[bsa_pro_ad_space id=1 link=same] [bsa_pro_ad_space id=2]

Skip to Content

Supplier News

Chile – Cruise Ships on the rise after ban on casinos lifted

By - 11 December 2015

The number of cruise ships arriving in Chile will reach the highest levels in seven years after the government removed the ban on casinos operating in Chilean waters.

According to statistics released by Chile’s National Institute of Statistics, it is expected that 212 cruise ships will arrive between October and April next year, a 32 per cent increase compared to the 2014-2015 season. 212 cruise ships will call at ten ports with the ports of Punta Arenas, Puerto Montt and Valparaiso benefiting the most from the cruise ship as they account for 70 per cent of arrivals.

The cruise ships arriving in Chile had reduced significantly after the 2005 Casinos Act which required that all cruise ships had to close their casinos when they passed within 13.8 miles of Chile’s shoreline. The number of cruise ships dropped from 228 in 2009 to 155 in 2011, a change of 32 per cent. The dramatic decrease in the number of cruise ships visiting Chile after the government put the ban in place in 2005 (in some places such as Valparaiso cruise ships numbers had dropped by as much as half ever since the act) led the government to finally act on the issue and lift the ban in 2011.

The Undersecretary of Tourism Javiera Montes Cruz attributed the trend due to the promotional activities of Chile in the market and stated that the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 seasons, which had the lowest in terms of the arrival of foreign numbers, had been down to the enactment of the law which had banned casinos from opening their doors to passengers while docked in Chilean ports or while sailing in Chilean waters. She also pointed out that “the arrival of these vessels showcases Chile to the world. In addition, visitors who tour the country on cruises may spend up to twice as much as normal tourists, thus contributing to local economic development.”

Share via
Copy link