Most tourism destinations in Chile and Santiago’s international airport were operating normally one day after a magnitude-8.3 earthquake struck the northern part of the country on September 16, according to Chile’s Ministry of Tourism. In a statement, the ministry said: “The epicenter of Wednesday’s earthquake was more than 280 miles from the capital city of Santiago, mainly impacting the cities of Coquimbo and Illapel, both located in the Coquimbo region. “Immediately following the event, authorities ordered the evacuation of the entire central and northern Chilean coast as a precautionary measure. The evacuation order was lifted today, Sept. 17 at 6:30 a.m. local time,” Travel Weekly reported. The Antofagasta region, San Pedro de Atacama and surrounding areas, and the southern part of Chile into the Patagonia region, are among the locales welcoming tourists, according to the government. “Please check with partner hotels, tour operators and ground partners in Chile to confirm any unforeseen disruptions to travel arrangements at this time,” the tourism ministry said. Chile expects to receive some four million foreign tourists this year, up from 3.6 million in 2014. Most foreign tourists in Chile come from Latin America.
