Promoting tourism in the Region of La Araucanía: Twenty entrepreneurs were trained in CMPC’s Experience Tourism Certificate Program

The initiative of the company and the Vertical Professional Institute consisted of an intensive ten-day course.

The purpose of the CMPC Experience Tourism Certificate Program, which ended on October 11, served to provide knowledge and tools to local entrepreneurs with the goal of promoting tourism in the Araucanía Region. 

In this second edition of the program, which came out of the Malleco 2023 Tourism Entrepreneurship Support Program, a total of 20 entrepreneurs got training around various topics related to tourism and its conservation and protection. It was a pleasant experience for everyone, and they appreciated this opportunity for growing their businesses and communities. 

The program sought to develop skills and knowledge on the fundamental elements of designing a tourist experience, taking into account tourism market trends and current regulations. The 80-hour program was structured into four in-person modules.

The curriculum modules presented entrepreneurs with information on the tourism industry in terms of quality, heritage, culture and tourist attractions, tourism experience design, story creation and technological marketing solutions.

In this regard, CMPC Territorial Relations Deputy Manager for the central zone Gustavo Apablaza stressed that, as a company, they are promoting different types of activities in the various regions. 

“We are offering activities of an educational nature, sports promotion, and productive marketing, along with other topics. The marketing aspect includes supporting tourism initiatives. This second edition of the tourism promotion program aimed to provide tools to local entrepreneurs in order to develop special interest tourism in their regions. Participants live and work in the Malleco province of the Araucanía Region. We believe that there is an opportunity for both personal and regional development here,” said Apablaza.  

A great experience

Araucanía is known for being a tourist destination with a wide range of outdoor activities and attractive places to visit. That is why it’s essential to train and improve local entrepreneurs linked to the tourism industry in the region to help promote community development that will lead to economic growth. 

Denise Saavedra, from the municipality of Victoria of the Araucanía Region, said that the tourism program helped her develop her business idea. “I immediately accepted this invitation. I arrived with a lot of expectations to learn things that I didn’t know about and to see tourism differently. My expectations were met. There’s an introduction and reflection period after every class, so it was very thorough. They gave us another vision of tourism. It’s not just a business.” 

For her part, Lilian García, owner of Alfarería Piutril from the Collipulli district in the Araucanía Region said, “I met some great people upon arriving here. We all became fast friends. Their business ideas are very good. This experience has exceeded all my expectations. I learned that I can enhance my business by taking nature as its foundation. There are many things to improve on, and we can complement each other well. It was an excellent experience, very good, very educational and very adventurous to be sure. It would be great to offer similar opportunities in the future.”