Latin America
Branching out A
With Latin America continuing to grow in popularity, Sarah Gordon asks how countries are persuading tourists to move away from the traditional sites and attract repeat visitors
lmost 104 million visitors travelled to Latin America in 2017, a figure that is expected to grow to
122.5 million by 2022, according to Euromonitor International. The USA still makes up the majority of these tourists, due to its proximity to Mexico, but China is presenting the strongest growth among the top 10 visitor countries, while European tourist numbers are also increasing.
As more people visit, tourist boards hope to promote lesser- known areas as well as the blockbuster sights. It is an important strategy not just to ensure tourists are evenly spread around each country and to avoid overcrowding, but also to attract second- and third-time visitors.
Tour operators constantly seeking new experiences for their customers support this drive.
Jen Richt, head of the Latin America team at Jacada Travel, explains: “We are always keen to hear what people on the ground have to say, and getting the tourist board’s insight is a fantastic way to hear about new and exciting events and excursions that might fit with our clients’ needs.”
Here we take a look at how tourist boards are opening up and promoting new destinations in their respective countries in this vast and diverse region.
Brazil (LA250)
In order to diversify from the ever- popular Rio de Janeiro and its surroundings, Brazil is promoting Jalapao in the state of Tocantins, in central-west Brazil, and Alter do Chao, in the Amazonian state of Para. Working with the Brazilian Luxury Travel Association, it is running online and social media workshops for the travel trade in the
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UK and France throughout the year. Located between the Amazon and Cerrado savanna, the state of Tocantins offers amazing outdoor adventure, with Jalapao known as the “Brazilian Atacama, but with waterfalls”, combining sand dunes with lush mountains, springs and rock formations.
In the Amazon, there are also some new experiences being offered. The Brazilian Tourist Board’s UK country manager, Lilas Nascimento, says: “Alter do Chao is where the Amazon goes ‘Caribbean’ thanks to its river beaches and transparent waters. It’s a cultural and natural destination that is very different from the Rio Negro and Anavilhanas Amazon.”
Chile (LA500)
According to Euromonitor statistics, Chile saw Latin America’s largest growth in inbound arrivals between 2012 and 2017, with an increase of 2.2 million visitors.
With many heading south to Patagonia and the beautiful Torres del Paine national park, numbers have to be carefully managed, so the tourist board is highlighting other areas of Patagonia with familiarisation trips for journalists
Peru’s Amazonas region is a hotbed of fl ora and fauna
and bloggers and new sales materials for tour operators. Turismo Chile project manager Romina Reyes explains: “There has been a growth in interest in the Carretera Austral – the scenic road that cuts through Patagonia for more than 600 miles – so we are particularly promoting the area of Aysen and General Carrera lake in the north of the region through online portals and our own social media outlets.”
Similarly, some tour operators, such as specialists Plan South America, are taking their visitors away from the developed tourism of San Pedro in the Atacama Desert and taking them to lesser-visited Copiapo instead.
Peru (LA300)
The iconic status of Machu Picchu puts it on many travellers’ bucket lists, but there is much more to Peru.
Elisabeth Hakim, PromPeru’s market coordinator for North America and the UK, says: “Our task is to disperse tourism and the associated economic benefi ts more equally throughout Peru by inspiring travellers to visit lesser- known areas of the country. “We have been using this tactic to diversify demand for many years, starting with the promotion of the northern coast, then the Amazon Rainforest, and we now continue by looking at the north-eastern regions of Ancash and Amazonas.”
The ancient fortress of Kuelap and the Chachapoyas region have also been effectively promoted as an alternative to Peru’s traditional southern tourism circuit. Vessela Baleva, Cox & Kings’ Latin America specialist, says: “We are taking advantage of recently launched fl ight routes such as Cusco to Trujillo to combine the traditional Inca sites with the pre-Columbian treasures of the lesser-known north.”
Guanacos in Torres del Paine national park, Chile
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