Chile saw international tourism arrivals up 28 percent during the first half of 2016, according to the Tourism Board, following a record 4.4 million international visitors in 2015.

During the first six months of 2016, 2,837,315 tourists arrived to Chile. A new record of 5.6 million international visitors is anticipated for 2016, according to estimates, which will be 25 percent more than in 2015.

Luis Felipe Céspedes, minister of economy, said in a prepared statement that there are numerous reasons for this growth. He affirmed that this growth is due to efforts in international marketing, as well as the fact that more airlines are now arriving to Chile. Céspedes also added that, in his opinion, there are advantages of holding international treaties with Chile that make it easier to travel. Lastly, the minister pointed out that economic conditions have also stimulated this sector. “The value of the dollar in Chile for those coming from stronger economies boosts the arrival of tourists,” he said.

The number of Argentineans that arrived in this first half of the year grew by 52 percent when compared to this same time period in 2015, while the only market that saw a decrease was Brazil, which fell by 10 percent. Arrivals from the United States saw an increase of 18 percent, when compared to last year, with 107,265 tourists.

European arrivals to Chile increased by 12 percent with 222,000 tourists, As for its primary markets, the arrival of English tourists increased by 23 percent, Italian tourists were up by 19 percent, French tourists by 13 percent, and both Spanish and German tourists increased by 6 percent.

The arrival of Australian tourists increased by 17 percent during this time period, and, likewise, tourist arrivals from Asian countries increased by approximately 20 percent with the increase in the arrival of Chinese tourists standing out with 58 percent, and the arrival of Japanese tourists by 10 percent.

According to Debbie Feldman, the general manager of Chile Travel, the numbers confirm a positive trend that is without a doubt an effort of the collaborative work between the private and public sectors.” Even though Argentineans comprised more than half of June’s arrivals, arrivals from long-distance travelers are on the rise. This motivates us to increase our marketing efforts, which is something we are very much focused on.”