Rough Guides has selected Chile as one of the destinations not to be missed in 2018, citing unique experiences such as the Chinchorro mummies, the oldest in the world, and indigenous Mapuche-run tourism in Lago Budi.

Chile has always been “an adventure playground for the intrepid traveller”, noted the famous travel guide, which has now included it in its list of the 18 destinations worldwide that are a must to visit in 2018.

Chile took ninth place in the list headed by Newcastle, England. According to the guide, Chile surprises tourists because it “is no one-trick pony. From the world’s oldest mummies in Arica to indigenous Mapuche-run tourism in Lago Budi to award-winning wineries in the Central Valley, there’s plenty on offer.”

The Rough Guides list ranges from new trekking routes to cities experiencing a revival and conservation success stories, including countries, cities and activities that adventure and independent travelers should have on their radar. “This year, we wanted to include destinations that will be big news but also look at places that are underrated, up-and-coming or newly back on the tourist map,” said Coralie Modschiedler, senior web editor at Rough Guides.
Joint work

Chile’s Undersecretary for Tourism Javiera Montes pointed out that “in 2017, our country was recognized in the world as a destination to visit, explore and enjoy in 2018; that was the recommendation of Lonely Planet, one of the world’s best known travel guides. All these publications – Rough Guides, Lonely Planet or National Geographic – clearly give us an advantage we must use to become a world-class destination, offering a variety that enchants more international visitors to places like national parks where, over the past five years, the number of visitors has grown at an average annual rate of 11.3%.”

According to Marcela Cabezas, national director of the National Tourism Service (SERNATUR), Chile’s position “among the top ten destinations chosen for 2018 by Rough Guides means being among the ten best in the world, a clear sign we are on the right road and must continue working together with the private sector to grow our tourism industry even more”.

Source: Estrategia