Chile looks to strengthen tourism potential in extreme areas
Published: August 14, 2009
Improvements in the port infrastructure for cruise ship tourism and a series of public initiatives, which include improvements to the nitrate mining towns in the North, are all steps that the government is taking to drive the tourism sector.
Despite the economic crisis and influenza A (H1N1), Chile has registered a 4% growth in the tourism sector between January and June 2009. According to the National Tourism Service, the increase was due to the influx of 477,707 foreign tourists who along with the domestic tourists contributed roughly USD $1 billion to the sector.
These figures display evidence of stability and progress within the tourism sector, which could result in potential business opportunities for both domestic and foreign investors. Consequently, the Chilean government has identified various initiatives to boost tourism in extreme areas of the north and south.
The Ministry of Public Works has initiated a program which will provide approximately USD $160 million over the next ten years towards necessary infrastructure improvements. These will include the installation of more ports which will create a port network for cruise ships in Patagonia and the island areas. Additionally, it will create and provide a structure for nautical sports.
Furthermore, the National Tourism Service (Sernatur) is implementing a program that aims to increase tourism in extreme zones of the country. This initiative, funded by a loan of USD $30 million from Banco Internacional, will include tourism infrastructure projects in cities such as Arica, Iquique, Aysén and Magallanes.
"We are going to create trails and signage through a series of public initiatives over the next four years," says Oscar Santelices, Director of the National Tourism Service. The project includes improvements to the nitrate mining towns in Iquique and the design of a tour through the Northern Ice Fields.
From the private sector, Pier-Paolo Zaccarelli, business manager of Enjoy, believes that initiatives such as those led by the minister of public works, Sergio Bitar, serve to attract more foreigners into the country. "Chilean tourism should be known around the world by its high standards in quality and these standards should make Chile one of the premier tourist destinations" emphasized Pier-Paolo Zaccarelli.
Sources:www.lanacion.clwww.sofofa.cl