Patagonia
Growing visitors

According to the National Tourism Service (Sernatur), a 14% growth in visits to our country was recorded during this first semester of 2005 compared to the same period of last year. This means that over 685 thousand foreigners arrived to Chile , resulting in incomes of over US$ 516 million. A major step considering that Sernatur expects to arrive to the end of the year with 2 millions of tourists visiting Chilean land.

Patagonia, the Easter Island, and Atacama desert are among the most attractive destinations which were indeed those receiving the highest number of visits during the first semester of this year.

Oscar Santelices, Director of Sernatur, explained "Torres del Paine, for example, receives 100 thousand visits a year, of which 80% are foreigners".

According to the officer, tourists who arrive to our country have the following profile: mostly people above 35 years old, with a good purchasing power, who are looking for special sites to carry out specific activities, such as, rafting, fly-fishing, or ski.

Santelices explains that "Chile's profile as a tourism destination is far from massiveness", emphasizing that although the highest number of tourists come from bordering countries, this trend is now changing, increasing the flow of American, German, Brazilian, and Asian tourists.

Americans are those who spend the most, followed by Asians and Europeans, averaging US$ 90 per day. To continue encouraging their arrival, Sernatur will go on with its campaign aimed at promoting extreme landscapes and activities that can be practiced in Chile, and will invest US$ 3.8 million to promote Chile abroad over 2005.

veronica@torresdelpaine.com