Chile's Undersecretariat of Tourism and ProChile signed a framework agreement on Tuesday, November 3, 2026 to promote Chile as a tourist destination abroad using ProChile's network of 51 trade offices. It was signed by Undersecretary of Tourism María Paz Lagos and ProChile's director general, Ignacio Fernández, according to the Undersecretariat of Tourism's statement.
*Updated November 4, 2026.* It is a framework agreement: it sets out joint lines of work, but the statement gives no budget, arrival targets or list of priority markets. Here is what is confirmed.
What the agreement between the tourism office and ProChile includes
| Line of work | Detail according to the statement |
|---|---|
| Joint promotion | Coordinate actions to promote Chile as a tourist destination |
| Market intelligence | Identify markets, trends and opportunities; share studies |
| Fairs and missions | Joint participation in international fairs, trade missions, Chile Week and business meetings |
| Network abroad | Use ProChile's 51 trade offices to promote destinations and open opportunities |
| Business matchmaking | Connect Chilean tourism companies and organizations with foreign counterparts |
| Public-private cooperation | New forums to expand international promotion |
Source: Undersecretariat of Tourism, November 3, 2026; the same text was published by El Observatodo. The agreement is part of the National Tourism Strategy and treats inbound tourism as a services export: every peso a foreign tourist spends in Chile counts as foreign-currency income.
"We want to turn Chile into a global tourism powerhouse, because every tourist who comes to our country means more growth, more investment and more jobs," Lagos said. Fernández added that "tourism is also an exportable offer," ranging "from nature and adventure to wine tourism, astrotourism and heritage."
Why Chile's international tourism promotion is getting a push now
The agreement comes as inbound tourism is falling. Between January and August 2026, 3,308,873 foreign tourists arrived, 19.1% fewer than in the same period of 2025, according to the foreign tourist arrivals data of the Undersecretariat of Tourism and Sernatur. The main cause is Argentina: with the shift in the exchange rate, Argentine arrivals fell 41.0% in that period, and in August Brazil overtook them as the top market, as we reported in this story.
| Indicator | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign tourists in 2025 | 6,004,567 (record) | Undersecretariat of Tourism and Sernatur |
| Inbound tourism revenue in 2025 | US$4.157 billion (+14.9%) | Sernatur, 2026 Public Account |
| Foreign tourists Jan-Aug 2026 | 3,308,873 (-19.1%) | Undersecretariat of Tourism and Sernatur |
| Argentines Jan-Aug 2026 | 1,226,678 (-41.0%) | Undersecretariat of Tourism and Sernatur |
| Tourism employment (Jul-Sep 2026) | 680,200 people (+4.4%, 28,540 more) | Undersecretary María Paz Lagos, Nov 3, 2026 |
| ProChile trade offices | 51 | Undersecretariat of Tourism |
The 2025 revenue comes from Sernatur's 2026 Public Account. The employment figure is the one the undersecretary cited in the statement; the quarterly detail is published by INE.
The underlying question is whether more promotion can offset the factor that weighs most in 2026: the exchange rate. The drop in Argentine tourists is not due to a lack of promotion but to Chile becoming more expensive for them. Long-haul markets, on the other hand, were growing: the United States was the top long-haul market between January and August, with 163,265 arrivals, and China rose 24.1%. That is where a network of offices abroad can matter more.
The 2027 budget for promoting Chile as a destination
According to what was published, the agreement brings no new money. The main tool is still Sernatur's budget: for 2027 the government proposed keeping about CLP 5.805 billion for international promotion, with no real change, and the Tourism Attraction Program was set at CLP 6.9959 billion, 0.4% less in real terms. We explain it in our story on the 2027 tourism budget, which is going through Congress until late November.
| Promotion tool | What it provides | Status |
|---|---|---|
| International promotion budget (Sernatur) | About CLP 5.805 billion in 2027 | Budget bill under debate |
| Agreement with ProChile | Network of 51 offices, fairs, missions and studies | Signed Nov 3, 2026 |
| Tourism investment target | US$1.6 billion by 2030 | Announced by the Undersecretariat in October, no formal document |
We covered the investment target in this story on the "tourism powerhouse" plan. ProChile already promoted tourism alongside Sernatur at events such as Chile Week; what is new is that the work is now formalized in an agreement with defined lines.
What changes for foreign tourists coming to Chile
In the short term, nothing: the agreement does not change entry requirements, prices or services. Its expected effect is indirect, with more Chilean presence at fairs, agencies and tour operators abroad. For trip planning, the useful references remain the same:
- High season: December to February in Patagonia and on the coast; the north and the Atacama Desert can be visited year-round.
- Payments: several foreign digital payment methods are arriving; for example, Pix for Argentine and Brazilian tourists.
- Official information: Sernatur has regional offices and runs the Chile Travel promotion website.
Frequently asked questions
What is ProChile?
It is the Chilean government's export promotion agency, part of the Undersecretariat of International Economic Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It organizes fairs, trade missions and the Chile Week series of events in cities around the world, and now adds tourism promotion in coordination with the Undersecretariat of Tourism and Sernatur.
How many offices does ProChile have abroad?
According to the Undersecretariat of Tourism's statement, ProChile has a network of 51 trade offices worldwide, which will now also support tourism promotion.
Does the agreement have its own budget?
The statement does not mention one. It is a framework cooperation agreement that coordinates the actions of both institutions.
Which markets will the promotion prioritize?
No list was published. The text refers to "priority" and "strategic" markets without naming them.
