that the projects financed by the fund help improve tourism enterprises and the living conditions of families who depend on this activity.
“This fund is helping strengthen tourism as a sustainable alternative to extractive industries by improving infrastructure, incorporating clean technologies such as solar panels, and reducing carbon emissions,” she said.
The selection of the FIR within the framework of the Green Awards demonstrates that conservation can be a driver of sustainable development when local communities have access to tools and resources that enable them to invest in projects that benefit nature.
“This recognition highlights the importance of innovative financial mechanisms that reward responsible management, strengthen local economies, and contribute to the long-term protection of one of the world’s most biodiverse landscapes,” said Aditi Mohapatra, Vice President of Global Social Impact and Sustainability at Expedia Group.
For his part, Sergio Eguino, Executive Director of FUNDESNAP, emphasized that this achievement demonstrates to the international community that impact finance and biodiversity conservation are not only compatible, but also represent a tangible pathway toward sustainable development. “When economies and ecosystems grow together, we create lasting and transformative change,” he said.
Link to Premios Verdes website: https://500-mejores.premiosverdes.org/en/proyecto-500-mejores?proyecto=refundable-investment-fund-sergio-martin-eguino-bustillos
Photo credit: Christian Gutiérrez/WCS