Chile wins Best Green Destination in the world and is recognized as Best Adventure Destination for the fourth consecutive year
Both awards were announced at the 26th version of the World Travel Awards (WTA) and highlight our country’s scenery and extreme nature activities. Economy Minister Lucas Palacios said that the recognition is “encouragement for Chilean tourism, which has been impacted by the nation’s situation over the past month.” Palacios also called on residents to opt to travel to local destinations as part of the #ChooseChile campaign.
For the first time ever, Chile has been chosen Best Green Destination in the World by the World Travel Awards (WTA). The competition, which is based on a popular vote, highlights the world’s best tourism destinations and respect for extreme nature adventures.
In Chile’s case, top destinations in this category include the Atacama Desert (the driest in the world), its over 4,000 kilometers of coastline with enviable waves for surfing, over 100 national parks and reserves and the largest concentration of glaciers in South America.
The awards were announced at the 26th version of the WTA at a ceremony held on November 28 in Oman. Chile also was named Best Adventure Destination for the fourth consecutive year, outperforming icons in this field such as the United States, New Zealand and Australia.
For Economy, Development and Tourism Minister Lucas Palacios “this is excellent news for Chile that fills us with pride and encourages us to continue to support tourism in our country. It is also compensation for the years of work that many entrepreneurs have done to develop this activity and compete with foreign destinations with bigger reputations. It also encourages tourism, which has been impacted by the nation’s situation over the past month. In view of all of this, I invite all Chileans to choose Chile as a tourist destination. It is unique, it is big, and it is ours!”
The minister added that this invitation goes hand in hand with the #EligeChile (Choose Chile) campaign that was launched last week by the Economy, Development and Tourism Ministry, the Tourism Undersecretary and the National Tourism Service to encourage Chileans to travel within the country and thus reinvigorate local tourism.
Along these same lines, Tourism Undersecretary Mónica Zalaquett added that “this makes us very proud of our country and the thousands of national tourism industry entrepreneurs and workers. These are tremendously important awards because they recognize the work that Chile has been doing to develop responsible, sustainable and inclusive tourism. They also inspire us to work with more enthusiasm, dedication and commitment, because our country is now a globally recognized destination.”
For her part, National Tourism Service Director Andrea Wolleter noted that “these acknowledgments reflect the work that we have engaged in with the industry to position Chile as a must-see destination and to highlight the characteristics that make it unique. The Best Green Destination award challenges us to continue to promote and work to develop products and experiences that align with sustainability criteria and to increase the sustainable offerings, which currently include 141 hotel and tourism services.”
The Academy Awards of Tourism
Created in 1993, the World Travel Awards seek to promote and develop global tourism and travel by rewarding excellence and diversity. The competition has become a globally recognized brand that acknowledges quality in all services and experiences related to the travel sector.