The Fundación Imagen de Chile and the Corporación Puertos del Conosur signed a collaboration agreement this Wednesday at the Port of Arica, with the objective of strengthening the projection of a unified and attractive international image of the country in the passenger terminals of Chilean ports, considered strategic spaces for connection with the world.
The Corporación Puertos del Conosur, founded in 2007, seeks to position Chile and its port cities as preferred destinations for the international cruise tourism market. With 15 members, among them the 10 state-owned port companies and five private companies linked to the cruise industry, the organization is actively working to consolidate a competitive and sustainable circuit for cruise tourism in South America.
"With this agreement we will be able to unify the image of Chile that represents each terminal, and that is projected nationally and internationally. On the other hand, having signed this agreement in the city of Arica has a very significant relevance for all of us who are from here, since we are giving signs of decentralization. The Arica terminal is Chile's first port in the northern zone, and for this reason it is important to give this cruise terminal the Chile brand," said Mario Moya Montenegro, president of Corporación Puertos del Conosur.
A gateway to the country
The agreement reaffirms the strategic role of ports in the geographical and symbolic connection of the country with the world. In addition to being key points of entry for tourists, cruise terminals offer a first impression of Chile to international travelers.
"Ports not only connect geographies, they also represent the opening of Chile to the world. This alliance demonstrates the commitment and willingness to work together not only for the development of the industry, but also for the promotion of our country. The image of Chile is built by all of us," said Rossana Dresdner, executive director of the Fundación Imagen de Chile.
The mayor of the city of Arica, Orlando Vargas, was present at this milestone and highlighted the importance of the cruise industry for regional tourism. "Our work as a municipality is to support all these instances, especially the Port of Arica, which today has also transformed tourism as an axis of development for the region. And for this municipality, which has only been in office for 60 days, the important thing is to create a lever of development behind tourism," he said.
Since its association in 2016 with the FCCA (Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association), which groups the main world cruise lines and destinations in America and the Caribbean, the Corporación Puertos del Conosur has worked internationally to position Chile as a reference in the region.
"It is a very important milestone because we develop an activity where we are the gateway to the country and, therefore, it is a relevant instance to show the attributes that Chile has. Each port has its different characteristics and this unification of stories of how we tell what we are, we can do it from Arica and from Magallanes. And we should feel proud of what we have to offer as a country", says Miguel Palma, general manager of Empresa Portuaria Austral.
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