President Piñera welcomes the first tourists to Rapa Nui following the new regulations on access to the island
President Piñera also presented a council whose job is to oversee that the law regulating visits to the island is implemented correctly. The law came into effect this Wednesday.
On his visit to Rapa Nui, President Sebastián Piñera welcomed the first tourists that entered the island under the new laws that regulate both visits and residence. He also presented the Carrying Capacity Plan Council, which will work with the government to implement the law properly.
This initiative, which establishes new regulations regarding entry to the island and sets the maximum stay for visitors at 30 days, seeks to better control the ecosystem and resources to avoid overpopulation from harming Rapa Nui’s resident community.
Rapa Nui received 120,000 tourists last year, and its population has doubled over the last 15 years, from 3,791 people in 2002 to 7,750 people in 2017.
“We want to protect the treasures of Rapa Nui Island - Easter Island for those who are here appreciating them today and also for those who will come in the future,” said the President. He welcomed the tourists at the Mataveri International Airport. Environment Minister Marcela Cubillos and Interior Undersecretary Rodrigo Ubilla were among the visitors.
Later they moved to the Tahai Ceremonial Center, where President Piñera presented the council in charge of implementing the law, which includes the mayor of Easter Island, six elected members of Easter Island’s Development Commission, and three representatives from the Rapa Nui people.
“The council has a very difficult task, which is to find a fair balance between attracting tourists and taking care of the island, its history, archeology and legends,” said the President.
In one of the first initiatives during his visit, President Piñera gave maximum urgency to the bill that seeks to change the name of the island from Easter Island to Rapa Nui - Easter Island, in order to value and protect the ethnic and cultural wealth and diversity of the island, as well as the right of its inhabitants to conserve, strengthen, and develop its identity.