Chile Reports 14 Percent Increase in Quarterly Arrivals

Tourist arrivals in Chile were up 14 percent in the first quarter of 2012 to 1.2 million visitors, including a 4 percent increase in North American arrivals, which totaled 73,000, said Jacqueline Plass, Chile’s undersecretary of tourism.

In addition, visitors from North America were up by 20 percent in March 2012 compared with March 2011 totals, according to a Turismo Chile. Argentina accounted for the largest number of visitors to Chile, with more than 500,000 visitors, 46 percent of all visitors, followed by Brazil and Colombia. Arrival numbers were up across all regions, said Plass.