Recently, Chile‘s Committee of Tourism Ministers declared Lonquimay, the Chiloé Archipelago, Torres del Paine and Cape Horn as Areas of Tourist Interest, joining the 32 already listed as such for a total of 36 territories under this category in the country.
This classification represents an important tourism promotion tool for certain areas, allowing the productive sector to be positioned as a key player in the Chilean territory. In addition to generating a process of public-private participation to promote a series of projects with economic and social impact.
Learn about these new areas of interest and where they are located:
1 Lonquimay
A town and commune of Chile in the Province of Malleco, Araucanía Region. It is located 156 km from Temuco, by the Lautaro-Curacautín route and 186 km by the Victoria-Curacautín road. Both routes are fully paved to Lonquimay. Since 2011 Lonquimay has a ski center a few kilometers from the center of the city.
2 Chiloé Archipelago
Located in the south of Chile, it comprises a large island, the Big Island of Chiloé, and a large number of smaller islands and islets. On a cultural level, the Chiloé archipelago presents traits that differentiate it from the rest of the country, chief among them possessing a prolific wealth of folklore and culture derived from its remote location.
3 Torres del Paine National Park
One of the largest and most important national parks in Chile, and a protected wilderness area. It is the third most visited national park. 75 percent of its visits correspond to foreign tourists, especially Europeans. Torres del Paine was chosen as the fifth most beautiful place in the world in a special edition of National Geographic and it was selected as the Eighth. Wonder of the world in 2013.
4 Cape Horn
The southernmost point of the Horn island the Tierra del Fuego archipelago in the southern zone of Chile, it’s traditionally considered the southernmost point of the American continent. Cape Horn is one of the fastest ways to circumnavigate the world and its use for long distance recreational sea routes has grown steadily. Due to its remote location and its dangers, surrounding Cape Horn is one of the most exciting experiences for sailors.
What the Chilean Authorities Have Planned
On the selection the undersecretary of Tourism, Mónica Zalaquett said: “To promote tourism through participation and collaboration among the different actors, by strengthening the joint work of the public and private world, as well as the articulation of networks between them, are some of the effects that we seek to unleash with the declarations of Tourist Interest Zones throughout the country.”
The authority added that “our objective is to promote the tourist vocation of destinations, welcoming both tourists and the communities that live there, without losing sight of the characteristics that make these areas unique.”
