SANTIAGO – Twenty-seven tour operators from 15 countries are following an itinerary through the regions of Valparaíso, Metropolitana de Santiago and La Araucanía as part of “Origins: Expedition Chile 2018” – an event organized jointly by the Undersecretariat of Tourism, Sernatur, Fedetur and Latam Airlines.
The fourth version of this exclusive promotional trip, which will continue until October 11, seeks to strengthen the country’s experiences and destinies; and it is aimed at tourist and foreign entrepreneurs who do not offer Chile between their travel packages or who are looking to expand their offer.
The select group of 27 tour operators is made up of representatives from Germany, Portugal, Spain, Australia, China, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Peru, Paraguay, Ecuador and Colombia.
Ayer fue una jornada porteña para los 27 tour operadores que nos visitan en el #ExpeditionChile2018 Hoy, el destino es la #Araucania con 3 días de aventuras por #Conguillío, #Malalcahuello e #Icalma Éxito en esta travesía!@subturismo @FEDETUR_Chile @LATAM_CHI pic.twitter.com/d0eX8zaM2e
— SERNATUR (@Sernatur) October 7, 2018
In total, there will be 8 days ending with a business conference at the Museum of Visual Arts (MAVI), where foreign visitors will have BussinestoBussines (B2B) meetings with 38 Chilean companies.
The Undersecretary of Tourism, Mónica Zalaquett, considers that “of the total number of foreigners who entered our country in 2017, 78.8% come from the countries that now make up the Expedition group, this instance is extremely important to generate new opportunities for business with the entrepreneurs of the main tourism markets of our country”.
On the other hand, for the national director of Sernatur, Andrea Wolleter, “Expedition Chile will highlight attractions linked to wine tourism, gastronomy, nature, culture and heritage; all experiences that reflect our identity. Precisely for this reason, this year we work with the concept ‘Origins’, which is linked to our roots and history. With this we hope that, at the end of the program we prepare for your visit, foreign businessmen will become new ambassadors for tourism in Chile, with more tools for spreading their wonders around the world.”
In this regard, for the executive vice-president of Fedetur, Helen Kouyoumdjian, “this is an interesting mix between mature markets and others that are in full growth, with great potential for expansion. Without a doubt, it is a tremendous opportunity for the Chilean offer that will be able to generate commercial links with important accounts”.
Likewise, the vice president of sales of LATAM Airlines, Nicolás Goldstein, sees in this instance a unique opportunity to continue encouraging further passenger traffic from different parts of the world to Chile. “Despite its geographical location, Chile is today the best connected country in South America and with the highest levels of travel per capita. Latam has played a fundamental role in this regard, boosting tourism and the economy in the region. We have more than 80 years of experience as ambassadors of tourism from Chile to the world and we are very proud of our contribution “.
‘Origins: Expedition Chile 2018’
As the expedition started on Friday, the group traveled to the Valparaíso Region, where the tour operators lived an enogastronomic day in the Casablanca Valley, visiting wineries and vineyards to taste some of the region’s outstanding and award-winning wines.
On Saturday, the guests took a walking tour of the hills of Valparaíso, sailed through the bay of the port and visited La Sebastiana, home of the poet Pablo Neruda.
On Sunday, the professionals moved to the Araucanía Region, where they visited the Malalcahuello Reserve, from where they made a nocturnal trek to the Araucaria Milenaria, the oldest tree in the valley.
On Monday, the tour continues in the National Park Conguillío, where they will make expeditions on trails, whose landscapes are characterized by their volcanoes, glaciers, lakes, forests of araucarias and for being a natural reserve of the pudú.
The experiences linked to the Chilean cultural heritage will start on Tuesday, October 9, when the group crosses the Túnel de las Raíces, America’s longest railway tunnel, which will take them to the Icalma lagoon sector, where they will taste the typical Pehuenche gastronomy and will internalize in the worldview of Chile’s native peoples.
The tour ends on Wednesday, October 10, when the group returns to Santiago. On Thursday 11 will participate in a business conference, where the 27 foreign tour operators may have meetings with representatives of 38 national tourism companies.
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