In this context, Travel2latam spoke with Diego Piquín, Executive Director of EMPROTUR and Sergio Herrero, President of the entity.
What has been the objective of participating in WTM and what type of meetings were held?
First, accompany the launch of the snow destination. We are the most important snow place in South America. We come to search, captivate, make the Brazilian fall in love again. We want to see where we can improve, and tell you how we have improved. These are the moments and places where we take advantage to also meet people, and see what possibilities there are for new businesses in our city.
How many Brazilians do you estimate will visit you in the winter season?
In winter season, approximately 60,000, from July to September. It is a number that we have been working on and recovering based on the historical metrics we had. Obviously 2020 complicated the game and we are only now returning to those numbers, with very good air connectivity that is clearly provided by Aerolíneas Argentinas, Azul, Sky via Santiago and by some charters. In any case, they are estimates, obviously we will see how the season behaves.
We have encouraged and have seen that for some years San Carlos de Bariloche has attracted attention in its four seasons for the Brazilian, who has discovered our summer and finds it captivating. He is surprised by the temperature of the lake, the water, the forests. So also, despite being the launch of winter, of snow, we also come to talk about summer.
What initiatives have been carried out and which are planned to promote the arrival of Brazilians to the city?
There are a lot of activities. We come from Spain, and there are a lot of trips scheduled in all the places that we can take to Bariloche to somehow generate the equation of more passengers. We also try to search and be attentive to what portals and media like Travel2latam are in order to somehow seduce more people.
What can you say about the news and attractions that those who go to the city will discover?
Bariloche has a very wide diversity of offerings at the product level. The possibility of having to offer different audiences, visitor profiles and socioeconomic levels is one of Bariloche's strengths. When you start looking at some new products, there is a night skiing or snowshoeing experience on Otto Hill, obviously on a trail designed for beginners, with a gentle slope. Also snowshoeing that ends in a dinner in a dome at night, with fire, a music band, drinks, with the possibility of bringing children, although it is obviously a product more focused on adults.
We have a snow park, like Piedras Blancas, inside Cerro Otto, which in some way is also reinforcing the products it has, with hotels that are being renovated now, which will have some new features for this season and strongly betting on the next one. . Cerro Catedral, which is already finishing its Master Plan investment, with 34 new media, a six-fold chair that connects you from the base of the hill to the middle of the mountain. With artificial snow cannons, which guarantee operation for 100 days, and it is very important at the supply level. There are a lot of things that are being renewed and improved.
And how are you working with the private sector to offer promotions that allow you to enjoy the destination to the fullest?
The support of the private sector is one of the fundamental parts of any production and city. We are working very well, they accompany us, we always ask for their support, because otherwise we would stop being competitive. They are the strongest front part of our promotion, so that services, excellence, capacity and prices improve.
What other types of activities do you have planned?
We have a fairly intense calendar of actions, ranging from Argentina to being present at Imex Las Vegas, at WTM in London, or having a presence in the US.
We will have commercial rounds, we will be in some workshops, obviously present at FIT. And beyond working on some alliances or some cooperative actions with airlines or with operators in some selected markets, Brazil is obviously one of the priorities from now on.