“The peak tourism season of Chile is from November to February, because it’s the peak time for Chinese tourists to travel to the Antarctic,” said He Yang, vice-director of Business in Americas, part of major Chinese travel operator CTS Group.

Their popular Chile tour products are Easter Island, Santiago and its surrounding areas，the city of Punta Arenas and Torres del Paine National Park in southern Chilean Patagonia, with trips ranging from three to eight days.

He said tourists can take a charted flight from Punta Arenas to King George Island, the first stop in the Antarctic for many tourists.

“It takes 48 hours by cruise ship to cross the Drake Passage to reach the Antarctic, but the flight is only over two hours. So tourists are able to stay in the region longer and see more of the beautiful scenery,” He said.