The month of April 2023 had high international press coverage for Chile’s tourism industry, with special interest from the Brazilian market.
Successful participation at WTM
In April 2023 a new version of WTM Latin America was held, the most important tourism exhibition in the region where Chile was a protagonist, even with several press appearances.
Held in Brazil, the event was attended by a large number of national exhibitors and a delegation led by the Undersecretary of Tourism, Verónica Pardo, and the Sernatur National Director, Cristóbal Benítez, authorities who had a full agenda of interviews.
According to estimates by the Undersecretariat of Tourism, Chile expects to receive around 500,000Brazilians in 2023. In this regard, Undersecretary Pardo pointed out to Mercado & Eventos that “The expectation is that the number of Brazilians keeps growing in, although we have not yet recovered the levels of 2018”.
The exhibition was also the selected occasion to celebrate the inaugural flight of JetSMART’s new route which connects Sao Paulo (Brazil) with Santiago de Chile. “There is great interest from Brazilians for wine regions and snow skiing in Chile. In addition, there is a very consistent flow of business travelers between the two countries. Chile is a diverse destination, with passengers from both sides traveling for different purposes”, JetSMART Commercial Director, Víctor Mejía told E Investor.
Chilean cuisine for the world
April is the month to celebrate Chilean cuisine and, in 2023, several international media have joined the festivity, giving information on how to eat like a Chilean.
“Chile is known for its land and sea adventures, as well as its diverse landscapes, from the Atacama Desert in the north to the Patagonian plains in the south, but travelers learned that it also has a rich culinary offer that is just as varied and unique”, a note published by The Travel, said. In this line, they emphasized that national cuisine covers “multiple continents and cultures”, highlighting preparations such as Empanadas, Cazuela de Vacuno, and Pastel de Choclo.
In Spain, meanwhile, the proximity of April 15th (Chilean Cuisine Day) was used to highlight the value of our country’s culture through its cuisine. “Cooking with Mapuche roots mixed with different European influences such as Spanish, German, French and Italian. Chilean cuisine is a representation of its land, a country full of contrasts spread over its 4,329 km in length, the longest country in the world”, Expreso said. For its part, El Diario reminded, “If you want to get to know Chile from the stomach as you should, you should never miss the opportunity to try dishes such as Curanto, Caldillo de Congrio, Chorrillana, and Empanadas de Pino, Mote con Huesillo orTorta Curicana”.
Nevertheless, it was not only in the northern hemisphere that Chilean Cuisine Day was in the news, as El Comercio de Perú also dedicated space to this celebration. “When people want to mention Chilean cuisine, they always talk about Pastel de Choclo, Empanada, Porotos con Riendas and Charquicán, although Chilean cuisine has many dishes, with preparations that change according to geographic location, social uses and environment”, the media outlet said.
Expectations of snow
The snow season has already made itself felt in the international press of 2023, two months before the official start of winter in Chile. Although the main ski resorts are scheduled to start on June 23rd, several media are already promoting the Chilean offer for winter sports.
In Brazil, Mercado & Eventos bet on the Metropolitan Region, highlighting that Brazilians have already made their reservations. “Valle Nevado Ski Resort, in Chile, is optimistic about the number of Brazilians who have already planned to return to the slopes next winter. A 70% of the daily rates already confirmed at its three hotels are from Brazil. Forecast until September 21st, the snow season in Chile is expected to reach positive results, close to 2019 levels”, the publication indicated. Hoje em Dia, meanwhile, bet on Portillo, highlighting that the resort has 500 skiable hectares, with 34 slopes for skiers and snowboarders, and the possibility of snowshoeing around the Laguna Del Inca, among others.
In the United States, they are also keeping an eye on the winter in Chile: Forbes highlighted Nevados de Chillán and its hot springs, adding that it is not necessary to ski to enjoy the place, as there are alternatives for snowshoeing, painting classes, snow games, coffee tasting, aqua-gym, and snowmobiling.
Extreme South
The adventure in Chile continued to make headlines in the international press in April 2023, this time with the “southernmost trekking in the world”. In its report, National Geographic described what it is like to do the “Dientes Circuit”; a five-day trekking that circles Navarino Island, beginning and ending in Puerto Williams.
In this regard, the article highlights that this circuit is much less known than the W of Torres Del Paine, but that it is constantly growing. Along these lines, he points out “the infrastructure for tourism in Puerto Williams is also growing. A new multipurpose pier will be opened in stages over the next three years with the goal of making this small town an important gateway for travel to Antarctica”.
Not so far to the south, the British newspaper, The Times decided to highlight Patagonia’s hotel industry, focusing on the history of The Singular in Puerto Natales. “It is a hotel so steeped in history that you can easily spend a couple of days inside without getting bored (…) The Victorian-style buildings are as immense as the surrounding landscape”, the media outlet explained, mentioning the view towards Torres Del Paine.
“Gran Abuelo”
The Alerce Costero National Park could be crowned soon as the place with the oldest tree in the world. This was reported in the international press in April 2023, with studies indicating that the tree located in Chile is the longest-living tree on the planet on record.
In France, Le Télégramme explained that the tree – known as the “Gran Abuelo” – would be about 5,000 years older than “Methuselah”, a 4,850-year old pine tree preserved in a secret location in the United States. The French media outlet added that this new notoriety forced the National Forest Corporation (CONAF) to limit visits to this Chilean tree, which are currently only made upon advanced registration. France24 added that “Gran Abuelo” provides valuable information on climate change and is also considered a great “time capsule”.
