Summertime Foreign Tourists Spent Over $300 Million in Chile

Foreign tourists spent more than $300 million in Chile over the past summertime season, according to figures revealed today by the National Tourism Service (SERNATUR).

The number of incoming foreign vacationers during the southern-hemisphere summer months of January, February and March was up 21.1 percent compared to the same span of time the year before.

SERNATUR Chief Oscar Santelices explained the promotional campaigns carried out by his institution and the private sector played an outstanding role in the arrival of more foreign sunbathers to the country, peaking 600,000 all through last year.

The report also lays bare significant hikes in the amount of long-haul travelers compared to the summer of 2003, chiefly Italians (up 37 percent from 2003), Canadians (35 percent), Mexicans (30 percent) and Americans (27.9 percent).

”We’ve managed to branch out the market instead of depending solely on just one segment. The point about travelers coming from far places is that they stay longer and spend more money,” Mr. Santelices commented.

The SERNATUR chief went on to say that as many as $300,000 were used in the international advertisement of Chilean tourism during the first quarter of 2004.

Roughly half those funds (49 percent) have been earmarked by the government through SERNATUR, while the remaining 51 percent has been chipped in by different private companies and organizations.