Ross Brown/The Santiago Times Staff
For a remarkably small country, Chile is a world on its own. Flaunting a truly diverse landscape ranging from the driest desert on Earth to southern glacial fields, and including several volcanoes, forests, lakes, valleys, and mountains in between, the country is a beautiful tapestry of wondrous natural treasures. Add to this its rich history, easy accessibility, warm hospitality and vibrant culture, and it is the perfect travel destination for any globetrotter. It is no wonder that Chile was announced as the number one travel destination by World Travel Awards three years in a row — 2015, 2016, and 2017.
Following each of these wins Chile has seen a boost in visitors, with 2017 seeing an almost 15 percent increase in tourists than 2016. Hence, it doesn’t come as a surprise that in terms of tourism, Chile is already experiencing a lot of attention just two months into the new year. According to Google Trend statistics, searches for Chile peaked in January of 2018. Several global and thousands of local tourism establishments have seen a rise in bookings for the small country.
Bookmundi, a leading global travel booking portal based in Denmark, saw a significant rise in the amount of unique page views for Chile. According to their Google webpage statistics, there has been a 1000% increase in traffic for Chile related searches in January/February 2018 compared to the same months last year. The seemingly endless opportunities for travelers to explore Chile also plays catalyst in the increase in tourism interest. From the bohemian streets of Valparaiso, the charming villages of Casablanca valley, to the otherworldly landscape of Atacama, the mysticism of Easter Island, and the wilderness of Patagonia, Chile has something different to offer to every kind of traveler, and at every turn.
Rasmus Juul-Olsen, the CEO of Bookmundi says, “Stretching more than 4,000 kilometers from north to south and offering access to natural attractions such as Atacama Desert, the Andes Mountains, Patagonia, and even Antarctica, Chile is a true ‘Mecca for travelers’. Adding unique culture, friendly people and amazing food and wine, it’s no surprise that tourism in Chile is flourishing, and will continue to do so.”
For the tourism industry in Chile, 2018 has kicked off with an outpour of travel interests and enquiries from interested travellers around the world. It remains to be seen what the rest of the year will bring, though it is more than likely that a heavy tourist influx in the coming months is almost inevitable.
