From Viña del Mar, where APEC Chile “Tourism Week” 2019 takes place, undersecretary Mónica Zalaquett welcomed the delegates from the 21 economies that make up this economic forum and who are dealing with different sectors of the industry.

The Minister of Tourism highlighted the importance of holding these meetings, noting that “they are tremendously important instances, because they give us the opportunity to meet with these 21 major economies and collaborate with their delegates and senior representatives in a transfer of experiences, of knowledge and information that are extremely valuable for a young industry like ours “.

In addition, Zalaquett said that for the local industry “this is also an invaluable opportunity: only on this occasion, for SOM2, some 800 foreign delegates will be visiting us. By November of this year, when the Leaders’ Summit will be held, there will be about 15,000 people who will be able to see what they have probably already heard about our country: a diverse and contrasting land, with an impressive and incredible nature, and with a great cultural and social heritage. ”

TOURISM WORKING GROUP 

The specific activities of the Tourism Working Group began yesterday, with the “Taking advantage of the digital economy to promote an inclusive tourism industry” workshop. They continued on Wednesday, with a workshop that aims to identify the key points for the development of a strategic plan in the area.

Meanwhile, on May 9th and 10th, the meeting of the delegates of the 21 APEC economies will be held, which, in line with the priorities established by Chile, will address issues such as climate change and its influence on tourism, the impact of cruise tourism, digital commerce and inclusive tourism.

Mónica Zalaquett stressed that cooperation agencies such as those provided by APEC are essential in “evolving and strengthening the tourism sector. As a country, we recognize the importance of this meeting and the importance of the tourism industry for the country.”

Finally, the undersecretary indicated that Chile is a country with great tourist potential, “which we can see every time we travel through our country’s regions. We are very fortunate: we have a large territory, human capital and natural and cultural heritage to promote this industry. We have the raw material and we must be able, as a country, to integrate all the knowledge that instances such as APEC provide us with. “