MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile to become “World Tourism Capital”

Santiago de Chile will host the world's largest gathering of travel journalists from October 18 to 23, an event that some likened to “bringing the World Cup to Chile.”

The 51st annual gathering of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) will draw over 500 writers and photographers to Chile's capital city - and other travel destinations throughout the country - for story gathering and professional development.

"When selecting a destination for our annual meeting, we look for a site that offers dozens of travel story ideas so that each of our writers and photographers can come back with different material," said SATW President Ed Malone. "Chile certainly fits that bill. It is one of the fastest growing travel destinations in South America, but the American public still knows very little about it."

The purpose of the conference, in addition to professional development and networking, is to produce photographs and newspaper and magazine articles on Chile to be published around the world.

"By having our national convention there, we will generate dozens of newspaper and magazine travel articles, thousands of photo images and a variety of radio and television travel shows that will bring the wonders of Chile to American readers and viewers," Malone said.

An upsurge of stories and images of Chile may continue to pulse through the media for years, as has been the case with previous conference sites.

Before and after the conference, participants will explore the country in small groups, visiting some locations already well known to the outside world and others that have yet to be discovered. These include fishing villages and vineyards in Chile's Central Coast, colonial towns in the Colchagua Valley, the Atacama Desert, the Lakes District, and the Patagonia.

The writers and photographers will also travel to sites like Easter Island and Robinson Crusoe Island, places that exist more as legend than reality in the foreign imagination.

Santelices, who is also president of the Corporation for the Promotion of Chilean Tourism, said the combination of natural beauty and social stability is a major selling point for Chile.

"Journalists and travel writers are looking for nature and unexplored corners, but also a solid infrastructure, high quality facilities, and tourist services in a climate of security and stability," he said. "That is why we were chosen as the site of the conference, and now it's our turn to respond as a country."

Past SATW conventions have been hosted in Thailand, Israel, Australia, India, Switzerland, Wales and Bermuda. This will be the second convention in South America after meeting in Ecuador in 1995.

Chilean tourism has grown in past years, including a record number of luxury line cruise ships sailing to Chilean ports. Over 120 travelled to Chile in 2005, up 20 percent from the previous season.

Chile has considered expanding its tourism industry by joining with Peru and Bolivia to offer an extended Inca Trail, integrating the most important historical and cultural attractions of the ancient Inca Empire throughout the three countries.

Chile also responded favourably to promoting integrated tourist networks between Chile and Argentina, offering stunning panoramas of national parks, lakes and volcanoes .

By Renata Stepanov The Santiago Times - News about Chile