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One of the European experts who are part of the project on the development and experiences of sustainable tourism and the challenges it faces due to the effects of climate change. Luis Baldó, with experience in the development of tourism in the Iberian Peninsula, gave us a roadmap on the path to be taken by SMEs and MSMEs in tourism in our country and the business opportunities that are opening up in the development of an increasingly specialised economic and social activity.

From his European perspective and extensive experience, he spoke about the experiences that could be replicated in the local models of the Norte Chico territory and the importance of associativity and the use of new technologies to create new sustainable and competitive business models.

What characteristics does a tourist destination need to have in order to be sustainable?

The sustainability of a tourist destination must always be observed from a triple point of view: environmental, socio-cultural and economic sustainability. In other words, it must develop actions that allow it to be respectful of the ecosystem, with a minimum impact on the environment and local culture. Furthermore, in the economic aspect, it must seek to generate employment and income for the local population.

What strategies are being implemented in Spain to revive tourism in a sustainable way? Which are the most popular?

After the pandemic, tourism in Spain has revived almost spontaneously, with visitor and overnight stay figures even higher than in 2019. In any case, work is being done to improve the sustainability of destinations and businesses, especially by implementing solutions that reduce environmental impact (energy savings to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, waste reduction and management of visitor flows to avoid overcrowding in fragile areas), as well as better management of the impact of tourism on the local population.

With respect to the above, what measures could be replicated in Chile?

In general, all measures aimed at improving environmental sustainability are replicable to a greater or lesser extent, depending on the size and investment capacity of companies and destinations. In terms of social and cultural sustainability, starting from a position where mass tourism has not yet occurred facilitates the adoption of preventive measures, which should always be based on better governance of the destination through public-private cooperation and coordination. With regard to economic sustainability, the creation of specialised tourism products is proving to be an effective tool for the development of activity in territories and times of low tourist activity, also generating a greater economic impact on the local population.

What negative impacts can tourism activity have on the environment? And what measures are being taken to counteract the effects of climate change?

Like all human activity, tourism generates impacts on the environment from the moment the tourist starts travelling. The commitment of the tourism sector, both public and private, must be to reduce these impacts as far as possible, as well as to try to compensate for their effects. To this end, measures are being adopted such as greater energy efficiency to reduce emissions, favouring the use of less polluting means of transport (electric vehicles, bicycles and public transport for journeys to destinations) and the reduction and recycling of waste (reduction in the use of paper by digitalising processes, elimination of single-use plastics, etc.).

On the other hand, work is being done to compensate for these impacts (which cannot be completely eliminated) by involving the tourism sector (public and private) and tourists in environmental recovery programmes: reforestation, fauna recovery and carbon footprint compensation.

In addition to these measures that contribute to mitigating climate change, work is also being done to adapt both destinations and companies to its effects, through the creation of new products that are less sensitive to the changes that are taking place or the adaptation of existing ones. In this sense, in recent years there has been a clear shift in tourist flows towards destinations with milder climates, favouring territories traditionally considered less “touristy”.

What role do local residents play in promoting and preserving sustainability in a tourism destination?

Residents play a fundamental role in the development of a tourist destination. It is therefore very important that they feel involved in the tourist activity itself, trying, through governance, to limit the negative impacts and reinforce the positive ones, such as employment and the greater development that tourism can have on the local population. From this point on, both public administrations and companies should work to communicate the actions being taken to improve sustainability and thus ensure that residents are involved.

What are the main challenges facing tourism destinations on their way to sustainability and intelligence?

From a technical point of view, there are already numerous tools and solutions available for improving sustainability and tourism intelligence. The main challenges, from my point of view, are the lack of awareness of the usefulness and benefits of these tools and solutions for destinations and companies, as well as a greater awareness of the advantages they generate. It is essential to strengthen the governance of destinations to enable us to develop actions to disseminate and encourage the adoption of these solutions, involving all stakeholders in the destination, both public and private, as well as the local population.

The Eurochile Business Foundation carried out a work plan called “Mentoring” aimed at SMEs and tourism MSMEs in the Coquimbo Region, an activity that seeks to generate access to new European markets, Manuela Caruz, Director of International Networks of the Eurochile Business Foundation, during the webinar “Digital Marketing and European Networks”, explained that the purpose of the activity is to transfer knowledge, experiences and generate alliances for business or projects of European companies to Chilean companies.

The initiative will provide an interesting opportunity to modernise and expand business models for tourism SMEs and MSMEs in the Coquimbo Region in the process of economic reactivation with a circular economy, through the use of new sustainable technologies.

The professional said that, according to the profiles of Chilean companies, the search for supply and/or demand with their peers in Europe is defined. The profiles will be distributed among the partners of the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) to make a bilateral match and organise monthly meetings with counterparts in Europe. The activity will be carried out in a virtual format and will work with EEN partners to generate a bilateral matching.

It should be noted that the Mentoring meetings between a group of Chilean companies and their European counterparts will focus on the topics of: Digitalisation and Digital Marketing. At the end of each Mentoring, a report will be prepared with the topics discussed and each session will be recorded with the aim of being able to have the information to replicate it in other companies or have it available when needed. In addition, a satisfaction survey will be developed to evaluate the progress of the mentoring programme, adjust it as necessary to achieve the objectives, and to get to know the companies better in order to provide them with support in various aspects.

Manuela Caruz also specified that, in order to be in contact with the other members of the network in Europe, the Eurochile Business Foundation plays the role of link and nexus with its European peers. This is done through the uploading of business or technology profiles on the EEN (http://een.ec.europa.eu/).

During the webinar “Sustainable European strategies for the reactivation of the tourism sector”, in the framework of the Training Plan of the programme “Reactivation of Regional Tourism with Circular Economy”, a project financed by the Innovation Fund for Competitiveness (FIC) of the Regional Government of Coquimbo, the tourism SMEs and MSMEs of the IV region proposed to promote public-private partnerships, with the aim of reactivating tourism activity, strengthening regional tourism goods and products around sustainable tourism.

The idea arose during the presentation by the European expert Luis Baldó, who referred to the active role played by the Spanish State in making its fiscal heritage available and valuable for the development of sustainable tourism. In this regard, he gave as an example the case of Paredones, where an accommodation project has been carried out so that tourists can stay in state-owned properties, which has encouraged the development of rural, sustainable and ecological tourism.

As a result, the tourism companies in the Coquimbo region participating in the online activity expressed their willingness to replicate the Spanish experiences and the State could become a key and relevant actor in encouraging the development of tourism activity through the provision of heritage properties in the public domain that could be used for the implementation of projects with a focus on sustainable tourism.

They also agreed that it is necessary to create a public-private alliance so that the State of Chile, through the application of its norms and tools, will make public real estate and resources available for the development of these initiatives. Meanwhile, the private sector, through its resources and ideas, will develop and implement sustainable tourism projects to attract new visitors eager to acquire new experiences and thematic products. This will result in an improvement in the quality of the tourist profile and higher revenues for the region.

Tourism has gone from being a social phenomenon to an economic activity that involves the production of diverse goods and services that satisfy the mobility of people around the different destinations that are favoured with the economic luxury of goods and culture, which allows for the improvement of inbound tourism and the contribution of foreign exchange to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The main positive economic impacts of tourism relate to foreign exchange earnings, contribution to public revenues, employment generation and business opportunities. In addition, tourism expenditure represents an injection of money into the local economy of a destination. These productive dynamics have made tourism a key driver of global socio-economic progress, according to data and analysis published in 2020 by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

In the same vein, a report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) indicates that Tourism has again been identified as a key driver of economic recovery and growth.

On the other hand, according to the World Bank, tourism in Chile represents a direct contribution of 3.3% of GDP and 7% of employment, contributing more and more to the national economy in recent years.

According to the National Tourism Service (Sernatur) in December 2023, Chile received a total of 439,632 foreign tourists, which represented an increase compared to the same period in 2022, when it reached 376,948 tourists.

Taking into account the studies mentioned above, tourism in Chile has been picking up significantly. The Coquimbo Region, in particular, has stood out as one of the regions in northern Chile that has benefited the most from tourist arrivals, thanks to its numerous natural attractions and its growing hotel infrastructure. This recovery not only underlines the resilience of the Chilean tourism sector, but also the crucial role that promotional campaigns and the diversified offer of destinations play in revitalising the local and national economy.

Through Corfo’s Viraliza Evento Masivo programme, the project “Adaptation to Climate Change: The Circular Economy as a strategy to boost the development of smart cities and tourist destinations” will be carried out. This activity is aimed at SMEs in the Los Lagos Region and will include a two-day event with keynote speeches, panel discussions and thematic working groups. The event will be attended by leading national and European experts.

The main objective of this initiative is to engage stakeholders interested in exploring and adopting sustainable and circular practices in their tourism operations and services, as well as to promote the circular economy as a crucial climate change adaptation strategy for smart cities and destinations. To achieve this purpose, Know-How tools, expertise and networking opportunities will be provided to foster the development of circular ventures at the enterprise level.

José Aravena, executive director of the Eurochile Business Foundation, emphasises that, “for us, this initiative that we are developing with CORFO helps to boost business development in the Los Lagos Region. This translates into an invaluable opportunity for SMEs in the region. As an implementing entity, we are committed to providing tools and resources that not only help SMEs to thrive, but also guide them towards a circular approach in their ventures. This is fundamental to building a sustainable and circular future in the area”.

The massive event will take place on Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 May. It will be free of charge and with limited spaces, and will be divided into two days that will take place in two provinces of the region. The first will be held at the Radisson Hotel in the city of Puerto Varas, while the second day will take place at the Sonesta Hotel in the city of Osorno. Both activities will start at 09:00 hours.

For his part, the regional director of Corfo Los Lagos pointed out that “in a context of growing environmental awareness and climate challenges, it is essential to promote more sustainable and responsible business practices. Tourism, as one of the main industries in the region, has a crucial role to play in the adoption of circular economic models that minimise its environmental impact and contribute to resilience in the face of climate change. From Corfo we would like to invite you to participate in this 2-day event with keynote speeches, panel discussions and thematic working tables, with the participation of leading national and European experts in circular economy and sustainable tourism. Corfo thus reaffirms its commitment to the economic and sustainable development of the Los Lagos Region and is proud to support initiatives that promote innovation and sustainability in the tourism sector”, he said.

With regard to the participating European experts, they are: Marco Celdrán, lecturer in Tourism at the University of Alicante, Spain; Olga Martin, General Director of ACLIMA; Carlos Romero, Director of Innovation at SEGITTUR and Pablo Rodríguez and Eduardo Bustillos, both partners of GEOCyL. These experts will participate in the keynote speeches scheduled during the event.

For more information or if you have any questions, please contact us by emailing lberrios@eurochile.cl.

There was great interest in the webinar “Digitalisation, Digital Marketing and European Networks for Tourism Companies”, held on Tuesday 16 April by the Eurochile Business Foundation, which is part of the project financed by the Innovation Fund for Competitiveness (FIC) of the Regional Government of Coquimbo, whose objective is to provide digital tools to small and medium-sized tourism companies to boost their business models and open up to the national and international market.

The event was attended by leading experts in the area of digital marketing and European networks; Alba Viana Lora, with extensive experience in tourist destinations in Spain, Natalia Alvarado, in charge of digital marketing at the M-E Comunicaciones agency, and Manuela Caruz, director of International Networks at the Eurochile Business Foundation.

During the day, the importance of using digital platforms in tourism businesses and the application of marketing strategies to attract target audiences was highlighted, such as the use of creative messages that captivate users, the importance of creating a community and sharing experiences, products and services. MSMEs had the opportunity to learn about practical examples of successful tourism advertising campaigns in the Coquimbo Region.

In this context, Natalia Alvarado shared 4 innovative digital platforms that allow MSMEs to visualise their tourism business models in the national and international market. The new tools make it possible to create a product and service card and to geo-reference products and services, the contents of which are available to travellers on all computer media. On the other hand, Alba Viana Lora, a Spanish expert, explained the importance of the responsible use of digital marketing, with the aim of promoting a product in a correct way and incorporating sustainable practices. She also recommended disseminating information on real commitments to environmental care, carbon footprint measurement actions and good practices, avoiding falling into greenwashing, a communication strategy in which a company or organisation tries to present a falsely positive image of its environmental practices.

On the other hand, Manuela Caruz, Director of International Networks of the Eurochile Business Foundation, explained the mission and objectives of the Foundation, which since 1993 has been committed to national small and medium-sized enterprises through the development of networks, links, ties and strategic consultancy services that allow them to enter the European market through the transfer of alliances and knowledge. In this context, it made available the different programmes formulated by Eurochile to help tourism MSMEs in the Coquimbo Region to enter the European market.

The webinar also included the participation of Marilú Mansilla, project executive of Eurochile’s Sustainability and Circular Economy Area and Mario Suárez, head of the Development and Industry Division of the Regional Government of Coquimbo, who spoke about the natural attributes of the Region, the need to promote sustainable tourism, promote endogenous economy, sustainability of tourism resources, the scarcity of water resources and the importance of the project implemented by Eurochile for the region’s MSMEs.

The Training Plan will continue on Tuesday 07 May, where the webinar “Sustainable Tourism and Climate Change” will be given online, with a presentation by the European expert, Luis Baldó.

The Eurochile Business Foundation, through the Regional Technology Dissemination Programme (PDT) of Corfo’s Metropolitan Regional Directorate, in collaboration with the Ñuñoa Chamber of Commerce, Tourism and Entrepreneurs, will implement the project “Circular Urban Tourism Barrio Plaza Ñuñoa: Demonstration pilot of an efficient and self-financing community waste management model with composting technology, practical techniques and innovative and circular European and Chilean processes”.

This initiative aims to contribute to the improvement of productivity, making waste management more efficient, both at the individual and collective level in tourism SMEs in the Plaza Ñuñoa neighbourhood. It will be carried out through the implementation of a demonstrative pilot of community waste management that will allow testing and measuring the use of composting technology, as well as innovative and circular techniques, practices and processes from Europe and Chile. It is expected that this project will define a self-financing and replicable community waste management model that can be adopted by the participating SMEs.

As for the list of companies awarded the programme, geographically located around Plaza Ñuñoa and its surroundings, there are 26 in total, including: La Tecla, La Destilería, La Vinocracia, Hotel Plaza Ñuñoa, Kunstmann, Las Lanzas, La Finestra, Barba Negra, Barba Azul, Santo Secreto, Fuente Suiza, Escuela Internacional Arte Bianca, Ají Seco, Barbudo, Bar Local, Uncle Fletch, Pollo Stereo, Jardín Newen, Casa Mekero, El Paréntesis, Antonia Lounge, El Pacto, Sanguchería Petrü, Sin Envase, Huamantanga and Pollo con Estilo.

José Aravena, executive director of the Eurochile Business Foundation, says, “this initiative is not only about promoting more sustainable tourism, but also about helping businesses to adopt more circular practices. We firmly believe that this initiative will make a significant difference, especially in improving the quality of life of residents and contributing to the sustainable development of the commune“.

The programme has a duration of 12 months, during which it is expected to address the technological gaps identified in the group of companies through a preliminary diagnosis. In addition, a Dissemination Plan designed to improve knowledge, access and joint adoption of technologies, as well as the implementation of both European and Chilean best practices, techniques and processes, with a focus on innovation and circularity, will be carried out. The joint adoption of these technologies and practices will also be encouraged through the elaboration and continuous monitoring of a specific Joint Adoption Plan for each participating company. During the month of November, a technology tour to Barcelona is planned with the aim of testing and measuring the use of technologies and techniques to generate a community waste management model.

Urban tourism has undergone a remarkable evolution in recent years, largely influenced by changes in people’s consumption habits. In this context, it is essential to highlight the importance of promoting sustainable practices in this industry, ensuring that they are accessible to all types of customers. In this sense, the programme that Eurochile will develop with the establishments located in the Plaza Ñuñoa neighbourhood will enrich the tourist experience and benefit the local community, promoting a more conscious and responsible urban tourism.

Corfo’s Regional Technology Dissemination Programme (PDT) is an initiative that helps to improve the competitiveness of regional companies through prospecting, dissemination, transfer and absorption of knowledge, in order to increase their productivity, generating jobs and sustainability in business strategy.