Chile expects to welcome four million foreign tourists compared to 3.6 million in 2014, representing an increase of 11.11%, as reported by the Prensa Latina news agency.
The figures exceed the initial expectations, according to the assessment of Javiera Montes, Secretary of Tourism, who acknowledged that most foreign visitors are from the Latin American region (77.4% of the total).
In the last decade, tourist arrivals in this South American country have doubled. Therefore the Chilean government has set itself the goal of investing $100 million (88.7 million euros) between now and 2018. This money will be allocated to infrastructure improvement in 83 of the country’s attractions.
It is estimated that tourism in Chile has an economic impact of 7,300 million dollars (6.483 million euros). The Montes policy emphasized that the goal is to increase the country's competitiveness, and to encourage international promotion of the destination.
The most interesting tourist attractions are Easter Island with its Rapa Nui culture, as well as the famous Moai statues. Added to these are attractions such as Viña del Mar – popularly known as 'Garden City' – and Valparaiso on Chile’s Central Coast, as well as the Torres del Paine National Park, the Magallanes Region and the Chilean Antarctica.
Visitors can explore Puerto Varas, in the south, Valle Nevado de los Andes, near the capital, and the Atacama Desert, located in the north of the country.