Locals vs. Sernatur

Yesterday my wife and I spent a pleasant day roaming around the inner area of the fifth region (not the coast) and visited places like Til Til, Olmué, Quillota, La Cruz and many other small places northwest of Santiago.

Since SERNATUR is as useless as an ashtray on a motorbike, we make a habit of talking to the locals and learning from them about the best things to do or visit around where they live. Quite often you get to meet some fascinating characters and yesterday was no exception.

Wladimir Coray, is a CONAF accredited national park guide that we met who has a tourist information center and handicraft store called Marai (Calle Prat 106, Olmue). His small tourist information center isn’t financed by any entity and he doesn’t get anything out of it. He has done it since as you are probably aware, SERNATUR is useless for getting information and for giving out its promotional material.

Rant begins...
I honestly don’t know why SERNATUR exists at all if they aren’t going to help people learn more about what the country, city or village has to offer.
I have seen the rare instance where SERNATUR is helpful (in Valdivia once) but in general they make you feel like you are interrupting their snooze and God only help you if you ask for a map or brochure. You’d think they were getting a deduction from their pay for each brochure they give out. It’s like if they do decide to pass you something, you sort of have to tug it out of their clutches.
...Rant ends.

Anyway since Wladimir has realized that there is no way to get decent information in his town of Olmué, he set up a tourist information next to his handicraft store. A side note, around 95% of the products on display were his own creation (and not the now common cheap imported crap you find everywhere).

You can find Marai (Craft shop) and the tourist information center at:
Calle Prat 106, Olmué.
In front of the Plaza de los Caballos, the first square (plaza) you come across once you come off the main route from Santiago.



Talking to him reminded us of our conversation with the owner of Hostal del Rio in Talca where we stayed. He also had set up his own Tourist Information Center since he had heard the same problems. Funnily, when he went to SERNATUR to ask for some brochures, they wouldn’t give him any since the reasoned that they should go to the SERNATUR office hidden in an old building in town. Where do tourists stay? In hostels (or hotels). Are tourists more likely to go into town to look for an office that is reluctant to hand out information or do you think they are more likely to pick up a map or brochure or two at the place they are staying.

SERNATUR should be more active and helpful OUTSIDE their office instead of being passive and waiting for people to come to them.

We got more information (and a more friendly reception) from the hostel info center than we did from the Talca SERNATUR office. No wonder people don’t hang around for longer in the region.
Chile has a lot to offer buy if the local offices of SERNATUR want more people to spend longer in their region, they are going to have to get their act together.

Anyway, we took some more videos and photos from the fifth regions trip which we will post over time.

What do you think of SERNATUR and their services?
How do you get your information when you travel to a different city or region?