María Paz Lagos will be the new Undersecretary of Tourism in Chile

09-02-2026

Journalist and consultant María Paz Lagos Valdivieso will take office on March 11 as Undersecretary of Tourism, joining the team of President-elect José Antonio Kast. Her appointment was publicly confirmed during the official presentation of the incoming cabinet, held this Saturday at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Las Condes, where the main authorities who will accompany the new administration were announced.

A member of the Independent Democratic Union (UDI), Lagos has a career that combines public-sector management, strategic consulting, and communications. Prior to this appointment, she served as a cabinet adviser at the Undersecretariat of Tourism during the tenure of Mónica Zalaquett, now executive president of the Federation of Tourism Companies of Chile (Fedetur). In that role, she was responsible for territorial coordination and interministerial liaison, key functions in implementing tourism policies with a decentralized approach.

Her experience in the state apparatus also includes her time as undersecretary at the National Women’s Service during Sebastián Piñera’s first administration, a period in which she worked on public policies aimed at gender equality and institutional strengthening. This combination of sectoral management and a social perspective has been a constant throughout her career, especially in initiatives linked to local development and sustainability.

Born and raised in Valdivia, Lagos has maintained a permanent connection with Chile’s regions, an aspect she has highlighted as central to her vision for tourism. In the private sector, she is a founding partner of Traslación, a consultancy specializing in sustainable tourism projects and public affairs. The firm defines itself as a bridge between companies, communities, and territories, with the aim of promoting development processes that generate social impact, economic value, and environmental stewardship. Through this platform, she has worked with local governments, large companies, and civil society organizations, promoting collaborative models that integrate communities into the tourism value chain.

With more than 25 years of professional experience, Lagos has worked in journalism, applied research, strategic consulting, and foundation leadership. Her profile combines technical capabilities with a strong focus on managing networks and partnerships—an especially relevant asset in a sector like tourism, where public-private coordination is decisive for destinations’ competitiveness.

A few days ago, she published a column in the specialized magazine Chef&Hotel addressing the importance of cooperation to energize territories. She argued that tourism development depends not only on plans or diagnoses, but on the real capacity of local stakeholders to work toward shared goals. As an example, she cited the experience of San Pedro de Atacama, where coordination among the public sector, businesses, and communities helped strengthen local capacities and project the destination with a long-term vision. This approach, centered on governance and trust-building, anticipates the hallmark she could bring to her tenure.

As of March 11, Lagos will join the Ministry of Economy, Development and Tourism, which will be headed by Daniel Mas, who will also assume the role of Minister of Mining. In that context, the Undersecretariat of Tourism will face the challenge of driving the sector’s recovery and modernization, strengthening international promotion, boosting investment, and advancing sustainability standards that respond to travelers’ new demands and to the needs of the territories.

Her arrival is seen as a bet on leadership with technical experience, cross-cutting networks, and an understanding of how the state functions. With a track record spanning public policy, territorial development, and sustainable tourism, María Paz Lagos will take on the task of positioning tourism as a driver of growth, social cohesion, and international outreach for Chile in the coming years.

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