Chile officially opens 2022 winter season 

15-07-22

Tourism authorities and the Chilean Association of Ski Resorts (Aceski) welcomed the snow season, which this year is expected to approach the one million skiers that were received in the years before the pandemic and the many others who will come to these establishments to enjoy the experiences associated with the snow and the mountains.

The national director of Sernatur, Beatriz Román, who was part of the launching ceremony held in Valle Nevado, said that "in the extension of our country we have a diverse offer of snow activities, which can be accessed by national and foreign tourists to enjoy the mountain. For this winter season, we project more than 4.7 million frequent trips with overnight stays, that is, 37% more than in the same period of 2021 and 81.5% more than in winter holidays 2019, before the start of the pandemic".

The authority also emphasised the arrival of Brazilian tourists, who are the ones who most demand this type of experience in our country. "The Brazilian market is very important for Chile, especially at this time of year. Between June and July alone, we will receive 40,000 tourists of this nationality, corresponding to 17% of the Brazilians we are projecting to receive this year, which are more than 237,000," Román pointed out.

James Ackerson, president of Aceski, said that "this year we hope to get close to the million skiers we had on average in the years before the pandemic, although we also look very favourably on all the visitors who come not only to ski but also to discover the snow". Ackerson also announced one of the main new developments that is expected to bring more people to the mountains and the associated snow experiences.

This is Chilesquía, an initiative that seeks to create skiers, giving them the opportunity to practice this sport with lessons and equipment for only $30,000. To this end, all the ski centres have made 8,550 places available for all Chileans to apply and learn to ski during August. All the information about this opportunity is available at www.aceski.cl/chilesquia.

The launch of the 2022 winter season was also attended by representatives of the twelve winter centres associated with Aceski: Portillo, La Parva, El Colorado, Parques de Farellones, Valle Nevado, Nevados de Chillán, Volcán Antuco, Corralco, Ski No Limit, Antillanca, Volcán Osorno and Club Andino Punta Arenas.