Chile’s Undersecretariat of Tourism has signed a framework agreement with ProChile, the country’s export promotion agency, to use ProChile’s network of 51 overseas trade offices to market Chile as a destination, the undersecretariat said on November 3.
Undersecretary of Tourism María Paz Lagos and ProChile director general Ignacio Fernández signed the agreement in Santiago. It covers joint promotion in priority markets, the exchange of market studies and intelligence, and joint participation in international trade fairs, trade missions, Chile Week events and business meetings.
“We want to make Chile a world tourism power, because every tourist who arrives in our country means more growth, more investment and more jobs,” said Lagos. She said tourism now supports 680,200 jobs in Chile, up 4.4% in 12 months, or 28,540 more jobs.
Lagos said the agreement would let the undersecretariat draw on ProChile’s international network to open new markets and connect Chile’s destinations and tourism products, with the aim of turning promotion into more visitors and more foreign currency for businesses in every region.
Fernández said the deal formalised work ProChile was already doing with the undersecretariat and Sernatur, the national tourism service. “Tourism is also an exportable offer,” he said, pointing to a range that runs from nature and adventure, such as the Cajón del Maipo outside Santiago, to wine tourism, astrotourism and heritage.
The two bodies will also build links between Chilean tourism companies and foreign counterparts and set up new public-private partnerships. The agreement supports Chile’s National Tourism Strategy, which treats inbound tourism as one of the country’s main services exports.
ProChile is the Chilean government’s agency for promoting exports, foreign investment and the country’s image abroad, and sits within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Undersecretariat of Tourism, part of the Ministry of Economy, sets national tourism policy, while Sernatur carries out promotion and development of the sector.
