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Advertisers Ski Portillo Chile
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Chile’s enticing variety holds the vision for skyrocketing tourism growth
Chile territory consists of 302,438 square miles on the continent, more than 620,000 miles more in Antarctica, and several islands, including Easter Island, the Juan Fernandez Archipelago — where Robinson Crusoe lived — and Chiloe. All of this was divided into 13 regions, 51 provinces and 331 cities.
Chile, with a tourism growth of nearly 10 percent, expects tourism arrivals for the year 2000 to be 2.5 million. “Our country is extremely long, narrow, between the Cordillera and the Ocean. Given its length, Chile has an enormous climatic and scenic diversity, which gives it an extraordinary tourism potential, because if you look at it in terms of zones, you have to the north, deserts and highland plains; to the south, lakes and volcanoes, the Patagonia, Antarctica, and the islands along the continental coast,” explained Oscar Santelices, director of the National Tourism Service (SERNATUR). “One of our purposes is to let the world know about us. Another is to assist in the government’s efforts to decentralize the regions by promoting the development of tourism in each regions.” Also, SERNATUR has the task of creating tourism awareness within the country to foment a tourism-oriented culture and of promoting internal tourism so that every Chilean knows his country.”
According to Hyatt General Manager Gordon Fuller, there have been talks about moving forward to establish a convention bureau to attract more tourism. In his opinion, this process would take 18 months and the results would bring Santiago a significant amount of influx.
In addition, ACHET (Chilean Association of Tourism Businesses) President Maria Eugenia Castro explained, “Chile offers its visitors a different type of tourism, highlighting new places — some in areas that haven’t even been exploited. There are great opportunities for investment to develop tourism infrastructure in all of its regions.”
“This has been the smoothest opening that I have ever done for Marriott Hotels,” said Marriott General Manager, Peter Giacomini, referring to the recent inauguration of the hotel in Chile and his experience of establishing it.
Every region possesses singular and enchanting attractions including first-class accommodations, lodges and cabins, adventure tours, skiing on the slopes of active volcanoes, climbing mountains, sailing, camping, rafting, fly fishing in virgin rivers and lakes, museums of pre-Columbian arts, bathing in thermal waters, excursions to the islands; in fact a whole array of activities accommodating any taste. To best show visitors the variety of destinations, SERNATUR has divided the tourism product into six centers of tourist interest, according to its geography and climate: north, center, south, Patagonia, the Islands and Antarctica.
 North: The Highland Plain, the Northern Coast and the Atacama Desert This area includes the regions of Tarapaca, Antofagasta and Atacama. It is characterized by many things including the vastness of the most arid desert in the world; the insightful archaeological heritage including the Chinchorro mummies, which are the oldest in the world, and the giant geoglyphs that served as guides for caravans through the desert; rich cultural activities and picturesque villages.
 Center: Santiago, the Andes, the central valleys and the central coast This area holds most of Chile’s population and activity from the economic and administrative activities of everyday life to the rich cultural manifestations of Chilean society. Chile’s largest cities are in this segment — Santiago, the capital; Concepcion, the second most populated; and Valparaiso, which has been declared a “Cultural Patrimony of Mankind” by UNESCO. Santiago has an immense variety of things to do and see. The central part of the city is an architectural jewel of old majestic buildings that fuse with the newer and modern skyscrapers. It offers an excellent selection of first-class accommodations including prestigious international brands such as Hyatt, Marriott, Sheraton, Intercontinental, Radisson and NH Hoteles. Let’s not forget the Chilean brands, such as Hotel Carrera, which overlooks the Plaza de la Constitucion and has a front view of La Moneda.
Santiago satisfies the tastes of all: For a nice soiree in town, there’s El Bosque —featuring international restaurants with exquisite menus. For those who wish to enjoy a nice dinner yet in a more bohemian ambiance, the Barrio Bellavista is the place. There you’ll find talented artisans and folk singers who immortalize the songs that formed this nation. And for the night owls, Suecia Street has the pubs, bars and discotheques. Along the coast, there are many cities like the popular Viña del Mar, with charming hotels, shops and restaurants that are perfect for a weekend trip. Also, resorts like Marbella Resort are an ideal place for unwinding.
In this area, the vineyards offer a perfect way to taste and learn about Chile’s famous wines. There are also numerous national parks and villages that preserve the essence of the huasos (Chilean country-people). Visitors can eat Chilean empanadas (turnovers) and drink chicha (drink that comes from the grape juice before it is turned into wine) or pisco (grape liquor), and wave their pañelos (handkerchiefs) as they dance to a Cueca, a type of Chilean folk music. South: Araucania, the lakes and volcanoes Known as the Lake District and the land of the Mapuche people, who the Spaniards called Araucanians, this area embodies breathtaking landscapes of the Mother Earth. It include the cities of Temuco, a modern and prosperous city that leads to the lakes, the Conguillo National Park and the Llaima volcano; Valdivia, a 150-year old city that is the central point for various rivers such as Osorno that shows the influences from German immigrants and leads to the Puyehue National Park; and Puerto Montt also known as the city of seafood that is a must-see destination. Puerto Montt is the embarking point for a Skorpios cruise to visit the San Rafael Lagoon to experience one of Constantino Kochifas’ (Skorpios’ owner) traditions: drinking a 10-year-old scotch with millenary ice. Throughout this region, the lakes, such as Lago Todos los Santos and Lake Llanquihue, radiate shades of emerald and sapphire. The lake is also known for being a fly-fishing haven.
Chilean Patagonia — extending from Puerto Montt to Tierra del Fuego— is one of unspoiled marvels of the world. The Austral Road takes you until Villa O’Higgins, where glorious ice fields impede road infrastructure, then commences again near Puerto Natales and runs all the way down to Punta Arenas. This road is filled with enticing spectacles of straits, lakes, forests, waterfalls, glaciers, flatlands leading to snow-covered mountains and the Mylodon Cave, among others. Most impressive are the horns of the Torres del Paine National Park, declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. Amid the fascinating ecosystem of this park, the Torres del Paine mountain range carries secrets of 10 million years of tectonic movement as well as the Patagonian legends and stories whispered by the flying condors and migratory birds as they glide through seasonal changes. Antarctica:
Islands: Easter Island, the Juan Fernandez Islands and the Chiloe Archipelago The most popular of these is Easter Island, known as Rapa Nui by its natives. This island’s history is filled with unanswered questions ranging from the natives’ origins to the mysteries behind the moais, the 19-foot tall and 50-ton stone statues that stand with their backs to the Pacific Ocean. On the other hand, the Juan Fernandez Archipelago — classified as a World Biosphere Reserve — nests an abundance of endemic flora and fauna in its three islands: Robinson Crusoe, Santa Clara and Alexander Selkirk. The Robinson Crusoe Island alludes to the shipwreck of Alexander Selkirk, which Daniel Defoe describes in his novel, Robinson Crusoe. Chiloe Island, recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizations as a world heritage, is known for its picturesque communities, for its harmonious union between nature and civilization, and for being charmed by mythical legends of magical sea creatures and ghost ships. |
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To be able to describe Chile one would have to realize that it is much more than any of its components. It is a long stealth of land that gracefully flows from vast deserts to what seems to be infinite ice, while the middle possesses the balance of extremes. When flying to Chile, one may observe through the window the imperious Andes, shaping the Southern Cone with a unique vertebra and, as the plane descends, one can almost touch this ancient range of mountains. Then, all of a sudden, Santiago, its capital city, reveals itself and welcomes one to meet the Chilean variety: its land, its people and its uniqueness.
As explained by Jose Manuel Rogers, general manager of the Tourism Promotion Corp. of Chile, the tourism strategy of Chile is different from other countries in the sense that SERNATUR is a service that deals mostly with the internal infrastructure of tourism, while the marketing and promotion of the country falls under the organization that he manages. This organization, whose board of directors includes private and public-sector tourism industry leaders, creates its strategy through funds received from its private-sector members (about 65 percent of funds) and the government (45 percent).
Ski lovers will find many resorts close to Santiago. Ski Portello is a small hotel characterized by its family atmosphere and top of the line skiing. Another is Valle Nevado, which is one of the largest ski resorts in the Southern Hemisphere. According to Ski Portillo’s president, Henry Purcell, “One of the most interesting attractions is that we have the national teams coming to practice in winter (U.S. summers). We have booked the U.S. men’s and women’s teams for this next August. It is a great opportunity to see them ski right next to you.”
Patagonia: The Austral Road, the fjords and glaciers, Torres del Paine and Tierra del Fuego
A journey to the end of the world (or maybe the beginning) is a visit to the Chilean Antarctic Territory. Snow-filled landscapes and freezing temperatures are definitely a challenge for those who long to see one of the purest and remote landscapes on earth. The best time to visit is from December to February, when penguins, migratory birds and whales are best observed.