Since the years before the financial crisis of 2008, Chile did not enjoy as good numbers in terms of hotel occupancy as today. The southern country registers a range of 70% to 80% with averages close to 73%, according to specialists from large hotel chains.
According to Ignacio Mikacic, development manager for Latin America at the Accor chain, "there were three or four very good years before the crisis, and now we are reaching those levels." Specialists say that the subprime crisis affected the developed world more than Latin America, so the occupation is already back at pre-crisis levels.
Although the occupation on weekdays is more solid, one of the factors that has driven the growth is the traveler who stays on the weekend for tourism."Chile has become a good market for security, political stability and business issues. We see that as an opportunity, the country is the most positive in the region," said Salo Smaletz, regional vice president of development at Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG).
Finally, experts clarify that it is not a "boom" in hotel occupancy, but that countries like Chile are recovering from what they lost in previous years, however it is this type of trends that have encouraged large chains to open new hotels in the region.
