Tourism in Chile The biggest problem facing Chile, as it promotes itself as a tourist destination to be reckoned with, is that it is at the end of the earth. It is too far south to be a convenient stop on the way to anywhere else and it is considerably farther than a relatively cheap half-days flight away from other major tourist markets, such as Mexico. Chile, therefore, is having to fight hard to attract tourists, to convince travelers that it is worth coming halfway round the world to visit. But it is succeeding, not only in existing markets like the USA and Western Europe but in new territories, in particular the Far East. Markets closer to home, however, are not being forgotten. More than 50% of visitors to Chile still come from its nearest neighbor, Argentina, where the cost of living is much higher. Similar to all the other South American countries, Chile sees tourism as a valuable earner of foreign currency, although it has been far more serious than most in promoting its image abroad. Relatively stable politically within the region, it has benefited from the problems suffered in other areas. In Peru, guerrilla warfare in recent years has dealt a heavy blow to the tourist industry and fear of street crime in Brazil has reduced the attraction of Rio de Janeiro as a dream destination for foreigners. More than 150000 people are directly involved in Chiles tourist sector, an industry which earns the country more than U.S. $ 950 million each year. The state-run National Tourism Service, in partnership with a number of private companies, is currently running a world-wide campaign, taking part in trade fairs and international events to attract visitors to Chile. Chiles great strength as a tourist destination is its geographical diversity. From the parched Atacama Desert in the north to the Antarctic snowfields of the south, it is more than 5000 km long. With the Pacific on one side and the Andean mountains on the other, Chile boasts natural attractions. Its beaches are not up to Caribbean standards but resorts such as Vinadel Mar are generally clean and unspoiled and have a high standard of services. But the trump card is the Andes mountain range. There are a number of excellent ski resorts within one hours drive of the capital, Santiago, and the national parks in the south are home to rare animal and plant species. The parks already attract specialist visitors, including mountaineers, who come to climb the technically difficult peaks, and fishermen, lured by the salmon and trout in the regions rivers. However, infrastructural development in these areas is limited. The ski resorts do not have as many lifts as their European counterparts and part poor quality of roads in the south means that only the most determined travelers see the best of the national parks. (A)Air links between Chile and the rest of the world are, at present, relatively poor. (B)While Chiles two largest airlines have extensive networks within South America, they operate only a small number of routes to the U.S. and Europe while services to Asia are almost non-existent. (C)Internal transport links are being improved and luxury hotels are being built in one of its national parks. (D)Easter Island and Chiles Antarctic Territory are also on the list of areas where the government believes it can create tourist markets. But the rush to open hitherto inaccessible areas to mass tourism is not being welcomed by everyone. Indigenous and environmental groups, including Greenpeace, say that many parts of the Andes will suffer if they become over-developed. There is a genuine fear that areas of Chile will suffer the cultural destruction witnessed in Mexican and European resorts. The policy of opening up Antarctica to tourism is also politically sensitive. Chile already has permanent settlements on the ice and many people see the decision to allow tourists there as a political move, enhancing Santiagos territorial claim over part of Antarctica. The Chilean government has promised to respect the environment as it seeks to bring tourism potential. The government will have to monitor developments closely if it is genuinely concerned in creating a balanced, controlled industry and if the price of an increasingly lucrative tourist market is not going to mean the loss of many of Chiles natural riches. The word reckon in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ______.