Visitor numbers down for Chile’s Torres del Paine

During the five-month period 123,570 tourists visited the park, about 2.27% fewer than in the 2007-2008 season when Torres del Paine attracted more than 146,000 visitors.

The drop is attributed to the ongoing world financial crisis.

The number of foreign visitors decreased by nearly 6,000 – from 93,202 to 87,375. The number of Chilean visitors, however, increased from 33,240 to 36,195.

This season’s visitor decline follows a decade of steady growth for Torres del Paine, an isolated but spectacularly beautiful 4 park that boasts turquoise lakes, glaciers and an iconic stand of “towers” (mountains).

In the 2007-2008 season visits to Torres de Paine spiked more than 18% compared to the previous year. Santiago Times