Chile stood out again at the World Travel Awards 2026, often called the "Oscars of tourism". At the South American gala, held on Sunday, October 11 in Jamaica, the country won four destination categories and about ten Chilean companies won awards of their own, according to the Undersecretariat of Tourism.
The standout result is adventure tourism: Chile won it for the twelfth consecutive time. Sernatur was also chosen for the first time as South America's best tourist board. The country now competes in eight categories of the world final, with voting open until October 30.
Chile's four World Travel Awards 2026
| Category (South America) | Winner | Background |
|---|---|---|
| Best adventure tourism destination | Chile | Twelfth consecutive win |
| Best cruise destination | Chile | Retains the 2025 award |
| Best green destination | Chile | Also won in 2024 and 2025 |
| Best tourist board | Sernatur | First time |
Chile had 19 nominations in 18 regional categories. With these results it has 45 World Travel Awards since 2015: 11 world and 34 regional. Sernatur's national director, Cristóbal Benítez, received the four trophies and said that "Chile consolidates its tourism leadership in South America". Undersecretary of Tourism María Paz Lagos said the country "once again shows that it is an international tourism powerhouse".
The Chilean companies that won
Besides the destination awards, several Chilean hotels, wineries and companies won their category in South America, according to the official list reported by the Undersecretariat and Emol:
| Winner | Category (South America) | Location |
|---|---|---|
| LATAM Airlines | Best airline | — |
| Tierra Patagonia | Best adventure hotel | Magallanes |
| Hotel Las Torres Patagonia | Best green hotel | Torres del Paine |
| Explora | Best expedition company | Several destinations |
| Explora Patagonia National Park | Best lodge | Aysén |
| Centro del Vino Concha y Toro | Best tourist winery | Pirque, Santiago Metropolitan Region |
| VIK Chile | Best hotel in a wine region | Millahue Valley, O'Higgins |
| Sheraton Santiago Hotel and Convention Center | Best conference hotel | Santiago |
| Aviva Water Park | Best water park | — |
| Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve | South America's responsible tourism | Los Ríos |
The award for Centro del Vino Concha y Toro, in Pirque, boosts wine tourism near Santiago. To discover other wineries open to visitors, see our guide to Chile's wine route.
Does your hotel, winery or tourism company want to reach travelers who choose award-winning destinations?
See advertising formatsThe eight world categories where Chile competes
Regional winners move on to the world competition. Chile and some of its destinations are nominated in these eight categories:
| World category | Nominee |
|---|---|
| World's best adventure tourism destination | Chile |
| World's best city destination | Santiago |
| World's best cruise destination | Chile |
| World's best green destination | Chile |
| World's best nature destination | Chile |
| World's most romantic destination | Atacama Desert |
| World's best regional adventure tourism destination | Pucón |
| World's best tourist board | Sernatur |
The public can vote until October 30 on the official World Travel Awards site and at chileestuyo.cl/votaxchile. World winners will be announced at the Grand Final Gala Ceremony on Saturday, December 12 in Tanzania. In 2025 Chile had already won the world adventure tourism award.
How to vote for Chile
- Go to the official site of the World Travel Awards or to chileestuyo.cl/votaxchile, which lists the categories where the country competes.
- Sign up with an email address: the system asks for an account to validate votes.
- Find each category and select the Chilean nominee: there are eight, from adventure tourism to best tourist board.
- Do it before October 30, when voting for the world stage closes.
The World Travel Awards have been held since 1993, with regional galas in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean and the Americas before the world final. In the Undersecretariat's count since 2015, adventure tourism is Chile's most consistent category.
Organizers combine votes from travel professionals and the public. That is why Sernatur and trade associations usually run campaigns to mobilize the industry and travelers in the weeks before the deadline.
The destinations behind the awards
Each award points to a specific experience. Adventure tourism relies on trekking in Patagonia, the volcanoes of La Araucanía and mountaineering in central Chile. Cruises rely on routes through the fjords, the Strait of Magellan and Cape Horn, with calls at Valparaíso, Puerto Montt and Punta Arenas. The green destination award rests on the network of national parks and private reserves such as Huilo Huilo. In the world final, Santiago also competes as a city destination, Atacama as a romantic destination and Pucón as a regional adventure destination.
What the World Travel Awards 2026 mean for travelers to Chile
The World Travel Awards are decided partly by votes from travel professionals and the public, so they work more as a reputation signal than as a technical certification. For travelers they are a map of what the country promotes: adventure in Patagonia and the south, cruises through the fjords and the Strait of Magellan, and nature destinations.
The awards come as the industry asks for more resources for international promotion, an issue being debated in Congress in the 2027 tourism budget. To plan a trip through the winning destinations, see our guides to things to do in Pucón, what to see in Chilean Patagonia and things to do in Santiago, Chile.
Frequently asked questions
Which World Travel Awards 2026 did Chile win?
In South America it won best adventure tourism destination, best cruise destination, best green destination and, for the first time, best tourist board (Sernatur).
Until when can you vote for Chile?
Voting for the world categories is open until October 30, 2026 on the World Travel Awards site and at chileestuyo.cl/votaxchile.
When are the world winners announced?
At the Grand Final Gala Ceremony, scheduled for Saturday, December 12, 2026 in Tanzania.
