In 2023, Chile received more than 3.7 million international tourist arrivals, showing an increase of 84 percent versus the previous year. In 2020, the South American country experienced an annual drop in international tourism volume of 75.2 percent. However, 2021 had the lowest number of visitor arrivals in years, with only 190 thousand. Chile’s inbound tourism reached the peak of the past decade in 2017, at more than 6.4 million arrivals.

Impact of COVID-19 on the Chilean tourism economy

As a logical consequence of the decline of international tourism volume in Chile, the receipts generated by this sector’s segment in the country went down by approximately 70 percent in the first pandemic year and are not expected to bounce back to pre-coronavirus levels up in the 2020s. Though not only the Chilean international tourism economy was significantly affected by this crisis. The contribution to GDP of the entire tourism sector in the South American nation decreased six percentage points in 2020 and could only fully recover by the mid-2020s.

Chile’s competitiveness in the travel and tourism sector

With an overall score of 4.3 out of the seven possible points in the Travel and Tourism Development Index (TTDI) of 2021, Chile managed to place itself third in the TTDI ranking for the Americas that year. Five of the 14 pillars evaluated to measure the country’s competitiveness in this sector received five or more points. Of these indicators, information and communications technology (ICT) readiness as well as price competitiveness performed the best. On the other hand, Chile exhibited the weakest score in the area evaluating its cultural resources.

Chile CL: International Tourism: Receipts: for Travel Items data was reported at 406.000 USD mn in 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2.279 USD bn for 2019. Chile CL: International Tourism: Receipts: for Travel Items data is updated yearly, averaging 1.301 USD bn from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2020, with 26 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.131 USD bn in 2017 and a record low of 406.000 USD mn in 2020. Chile CL: International Tourism: Receipts: for Travel Items data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Chile – Table CL.World Bank.WDI: Tourism Statistics. International tourism receipts for travel items are expenditures by international inbound visitors in the reporting economy. The goods and services are purchased by, or on behalf of, the traveler or provided, without a quid pro quo, for the traveler to use or give away. These receipts should include any other prepayment made for goods or services received in the destination country. They also may include receipts from same-day visitors, except in cases where these are so important as to justify a separate classification. Excluded is the international carriage of travelers, which is covered in passenger travel items. Data are in current U.S. dollars.;World Tourism Organization, Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files.;Gap-filled total;

Chile CL: International Tourism: Number of Arrivals data was reported at 5,431,000.000 Person in 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 6,603,000.000 Person for 2018. Chile CL: International Tourism: Number of Arrivals data is updated yearly, averaging 4,529,000.000 Person from Dec 2008 (Median) to 2019, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7,621,000.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 3,584,000.000 Person in 2010. Chile CL: International Tourism: Number of Arrivals data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Chile – Table CL.World Bank.WDI: Tourism Statistics. International inbound tourists (overnight visitors) are the number of tourists who travel to a country other than that in which they have their usual residence, but outside their usual environment, for a period not exceeding 12 months and whose main purpose in visiting is other than an activity remunerated from within the country visited. When data on number of tourists are not available, the number of visitors, which includes tourists, same-day visitors, cruise passengers, and crew members, is shown instead. Sources and collection methods for arrivals differ across countries. In some cases data are from border statistics (police, immigration, and the like) and supplemented by border surveys. In other cases data are from tourism accommodation establishments. For some countries number of arrivals is limited to arrivals by air and for others to arrivals staying in hotels. Some countries include arrivals of nationals residing abroad while others do not. Caution should thus be used in comparing arrivals across countries. The data on inbound tourists refer to the number of arrivals, not to the number of people traveling. Thus a person who makes several trips to a country during a given period is counted each time as a new arrival.;World Tourism Organization, Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files.;Gap-filled total;

Tourist Arrivals in Chile increased to 1108631 in January from 857963 in December of 2024. This dataset provides - Chile Tourist Arrivals- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Argentinian was the most common nationality among international tourists in Chile in 2023, accounting for more than 1.2 million arrivals in total. The Chilean-Argentine border is the longest in South America, with a length of approximately 5.3 thousand kilometers.

Chile CL: International Tourism: Number of Departures data was reported at 4,091,000.000 Person in 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 4,605,000.000 Person for 2018. Chile CL: International Tourism: Number of Departures data is updated yearly, averaging 2,594,000.000 Person from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2019, with 20 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4,605,000.000 Person in 2018 and a record low of 1,340,000.000 Person in 2001. Chile CL: International Tourism: Number of Departures data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Chile – Table CL.World Bank.WDI: Tourism Statistics. International outbound tourists are the number of departures that people make from their country of usual residence to any other country for any purpose other than a remunerated activity in the country visited. The data on outbound tourists refer to the number of departures, not to the number of people traveling. Thus a person who makes several trips from a country during a given period is counted each time as a new departure.;World Tourism Organization, Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files.;Gap-filled total;

After the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the international tourism in Chile showed a steady recovery throughout 2022, increasing from nearly 70 thousand visitor arrivals in January to 377 thousand in December of that year.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic affected international travel worldwide. For Chile, this translated into drops of 71.3 and 84.8 percent in tourist departures in 2020 and 2021 versus 2019, respectively. But in 2022, this travel segment showed a significant recovery, jumping back to more than two million departures - still around 36 percent less than in 2019.

Chile CL: International Tourism: Expenditures: for Travel Items data was reported at 530.000 USD mn in 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2.428 USD bn for 2019. Chile CL: International Tourism: Expenditures: for Travel Items data is updated yearly, averaging 985.500 USD mn from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2020, with 26 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.428 USD bn in 2019 and a record low of 530.000 USD mn in 2020. Chile CL: International Tourism: Expenditures: for Travel Items data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Chile – Table CL.World Bank.WDI: Tourism Statistics. International tourism expenditures are expenditures of international outbound visitors in other countries. The goods and services are purchased by, or on behalf of, the traveler or provided, without a quid pro quo, for the traveler to use or give away. These may include expenditures by residents traveling abroad as same-day visitors, except in cases where these are so important as to justify a separate classification. Excluded is the international carriage of travelers, which is covered in passenger travel items. Data are in current U.S. dollars.;World Tourism Organization, Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files.;Gap-filled total;

Chile tourist spending for 2020 was 1.03 billion US dollars, a 68.47% decline from 2019.

• Chile tourist spending for 2019 was 3.28 billion US dollars, a 16.16% decline from 2018.
• Chile tourist spending for 2018 was 3.91 billion US dollars, a 4.96% decline from 2017.
• Chile tourist spending for 2017 was 4.12 billion US dollars, a 9.91% increase from 2016.

International tourism receipts are expenditures by international inbound visitors, including payments to national carriers for international transport. These receipts include any other prepayment made for goods or services received in the destination country. They also may include receipts from same-day visitors, except when these are important enough to justify separate classification. For some countries they do not include receipts for passenger transport items. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

In 2022, Chile received almost 1.9 million international tourist arrivals, of which more than 1.4 million were from other South American countries. The second most important market for international inbound tourism in Chile was Europe, accounting for over 215 thousand visitor arrivals.

Chile CL: International Tourism: Expenditures data was reported at 720.000 USD mn in 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 3.142 USD bn for 2019. Chile CL: International Tourism: Expenditures data is updated yearly, averaging 1.319 USD bn from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2020, with 26 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.142 USD bn in 2019 and a record low of 720.000 USD mn in 2020. Chile CL: International Tourism: Expenditures data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Chile – Table CL.World Bank.WDI: Tourism Statistics. International tourism expenditures are expenditures of international outbound visitors in other countries, including payments to foreign carriers for international transport. These expenditures may include those by residents traveling abroad as same-day visitors, except in cases where these are important enough to justify separate classification. For some countries they do not include expenditures for passenger transport items. Data are in current U.S. dollars.;World Tourism Organization, Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files.;Gap-filled total;

Chile CL: International Tourism: Receipts: for Passenger Transport Items data was reported at 628.000 USD mn in 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1.000 USD bn for 2019. Chile CL: International Tourism: Receipts: for Passenger Transport Items data is updated yearly, averaging 735.500 USD mn from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2020, with 26 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.079 USD bn in 2016 and a record low of 275.000 USD mn in 1995. Chile CL: International Tourism: Receipts: for Passenger Transport Items data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Chile – Table CL.World Bank.WDI: Tourism Statistics. International tourism receipts for passenger transport items are expenditures by international inbound visitors for all services provided in the international transportation by resident carriers. Also included are passenger services performed within an economy by nonresident carriers. Excluded are passenger services provided to nonresidents by resident carriers within the resident economies; these are included in travel items. In addition to the services covered by passenger fares--including fares that are a part of package tours but excluding cruise fares, which are included in travel--passenger services include such items as charges for excess baggage, vehicles, or other personal accompanying effects and expenditures for food, drink, or other items for which passengers make expenditures while on board carriers. Data are in current U.S. dollars.;World Tourism Organization, Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files.;Gap-filled total;

Chile CL: International Tourism: Receipts: % of Total Exports data was reported at 1.299 % in 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 4.244 % for 2019. Chile CL: International Tourism: Receipts: % of Total Exports data is updated yearly, averaging 4.448 % from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2020, with 26 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7.058 % in 1998 and a record low of 1.299 % in 2020. Chile CL: International Tourism: Receipts: % of Total Exports data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Chile – Table CL.World Bank.WDI: Tourism Statistics. International tourism receipts are expenditures by international inbound visitors, including payments to national carriers for international transport. These receipts include any other prepayment made for goods or services received in the destination country. They also may include receipts from same-day visitors, except when these are important enough to justify separate classification. For some countries they do not include receipts for passenger transport items. Their share in exports is calculated as a ratio to exports of goods and services, which comprise all transactions between residents of a country and the rest of the world involving a change of ownership from residents to nonresidents of general merchandise, goods sent for processing and repairs, nonmonetary gold, and services.;World Tourism Organization, Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, and IMF and World Bank exports estimates.;Weighted average;

The number of trips made by Chilean domestic tourists bounced back in 2021, after a strong decrease in the previous year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, 68.4 million domestic trips were registered in the South American country.

International tourism, number of arrivals in Chile was reported at 5431000 in 2019, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Chile - International tourism, number of arrivals - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

International tourism, receipts (current US$) in Chile was reported at 1034000000 USD in 2020, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Chile - International tourism, receipts - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

International tourism, expenditures for passenger transport items (current US$) in Chile was reported at 190000000 USD in 2020, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Chile - International tourism, expenditures for passenger transport items - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

In 2022, the tourism sector in Chile employed approximately 588 thousand people, reflecting a slight increase from the previous year when the number was around 500 thousand. Specifically, about 13 thousand of these employees worked in the Aysén and Magallanes regions.

5.431.000 (número) in 2019. International inbound tourists (overnight visitors) are the number of tourists who travel to a country other than that in which they have their usual residence, but outside their usual environment, for a period not exceeding 12 months and whose main purpose in visiting is other than an activity remunerated from within the country visited. When data on number of tourists are not available, the number of visitors, which includes tourists, same-day visitors, cruise passengers, and crew members, is shown instead. Sources and collection methods for arrivals differ across countries. In some cases data are from border statistics (police, immigration, and the like) and supplemented by border surveys. In other cases data are from tourism accommodation establishments. For some countries number of arrivals is limited to arrivals by air and for others to arrivals staying in hotels. Some countries include arrivals of nationals residing abroad while others do not. Caution should thus be used in comparing arrivals across countries. The data on inbound tourists refer to the number of arrivals, not to the number of people traveling. Thus a person who makes several trips to a country during a given period is counted each time as a new arrival.