Easter Island Tourism Hurt by Protests, Says Chilean Official

Easter Island Tourism Hurt by Protests, Says Chilean Official

Ongoing land-rights protests by indigenous Chilean groups are responsible for a decline in tourism to Easter Island, according to a Chilean tourism official quoted in press reports. Rapa Nui groups protesting land rights issues have occupied various properties on the island within the last two months, including museums, government-owned buildings, municipal buildings, the local tourism office and the Hanga Roa Hotel, claiming ancestral ownership of the properties, according to a report from the Merco Press news service.

Edgar Hereveri, vice president of the island’s chamber of tourism, said the number of visitors to Easter Island, mainly from Europe, are lower this year compared with 2009, and hotels and restaurants have complained of slow business for the first time. Chile’s government is currently meeting with Rapa Nui representatives regarding the issue.