As Chile intensifies its positioning as one of South America’s premier tourism and travel destinations; new initiatives and projects are helping to boost the country’s tourism image and to motivate larger numbers of visitors to discover the wonders of the Andean nation, with added values on their tours. This is the case with Puerto Varas, on Chile’s famous Lake District, where “Going Green” has represented an investment of 130 million dollars to bring the area to the forefront of ecologically minded tourism in Chile. Hotels in the area have committed to install alternative energy and ecologically friendly construction, especially along the shores of the sparkling Llanquihue Lake. Adding to its already stunning natural environment, the tourism operators in the area are now focused on offering travel experiences which feature sustainability as a special beacon. Among the varied sustainable practices that the hoteliers and operators have implemented, the use of geothermal energy is a good example. This mechanism is being used at some of the district’s hotels to heat water. In this way, they avoid using 25 million tons of coal per year and save two thirds of the heating coasts, according to one of the hotel’s manager. Geothermal heating brings hot water from as deep as 98 feet below the surface for the use of water in showers and baths. The environmental awareness of the area’s entrepreneurs is high and their commitment goes as far as neutralizing carbon emissions as well. The use of recycled materials, alternative fuels, thermal heating or heating water with pellets instead of firewood, are among the practices which are rapidly dispersing around the area to make it a truly ecologically friendly and sustainable destination. According to the same sources, the investments being made to implement these practices into the properties and tour operations are well worth as, in the short to mid-term, they provide important cost savings, thus making of the sustainability practices, also a matter of good business sense. The innovative spirit of the tourism services’ suppliers and outfitters in the area is also backed by a recent survey, conducted by Chile’s National Tourism Service, Sernatur, which shows that an elevated percentage of the foreign travelers who visit Chile, do take into account the existence of sustainable tourism practices, when choosing where to visit and where to stay, following a rapidly spreading worldwide trend in the travel industry. The sustainable tourism projects which have spread throughout Chile’s beautiful Lake District, already known as a fascinating destination, are likely not only to increase the motivation for more tourists to visit the area, but also to disperse into other popular tourism destinations on Chile’s long geography. “Going Green” is proving to be an ideal formula to make the travel industry a leader and a worthy allied of nature conservation, while providing world voyagers with unique experiences, enhanced by good environmental and social practices.
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December 6, 2011
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