MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile becomes approved destination for Chinese tourism

A delegation of Chilean private tourism operators together with Oscar Santelices Director of the country's Tourism Office are currently touring China's main cities Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing promoting Chile which has now become an open market for Chinese tourists.

China is forecasted to become the world's main source of overseas visitors in the coming years.

The signing of the agreement had ample press coverage in China with a local television station, allegedly with a 300 million people audience potential, interviewing Mr. Santeciles and several operators who talked about the leisure and tourism opportunities Chile has to offer from the desert of Atacama to the "end of the world" in Cape Horn and Antarctica.

Chile is the first South American country to receive the ADS, ahead of Brazil and Argentina, with the original draft signed in Santiago when Chinese President Hu Jintato visited Chile for the APEC summit last year.

"The Chinese who visit Chile do so as members of an official delegation, following the corresponding invitations. That is how the Chinese government manages overseas travelling. However this has now changed and Chinese tourists are free to come to Chile whenever they wish", said Mr. Santeciles, who expects the number of Chinese tourists to reach 10,000 in the coming three years.

"This is linked to what Beijing calls the ABC tour, meaning they want Argentina and Brazil to join and have ADS, which will obviously give Chile an even greater chance of attracting more Chinese tourists", added the Director of Chile's Tourist Office.

According to Mr. Santeciles Chile annually receives an average of 550,000 Argentines; 180,000 Peruvians; 150.000 north Americans; 40.000 Spaniards; 25,000 Italians; 10.000 Japanese while the Chinese "just 700", so far.