Brace Fedetur A Tense Relationship Between Guild Hidroaysén National Chambers of Tourism and Patagonia

Did little clarification that the vice president of the Federation of Tourism Enterprises (Fedetur), Eugenio Yunis, sent to various national and regional media, with which attenuated the support on behalf of your organization, gave last week HidroAysén project under the XXXIII Congress of the Chilean Association of Tourism Enterprises (Acheta) held in Arica. After a presentation by Daniel Fernandez, executive vice president of electric-Yunisseñaló that dams "add value to tourism in Patagonia" , then tried to explain words emphasizing his "concern about the environmental impact that may have the construction of the transmission network," excluding the impact of such fear and the 5910 population hectares of flooding in the Baker and Pascua rivers, as well as the tailings , landfills and camps, among other works associated with the reservoirs of HidroAysén.

Alerted to his expressions, multiple cameras and tourism associations in Patagonia, specifically in the province of Palena and the Aysen region, spoke out strongly to reject the statement by the national leader in the industry. This was expressed in a public statement the Presidents of the Chambers of Tourism Chaiten, Futaleufu, Coyhaique, Puyuhuapi and the Board, the Association Cultural and Environmental Tourism Puerto Río Tranquilo, and associations of Rural Tourism and Recreational Fishing Operators grasses.

"Fedetur or Acheta may feel with the right to usurp the name of 'tourist union representatives' Aysén or pretend to express our sense because their views are far from reality" was the conclusion reached by the leaders, after distributing Yunis statements to their members. They add: "The unions endorse this statement does not accept your words of support to this industry initiative without being informed of the views of the chambers of tourism."

They say that by limiting the industry leader concerns only the mapping between SIC Aysén and shows "ignorance of the local reality of the area in question and, worse, a blatant disregard of the environmental impact study." This and that "the study of HidroAysén irregularly approved May 9 includes 178 air miles of cables, towers 70 meters and 85 meters strip clear of the area just south of the Aysen Region, which the company never considered burying and in at least about 30 kilometers flanquearían tourist icon Camino Longitudinal Austral ".

In this context stresses that "Aysen's tourism sector hopes that the economy of the region have a look of sustainable development, ie within a framework of clean production, with respect to the environment and future generations, as they have right to know and enjoy the same equal space than we have done. "

On the way the National Guild addressed the issue, with a special presentation by the company, "Acheta highlight the interest in having more background information on synergies or inconsistencies between the energy industry and tourism." However, "we regret the space far from being an opportunity to investigate this aspect, became a platform for a glance, the HidroAysén project, abandoning its objectives of safeguarding the interests of a country's important economic activity that generates thousands of foreign exchange and provides employ thousands of Chileans, and well managed is the most sustainable national and global level. From Coyhaique Tourism Chamber raised the possibility of exposing, which was blocked by the organization of the event, allowing only be present in the panel opinion. "

The statement concludes by reaffirming "our conviction that the integrity of Patagonia threatened to leave the territory of being a witness to an exceptional and unique nature in the world that our children are entitled to know, and we have a duty to defend."

Javier Gallegos subscribe Matthey statement of the Chamber of Tourism of Chaitén, Pinilla Fernando Coronado Chamber of Tourism of Futaleufu, Ana Maria Carrera Doolan Chamber of Tourism of Coyhaique, Tamara Ulrich Railton Association of Cultural and Environmental Tourism Puerto Río Tranquilo, Veronica Garcia Miranda Chamber of Tourism and Commerce Puyuhuapi, Odette Neghme Echeverría Chamber of Tourism and Commerce La Junta, Luis Miranda Colivoro of the Association of Rural Tourism and Gaston Urrejola Aysén Fonsceca of the Professional Association Recreational Fishing Operators grasses.