Throughout the last month Turismo Chile has beeb conducting a round of talks “Market Conversations”, where we analyzed arrivals figures, trends and profiles of the most relevant markets for Chile in terms of international promotion. These market overviews have been a success. More than 61 participating partners have joined the sessions.
There is still a session dedicated to the MICE segment and, in order to incorporate our regional partners, conversations will be held again, this time under the modality of webinar.
Below is a summary of the most relevant and conclusive information of each meeting:
North America
It is an important market for arrivals, spending and connectivity that has been improving during the last time. A relevant milestone this year is that Canada for the first time beat Mexico in arrivals. It is a tourist to take into account since he has a long stay in Chile and a very high daily expenditure.
LATAM
This market is important for arrivals and connectivity. So far this year, numbers in the region have been affected by the drop in Argentine tourists (16% less), but in contrast there is a progressive increase in the number of Brazilians visiting Chile (+ 21%) until June of this year. A market that is growing little by little is Uruguay with an increase of 6% this semester, compared to the same period of 2017. In relation to daily spending, the Brazilian tourist who spends on average USD 106 per day and per person stands out.
EUROPE
This market is important for spending, arrivals and connectivity. Up to the month of May there was a drop that promptly recovered, closing the semester with an increase of 4%. Only tourists from Spain still have a small drop. The growth of passengers from England and Italy stands out, an increase that is proportional to the development of the air supply. On daily spending, passengers in England spend an average of USD 100 per day, while Spaniards spend more time in Chile. These markets have a very marked seasonality (first and last quarter of the year), and the great challenge is to explore attractions that encourage them to travel also in other times. In general, those who visit Chile are passengers aged 50 and over.
PACIFIC ASIA
This market is slowly growing and positioning itself. In relation to the Chinese market, it should be considered that in general they have few days of vacation and that is why the packages they buy cover several countries in the same trip. As a result of this, actions such as those of Alianza Pacífico are relevant to position Chile within the countries of the itinerary. Currently connectivity has improved with direct flights to Brazil and the latest Emirates flight connecting to Chile via São Paulo. On the other hand, it is a very specific market in terms of customs and passenger profiles, so you have to be prepared to receive and serve them. Australia is an important market for lodging and spending time. They have a long period of paid vacations for what allows them to have a longer stay in Chile.