MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine tourists “flooded” Chile during January

View of Santiago de Chile

Tourist activity in Chile during January increased 6.4% compared to the same month a year ago, totalling 424.536 tourists and an estimated 289 million US dollars, up 9% over January 2008, according to the Chilean Tourism Office.

The Tourism Office director Oscar Santelices said that the most significant market for Chile once again was Argentina which provided 209.000 tourists, up 22.1%, followed by French visitors, 8.876, up 13.5% compared to the same period a year ago. However the world crisis also left its mark in the first month of this summer's season, particularly from distant countries admitted Santiceles. The number of Brazilians visiting Chile was down 19%; US, 18.5%; Germany 18.6%; Britain, 17.8%; Australia, 17.2% and Spain, 9.8%. The surge of Argentine tourists can also be attributed to the exchange rate since the Chilean peso from the beginning of the crisis, and in line with Brazil, devalued considerably more than the Argentine currency.