DESTINATION | CHILE — KENYA


Chile T


Atacama Desert


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you have a majestic landscape that invites exploration. Ethical Traveller, a not-for-


he South American destination of Chile offers a unique geography


that includes Easter Island in Polynesia as well as Chile Antartico in the Antarctic. Chile's main territory consists of a strip of land 4,200 kilometres long and 90 to 440 kilometres wide. In the far south, the land is transected by hundreds of islands and fiords.


Chile is growing in popularity


with international visitors and European arrival figures already up in 2014 compared with 2013 figures. A total of 73,393 visitors arrived from Europe during the first two months of 2014, up two percent on 2013 figures. According to the National Tourism Service (Sernatur), visitor numbers from Spain grew 8.5 percent, while


profit global community of travellers, has named Chile in its top 10 destinations for 2014. For the rankings, the company took into account environmental protection, social welfare and human rights within developing destinations around the world.


Chile fact file


A total of 73,393 tourists arrived from Europe during the first two months of 2014, up two percent on 2013 figures


Germany and England both recorded a four percent increase. In 2013, the country welcomed four million arrivals in total. European arrivals to Chile


El Gran Torre, Santiago


Chile at Arabian Travel Market Condor Travel AM1208


Kenya Flamingos, Lake Nukuru


look set to grow further during 2014, as Dutch airline KLM and Spain’s Air Europa both launch flights to Santiago, the country's capital and largest city in terms of population and employment. It is the country's main political, economic, cultural and industrial centre, the gateway to Chile and one of the most modern capital cities on the continent. An hour from Santiago is the


Casablanca Valley, a frontrunner within the country’s fastest


growing wine regions. This area has been named a top 10 destination to visit in 2014 by National Geographic Travel. Chile’s unique culture has


made it a magnet for ‘ethnic tourism’ as travellers step off the beaten track to discover small inland towns where the inhabitants still practise the traditions of the Aymara culture. Easter Island offers up not only


the mysterious Moai statues, but also the equally intriguing Rapa Nui culture. Valparaíso, Chile’s largest port, dating back to 1536, is circled by some 42 hills. Each is filled with multicoloured houses perched at angles connected by a


gigantic labyrinth of streets, long staircases and lookout points. Between these hills and the sea lies a downtown area filled with beautiful architecture, narrow streets and even trolley buses. For nature enthusiasts, 19


percent of Chile’s territory is designated a protected park or nature reserve. Birdwatchers can take in penguins, condors, flamingos and woodpeckers, to name but a few. Native animals include the vicuña from the camelid family, foxes, pumas and the pudú, the world’s smallest deer, in their natural habitat. Add to this the 500 active volcanoes scattered across the country and


The Republic of Chile occupies a long, narrow strip of land between the Andes Mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north and Bolivia to the northeast


Population: 17.6 million Climate: Chile offers one of the world’s most diverse climates, including the world’s driest desert – the Atacama – a Mediterranean climate in the centre, subtropical weather on Easter Island and an oceanic climate in the east and south Local time: UTC -4 to -6 Currency: Peso (CLP) Language: Spanish Getting there: Santiago International Airport is Chile’s largest, providing domestic and international services to 41 destinations


41,300 Chinese visitors, with a similar figure expected for 2013. The Embassy of Kenya in


South Korea, along with the KTB and seven other Kenyan companies, held a two-day promotional tour of Seoul and Busan earlier in the year in a bid to entice more Koreans to visit the African country. According to the embassy, 7,351 Koreans travelled to Kenya in 2011 and the figure rose to 9,422 in 2012. Meanwhile, as India is the


T


here are not many countries that can offer the geographical diversity


of Kenya. Located in East Africa, the country serves up savannahs rich with big game, timeless cultures unchanged by the modern world, pristine beaches and coral reefs, equatorial forests, mighty snow-capped mountains, searing deserts and cool highland retreats. The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) has ambitious plans for


the country to receive three million visitors by 2017. As such, it is making concerted efforts to market Kenya to new, emerging markets such as China, Korea and India. Along with 11 other companies, KTB recently embarked on a marketing roadshow of China, promoting Kenya in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Guangzhou. The Chinese market has grown by more than 20 percent since 2006 and, in 2012, Kenya received


Kenya at Arabian Travel Market Villa Rosa Kempinski Nairobi HC5350


fourth largest source market for Kenya, accounting for seven percent of arrivals and 61,000 tourists in 2012, KTB is now targeting an increase to 200,000 Indian arrivals within the next five years. Part of this involves organising roadshows to cities in India, such as Jaipur, Chandigarh and Lucknow. With a target of three million


visitors by 2017, Kenya’s tourism industry is starting to see investment return to the country. The latest research by W Hospitality reveals that the country’s hotel pipeline more than doubled recently, from five hotels with 771 rooms under development in 2012 to 11 hotels with 1,469 rooms in 2013. Now that hotel development


is continuing apace, Kenya is, once again to play host to the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF). The forum, first held


Kilimanjaro


in Nairobi in 2012, will take place at the InterContinental Hotel between September 30 and October 1, 2014. The country boasts many


attractions for visitors including white sandy beaches, rich cultural heritage, spectacular scenery and diverse wildlife protected in 60 National Parks and Reserves. One of only a few destinations where visitors can see the ‘big five’ (lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo,


leopard and rhinoceros) in their natural habitat, Kenya was voted the world’s leading safari destination by the World Travel Awards 2013. Kenya has long enjoyed


links with the Middle East with trade routes between the east coast of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula in place for centuries. Tourism routes continue to flourish with air links from Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, Saudia and Yemenia.


With a target of three million visitors by


2017, Kenya’s tourism industry is starting to see investment return to the country


Kenya fact file


The Republic of Kenya is a sovereign state in the African Great Lakes region of East Africa and covers almost 600,000 square kilometres. It lies on the equator with the Indian Ocean on its southeast coast. Its capital and largest city is Nairobi


Population: 44 million Climate: Kenya has a tropical climate where it is hot and humid at the coast, with high temperates inland and very dry in the north and northeast Local time: UTC +3 Currency: Kenyan Shilling (KES) Language: English and Swahili Getting there: Kenya has three International airports: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) in Nairobi; Moi International Airport in Mombasa; and Eldoret International Airport (local flights and cargo only). Jomo Kenyatta is the country's largest airport and the primary arrival point for visitors flying into Kenya. The airport serves a daily average of 19,000 passengers from Africa, Europe and Asia and is located 15 kilometres to the southeast of the Nairobi Business District


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