Santiago, Chile – Chile's tourism sector is experiencing a remarkable surge, with record-breaking numbers of international visitors during the 2025 summer season. According to Chilean authorities, February alone saw 648,904 foreign tourists, marking a 54.8% increase compared to the same period last year. The overall summer season, spanning December to February, welcomed a staggering 2,143,000 international tourists, representing a 57% rise from the previous year.
The influx of tourists has been predominantly driven by visitors from neighboring Argentina, who constituted 60% of the total, followed by significant numbers from Bolivia, Peru, the United States, and Brazil.
"Our goal is to increase the number of tourists from 5.24 million last year to 6.1 million this year," stated Verónica Pardo, Undersecretary of Tourism. "We are on a stabilization track to establish tourism as a key economic activity."
Popular destinations across the country have seen exceptional occupancy rates, with Valdivia-Corral and Lago Ranco exceeding 90%. Northern regions like La Serena and Coquimbo also enjoyed high occupancy rates, reaching 89%.
Cristóbal Benítez, National Director of Sernatur, highlighted the positive recovery of the international market, noting that tourism levels are showing encouraging trends compared to pre-pandemic 2019. Especially the english market is showing a strong recovery. Also that the spanish market is very close to pre pandemic levels.
To enhance tourist safety and experience, cities like Iquique have implemented citizen security guard patrols to provide information and assistance. Additionally, ongoing legislative discussions aim to further stimulate tourism and the audiovisual industry.
However, the tourism industry also voiced concerns about the limitations of public services. Mónica Zalaquett, President of Fedetur, emphasized the need for the government to address the increasing tourism demand by improving the quality of public services, particularly at airports and land customs.
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