Chile was awarded as the Best Green Destination in the World in the thirtieth edition of the World Travel Awards, known internationally as the Oscars of Tourism. The award is the second obtained consecutively and the fourth in the history of the recognition, since it had been awarded to our country in 2019, 2020 and 2022. The Best Green Destination recognizes the existence and promotion of nature destinations and the planning, development and promotion of responsible and sustainable tourism experiences with the environment. Chile, on this occasion, surpassed Colombia, Ecuador, Madagascar, Norway and Peru in the category.
With the rise of experience tourism, added to the greater awareness of the damage caused to the planet by human intervention and unsustainable practices, this award becomes relevant, highlighting the value of initiatives to discover, enjoy and appreciate the aspects ecological, aesthetic and ethical aspects of green forms of tourism.
“As a government, we are happy for this tremendous recognition. Tourism must be sustainable and sustainable, which is why we are committed to working for an industry that incorporates these elements in daily life, promoting initiatives and activating coordination with other public institutions for the development of green policies, such as the Clean Production Agreements applied. to our sector. We must preserve our biodiversity and the natural heritage of our country, unique in the world,” said the Undersecretary of Tourism, Verónica Pardo Lagos.
For the government, tourism development must be sustainable and must be based on the protection of natural resources. For this reason, the participatory construction of the Decentralized National Tourism Strategy has a “green” approach within its pillars, with the objective that the country continues its global leadership in the matter. In addition, one of the lines of work is supporting the certification and recertification of companies with the Sernatur S Seal, a distinction in sustainable tourism that guarantees visitors that tourist accommodations, tour operators and travel agencies comply with global sustainability criteria. tourism, in the socio-cultural, environmental and economic spheres.
The national director of Sernatur, Cristóbal Benítez Villafranca, indicated that “having the possibility of continuing to be world leaders in this category is a testimony to the joint efforts between the public and private sectors to promote tourist experiences that are based on sustainability and natural wealth of our sixteen regions. Therefore, we are very happy with this new achievement for the country. Chile dazzles with its natural diversity and its commitment to sustainability, reasons for which it wins, for the second consecutive year, the crown of Green Destination in the World, at the World Travel Awards.”
The Best Green Destination in the World joins two other awards given to Chile during 2023. These are the Best Romantic Destination and the Best Adventure Tourism Destination at the South American level. In total there are now 30 awards received by our country at the World Travel Awards since 2015.