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Chile Tourism Report Q3 2011
Business Monitor International, June 2011, Pages: 52
Business Monitor International's Chile Tourism Report provides industry professionals and strategists, corporate analysts, tourism associations, government departments and regulatory bodies with independent forecasts and competitive intelligence on Chile's tourism industry.
In May 2011, Turismo Chile and the national airline LAN Chile reached an agreement, under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, to mount a joint campaign to promote inbound tourism. The campaign will cost around US$2.5mn, and highlights some of the strengths and the weaknesses of the tourism industry in Chile. The campaign will focus on traditional sources of inbound visitors – Argentina, Brazil, the US and the major countries of Western Europe (although not specifically Italy). The aim is to increase the number of foreign tourists who come to Chile by 40%.
The strengths are that the government – and the various other protagonists – see the potential to develop the tourism industry in a country with a large variety of attractions, a stable political environment and reasonably good infrastructure. This agreement is the latest in a number of official initiatives to assist the sector, which include the new Tourism Law that was promulgated in February 2010 by then President Michelle Bachelet. However, the fact that this cooperation agreement is notable because it is the first of its type suggests that the government – and other interested parties – may have done less than their peers in other countries (that are competing in Southern South America for the tourist dollar) to help the industry.
Various sources indicate that the number of inbound tourists recovered in 2010, rising by 4%. But there are still risks to the downside. Obvious challenges in the last 18 months have included the strength of the currency relative to most others, the weakness of economies in many of the major markets from which foreign visitors come and – perhaps – the incorrect perception of Chile as a disaster area following the massive earthquake in late February 2010. Particularly noteworthy are the decline in the number of Argentine visitors in the summer of 2010-11 (of at least 20%, according to some sources) and the number of cruise ships and cruise ship visitors (by almost half since early 2010).
It is not just the Chilean government and its various institutions that are seeking to promote tourism. In June 2010, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a US$32mn 15-year loan for investment in tourism infrastructure and overall efficiency. The plan is to improve the competitiveness of the various entrepreneurs in the industry. There will be further emphasis on decentralisation, given that many of the varied attractions of Chile are a long way north or south of Santiago.
In short, there are clear opportunities and threats. Recent awards presented at a high profile tourism trade fair in the Middle East highlight the potential for Chile to promote its attractions in new markets. Unfortunately, the country is extremely distant relative to one of the most promising new markets; China. The arrival of discount airlines has reduced the cost of travel in a country which is large in area and low in population density. Meanwhile, a new recession in the US or Europe would present major challenges.
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