In this framework, Travel2latam had the opportunity to talk with Verónica Pardo Lagos, Undersecretary of Tourism of Chile.
What are the first impressions of Chile's participation in Fitur?
We are super happy. This year in particular is the first that we arrive at Fitur with our updated marketing strategy that allows us to talk about “Chile, an infinite journey”, showing 5 macrozones that are absolutely different, which account for our continental wealth and biodiversity. This new stand also speaks of that, we know that we are doing positioning work. We want to develop as a nature destination, which attracts a tourist profile that is reaching out to us more and more every day. The great news is that those who come to Chile are staying longer and spending more because the destination has a profile of adventure tourism, sports and experience.
What are the plans or objectives for this year?
We have just finished a 10-year strategy for sustainable tourism, the objective was positioning as a sustainable nature destination. Today we incorporate sustainability as a synonym for nature. We are working very hard along these lines, based on what the President of the Republic asked of us, maintaining the conviction that each territory has to take the reins of its tourism development. Our strategy was made from that perspective of decentralizing, allowing us to position these 5 macro zones that we have from the international marketing strategy with their absolute differences.
And what forecast do you have for the number of international tourists this season?
For this season we need to reach figures that exceed 4,600,000 visitors, which we are expecting this year. We are the furthest country, we have open skies and that made us miss many flights. And unlike other countries that recovered them quickly, it has hit us harder, but we have recovered a number of flights. However, returning to the number of tourists has not been as fast as we would have liked. Positively, tourists who are going to Chile stay longer and spend more. Therefore, we are reaching, on average, the amount of currency we had pre-pandemic, with a lot of focus on tourism.
Furthermore, MICE tourism is growing a lot in Chile…
Exactly, we have several conferences this year that are relevant. Antarctic Tourism is going to be done in our country, being the headquarters of tourism and sustainability, and we will be a destination for nature tourism, with the ATA Congress. Indeed, we have been slowly taking leadership, we are not yet the first capital, but I want to make available all the possibilities and capacities of our country to receive organizations and events of all kinds.