MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile expects 700.000 foreign tourists in Jan/February

Chile expects 700.000 foreign and overseas Chileans tourists this summer, up 10% over the same period a year ago, which are expected to inject 400 million US dollars to the economy, according to estimates from the National Tourism Office, Sernatur.

January and February, high season in the southern hemisphere, usually attract 30% of the whole tourism turnover of the twelve months and "taking into account that last year Chile received 2.5 million tourists, that is how are estimates are based", revealed Senrnatur national directors Oscar Santeciles. The tourism industry represents 1.7 billion US dollars for Chile and the main attraction areas are Valparaíso, Patagonia, San Pedro de Atacama and the Arica-Parinacota region. Most foreign tourists to Chile come from North America and Europe representing 55% of the tourism contribution to the economy. However in numbers Argentines lead with 35%, followed by Europeans 21% and from the US, 14%. Tourism in 2007 was up 12.8% over 2006 with the Brazilians recording the highest increase of visitors, 28%, followed by Argentines 15.5%, Canadians 15%; Chinese and Swiss, 12% and Spaniards 10.1%. To keep improving those percentages Sernatur has a strong publicity strategy in Europe, United States and Brazil. "The campaigns are directed to the actual tourist with huge street graphics, in the media and publicity in buses with the message "Chile, where nature surprises you"", said Santeciles. As to Chileans traveling overseas on holidays, Cuba's government airline Cubana de Aviación this week inaugurated direct flights between the Caribbean island and Santiago de Chile. So far only Lan Chile had weekly flights Santiago-Havana with a stop in Cancun, Mexico.