MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Torres del Paine forecasts 115.000 visitors this year

In the first nine months of 2006, Chile's Torres del Paine Park received 70.000 visitors according to the country's Forestry Corporation.

At this rate the park considered the most relevant attraction of Chilean Patagonia would have completed 115.000 visits, up 15% over 2005.

José Linnebrink, Torres del Paine Park manager said that the number of visitors begun surging last month which signals the "beginning of the high season".

Last September visitors totaled 2.517, of which 898 Chileans and the rest foreigners, mostly Spaniards.

This represents a 13.53% increase over September 2005, but 17.75% for foreigners with Spanish citizens leading, 367, followed by British 167, US 159; Brazilians 146; French 110, Germans 82; Argentines 73; Australian 64; Italian 55 and Portuguese 48.

Mr Linnebrink expects an excellent season but also warns that although the roads and paths web inside the Park are in relatively good condition, they are quite narrow and "visitors should be alert".

"This way we will be preventing any kind of accident", he underlined.