Argentina and Chile strengthen cross-border cooperation in tourism

Through two SSC bilateral initiatives both countries are focusing their efforts on key regions for sustainable tourism.

Border cooperation between Argentina and Chile is essential for sustainable territorial development in areas where geography and tourism unite both countries. In territories such as the Andean Crossing or the Panguipulli–San Martín de los Andes connection, joint work facilitates the coordination of assessments and actions to improve tourism management and natural heritage conservation. These binational initiatives promote the region as an integrated destination with international reach. Through the Bilateral SSC, both countries have mobilized technical and financial resources for this purpose.

The project “Proposal for priority strategies for sustainable tourism management in the Andean Crossing: Puerto Varas–Bariloche” has three objectives:

1. A territorial diagnosis of the Andean Crossing and its protected areas with an emphasis on tourism;
2. Designing a proposal on territorial development based on the findings and contributions of local actors;
3. Defining priority strategies for sustainable tourism management.

One of the most significant aspects of the initiative, which has been underway since 2023, is the collaborative work between the University of San Sebastián (Chile) and the National University of Río Negro (Argentina). This alliance promotes training opportunities in tourism-related degree programmes and strengthens their coordination with public policies and intergovernmental cooperation projects.

In December of that year, both universities held a meeting to analyse the challenges of creating priority strategies for sustainable tourism management for the Andean Crossing (El Calbucano, 2023). This project is part of the Milestone More Parks Territorial Programme, which seeks to coordinate a territorial assessment and a development plan with local actors, strengthening regional economies and their links with public institutions.

On the other hand, the “Public-Private Partnership Programme to promote tourism cooperation between the Regional Government of Los Ríos and the Municipality of San Martín de los Andes” seeks to strengthen the exchange of experiences between tourism officials and entrepreneurs and facilitate the joint promotion of their capacities.

According to the project information from Chilean Agency for International Development Cooperation, San Martín de los Andes stands out for its significant tourism offerings, which include ski resorts and natural areas such as Lanín National Park. In Chile, Panguipulli has promoted sustainable tourism initiatives. Both territories value this project, which will promote economic and social development, improve tourism management, and the conservation of natural and cultural heritage.

In November 2025, the initiative began with two days of meetings in which the technical teams defined the binational roadmap, shared local particularities, and agreed to move forward with a joint assessment to put the circuit on the map as a destination with global appeal (Los Lagos Regional Government, 2025). Among the expected results are:

a. An integrated assessment of the bilateral relationship between Panguipulli and San Martín de los Andes;
b. A tourism planning and development strategy for territorial cooperation;
c. Promotional material highlighting the landmarks and resources of both territories (Project file, 2025).

January 2026

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Source: SEGIB based Chilean Agency for International Development Cooperation (AGCID, by its name in Spanish) and Diario digital Elcalbucano.cl

Photographs: Diario digital Elcalbucano.cl