PUERTO WILLIAMS
CHILE
PUERTO WILLIAMS
CHILE
PUERTO WILLIAMS
CHILE

PUERTO WILLIAMS

CHILE

2021

Contact

Puerto Williams
Cabo de Hornos, Chile
[email protected]

Located in the southern tip of Chile, is Navarino Island, where “the southernmost city in the world” is located, Puerto Williams, capital of the Cabo de Hornos commune. Accessible only by air (1.5 hours) and sea (32 hours). It is part of the Cabo de Hornos Biosphere Reserve (2005), which is a milestone for Chile and the world, presenting almost no human intervention, integrating terrestrial and marine ecosystems for the first time, having historical and ethnic importance.  

Given this diversity of natural and cultural resources, with landscapes of unique pristine beauty, Puerto Williams and a part of the territory were declared a “Zone of Tourist Interest or ZOIT” (2019). The ZOITs are “communal or intercommunal territories or certain areas within them, that have special conditions for tourist attraction and that require conservation measures and integrated planning to promote private sector investment.” In the Action Plan of the ZOIT Cabo de Hornos, the long-term vision is “Being recognized by 2030 as a sustainable tourism destination, committed to local culture, nature conservation and quality of service beyond the end of the world”. With this objective, the execution of public programs and projects to promote the development of tourist activity is sought in 5 different areas that complement each other: 1. Equipment and Infrastructure; 2. Product Development; 3. Human Resources and Quality of the Tourist Offer; 4. Tourist Promotion; 5. Sustainability of the Destination, which will contribute to the promotion of rural and adventure tourism in Puerto Williams.   

In this sense, rural tourism represents a great opportunity to preserve the base of resources and knowledge that nature, the different communities and local farmers have left. It also allows to protect the cultural and natural heritage, becoming an opportunity for the most vulnerable families to develop actions related to traditional activities such as agriculture, livestock or crafts, thus improving their quality of life. 

HIGHLIGHTS

-

Strengthening business development 

The Local Development Programme (PRODESAL) has strengthened local rural development through a technical team, with assistance in management and planning of the sector’s activities in livestock, horticulture, forestry, tourism and handicrafts. 

-

Initiatives for environmental sustainability  

The National Forestry Corporation (CONAF) has developed carbon sequestration initiatives to mitigate the effects of climate change by forestry Lenga forests. 

-

Tourism marketing promotion  

Tourism products are promoted on websites, digital brochures, media through the National Tourism Service, which carries out national and international promotion, and through tourist agencies.