Chile boosts its international positioning in meeting tourism with new strategies and destinations
Within the framework of the ICCA Latin America & Caribbean Summit 2025 in Medellín, we spoke with Claudio Sances, head of the Meetings Tourism Department at SERNATUR, about Chile's experience at the event, the balance of the MICE segment and the projections of new destinations such as Pucón
How was your experience participating in this Summit?
As SERNATUR Chile, through the Meet in Chile brand, we participate in this event every year, and the results have been positive in attracting events, both short- and long-term. Not every meeting results in a bid, but we generally achieve good results. We also recently organized a major event in Santiago, Expedition MICE 2025, where we received 22 incentive accounts from Latin America, the United States, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, and Brazil, in addition to 10 association and OPC accounts from the region. The event concluded with a business roundtable that brought together 32 Chilean entrepreneurs.
How do you rate Chile's performance in the MICE segment this year?
It has been an intense and busy year. We are still consolidating figures, but we estimate maintaining our average of between 20 and 25 international applications per year. Of these, approximately 70% are directly promoted by SERNATUR, while the remainder come from requests from convention centers or local bureaus. In addition, we have strengthened our presence at international fairs such as IBTM Americas in Mexico, and at the tourism workshops organized by SERNATUR, where we now integrate specific components for incentive tourism.
In terms of infrastructure, what new developments can you highlight?
In Santiago, the main event centers, such as Centro Parque, Metropolitan, and Espacio Riesco, remain open. At the hotel level, we have approximately 15,000 four- and five-star rooms in the capital alone, and we continue to update information in other regions. Although there have been no major openings in the last year, some four-star hotels have been added to complement the offering.
Which destinations in Chile do you see as having the greatest potential for developing meeting tourism?
Viña del Mar has a well-established Convention Bureau thanks to the support of the municipality, and the recently launched Santiago MICE Convention Bureau is gaining momentum with new resources and equipment. The big news is the launch of the Pucón Convention Bureau, held as part of Expedition MICE. Pucón has great potential, combining quality hotel chains with a unique natural setting, including the volcano and landscapes that enrich the experience. There is also interest in destinations like Puerto Varas, which could further diversify the country's meeting and events offerings.