Huilo Huilo, a biological reserve situated in the Los Rios Region amidst the Patagonian Andes, has been placed within the “Conserving the Natural World” category in the final stages of the World Legacy Awards, a recognition given by National Geographic in association with the ITB tourism trade show that takes place in Berlin.

 

This award and international recognition acknowledges the outstanding contribution in the creation and development of sustainable tourism in the south of the country, an area of great biodiversity.

 

This southern biological reserve, within its 100 thousand hectares of Temperate Rainforest, presents a surprising biological diversity, with a high grade of endemism, flora species (largest number of fern variety in Continental Chile) and unique fauna, some considered threatened and even endangered.

 

Huilo Huilo belongs to the Biosphere Reserve declared by the UNESCO in 2007.  Emplaced right in the middle of the Chilean Patagonian Rainforest, in the nucleus of the Valdivian Eco Region, at a latitude of 40° south, in the Los Rios Region.  It holds lakes of glacial origin, innumerable water courses and eternal snow on the Mocho-Choshuenco Volcano.

 

The executive director at the Huilo Huilo Reserve, Alexandra Petermann, informed that they apply a new concept, in a larger scale, of sustainable development based on three essential pillars: Conservation through investigation and emblematic projects such as the Huemul Conservation Center; Community Integration, actively incorporating local communities, generating at the reserve a significant amount of jobs and training in different disciplines, including programs with local schools, allowing them to restructure and finally Sustainable Tourism, as a new economic activity in the area that will allow the present and future generations to project themselves.

 

Over 150 destinations from 56 countries in 6 continents applied to the contest, and the finalists, of five categories, were chosen by an international team composed of 18 expert judges in sustainable travel who made in situ inspections of the finalists, meanwhile the first place will be announced during the next ITB tourism trade show in Berlin, March of next year.

 

It is the third time that the Huilo Huilo Reserve reaches the finals of an international award in this category.  It is now competing for the first place in its category, which recognizes the support for the preservation of Cultural and Natural Heritage, restoring natural habitat and protecting rare and endangered species, against andBeyond, East and Southern Africa and Conservation Ecology Centre, Australia.