International Trade and Sustainable Tourism in Chile

The report evaluates the sustainability of Chile's tourism industry within the context of trade liberalization. It finds that while the sector has grown rapidly, contributing significantly to GDP and employment, there is a critical lack of systematic data on environmental impacts and a tendency for economic benefits to leak away from local communities. The document highlights the tension between WTO-mandated market access and the ability of the Chilean state to implement sustainable regulatory frameworks, particularly in protected areas and rural zones.

• Chile's tourism sector has grown faster than the global average, with a growth rate of 6.3 per cent compared to 4.3 per cent. Foreign exchange revenue from tourism increased from US$ 407 million in 1989 to US$ 1,396 million in 2004.
• Tourism is a major source of direct employment in Chile, providing six times more jobs than salmon farming and three times more than mining, despite having lower export earnings than both.
• There is a significant lack of quantitative data regarding the environmental impact of tourism in Chile, specifically concerning water and energy consumption by hotels and the volume of solid waste generated.
• The General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) may limit the Chilean government's ability to regulate the sector for sustainability, as WTO dispute panels often require scientific proof of harm before allowing environmental exceptions.
• A case study in San Pedro de Atacama reveals a disparity between the local population and business ownership; while 71 per cent of the population is indigenous, their participation as business proprietors or employees was not above 26 per cent.
• The 'concessions' system for managing protected areas is hindered by bureaucratic delays and a lack of clear, binding sustainability criteria, with some concessions being granted illegally without regard for environmental regulations.
• Rural tourism has proven to be an effective tool for poverty alleviation for participating families, with some generating income equivalent to 21 to 300 per cent of the average national rural income.
• There is a notable lack of coordination and communication between the Chilean government's trade negotiators and the stakeholders within the tourism sector, leading to a lack of awareness regarding the implications of trade deals.

APA

Blanco, H., Ruiz-Dana, A., Marín, A., Alonso, V., Silva, C. P., & Lucidi, S. (2007). International Trade and Sustainable Tourism in Chile. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/trade_tourism_chile.pdf

Chicago

Blanco, Hernán, Alejandra Ruiz-Dana, Andrés Marín, Victoria Alonso, Carmen Paz Silva, and Stefano Lucidi. International Trade and Sustainable Tourism in Chile. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2007. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/trade_tourism_chile.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Blanco |first1=Hernán |last2=Ruiz-Dana |first2=Alejandra |last3=Marín |first3=Andrés |last4=Alonso |first4=Victoria |last5=Silva |first5=Carmen Paz |last6=Lucidi |first6=Stefano |title=International Trade and Sustainable Tourism in Chile |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=August 2007 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/trade_tourism_chile.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{blanco2007international, author = {Blanco, Hernán and Ruiz-Dana, Alejandra and Marín, Andrés and Alonso, Victoria and Silva, Carmen Paz and Lucidi, Stefano}, title = {{International Trade and Sustainable Tourism in Chile}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2007}, month = aug, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/trade_tourism_chile.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }