MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Record number of tourists visit Chile in first quarter; top of the list Argentines

March was record breaking with a 49.6% increase over a year ago

The number of foreign tourists visiting Chile rose 9.2% during the first quarter of 2011 in relation to the same period last year, according to Tourism Secretary Jacqueline Plass. A record-breaking 1,043, 042 tourists entered Chile between January and March, at the height of the summer tourism season.

According to Plass, the month of March marked a historical peak with a record-breaking 289,000 tourists, a 49.6% increase when compared to March 2010, setting a new ten-year record for travellers visiting the country.

Tourism from neighbouring Argentina and Peru were at the top of the list of Latin American countries, with 112,000 and 31.500 visitors, respectively, with another 39,000 arriving from Europe.

Argentina, which saw a 104% increase in tourists visiting in March, continues to be the prime contributor to Chile’s perpetually growing tourism industry.

The number of visitors from Brazil and the United States during the month of March also registered a significant increase. The influx of tourists from Brazil grew 28%, and similar rates were registered for North America and most countries worldwide.

“This increase leaves us satisfied, now that the promotional strategies we have embarked on in various countries have proven to be beneficial to Chile,” said Plass.

The region of Magallanes, the Chilean Antarctica, and Easter Island continue to be among the favourite destinations, which have been the focus of Chile’s international tourism promotion campaigns.

By Andrea Feliz García – Santiago Times