Record Visitors to Torres del Paine Park in South Chile

Visitors to Chile’s world famous Torres del Paine national park in Patagonia reached a new record in 2007 and in the current summer season an average of over a thousand tourists cross the park’s checkpoints daily.

Park manager Jose Linnerbrink said 128,402 people visited Torres del Paine last year, up 12.3 percent from the 114,373 of 2006, with foreigners making the greatest contribution, 95,253 (89,091 in 2006) while Chilean visitors jumped 31 percent from 25,282 in 2006 to 33,149 last year.

The largest components of foreign visitors came from the United States, Germany, Spain, Israel, Italy, Brazil and Argentina.

Mr. Linnerbrink said that the park visitors’ numbers have increased an average 6 percent during the last decades, but 2007 marked an exceptional rise, 12 percent, which can be attributed to the fact Torres del Paine is becoming larger in the world map and visitors take back the message of the pristine wildlife and Chilean hospitality.

The park has a staff of 55 from Chile’s Forestry Corporation, CONAF, who help tourists by monitoring paths, offering information, doing maintenance and administrative jobs, plus another brigade of 20 who are responsible for fires or/and emergency and are located inside the park.

The road system inside the park is reasonably well kept for all type of vehicles but narrow and sinuous so motorists are instructed to drive at low speed and with great precaution. Mountain paths for climbers have been improved and in summer months are easily accessible.