Pacific Alliance exporters and buyers from China concluded business sessions in Armenia, Colombia, focused on sustainable destinations, following technical training led by the four countries’ promotion agencies.

May 4, 2026.- The 8th Pacific Alliance Tourism Business Roundtable concluded on April 24 in Armenia, Colombia, with delegations from Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. The event brought together 111 companies —50 buyers from strategic markets including China and the regional bloc, alongside 61 exporters from Alliance member states— with a focus on marketing sustainable destinations and consolidating the region’s export offerings.

There were 973 business meetings, which generated total projected sales of US$10.7 million. These projections were reached through one-on-one meetings aimed at promoting high-value-added products. Of the total projected business, 51% (US$5.5 million) is expected to close within six months, while the remaining 49% (US$5.2 million) is projected beyond six months.

ProColombia President Carmen Caballero highlighted the significance of the event: “Holding this Roundtable in Quindío is a firm step toward the sustainable internationalization of our destinations. Achieving projected sales of US$10.7 million shows that joint work among promotion agencies allows the Pacific Alliance to position itself as a highly competitive bloc, attracting high-spending travelers under a model of respect for the environment.”

The Armenia venue showcased the consolidation of the Coffee Cultural Landscape and its infrastructure for the meetings industry (MICE), romance tourism, and sports tourism. The event returned to an in-person format after eight years.

In terms of product offerings, cultural tourism generated the greatest interest and business volume, followed by nature and adventure tourism. Sun and beach, wellness, and cruise segments also stood out.

GTAP: Ten Years of Joint Promotion

This event is the result of work by the Technical Group of Promotion Agencies (GTAP), which since 2014 has led the Alliance’s tourism promotion to position the bloc as an integrated destination. Over the past decade (2014–2024), GTAP has carried out more than 40 joint promotional activities, including seven previous roundtables that generated projected sales of over US$75 million, strengthening both intra-Alliance tourism and presence in long-haul markets.

For Gerardo Serrano Gasca, head of Regional Integration for Latin America and the Caribbean at Mexico’s Foreign Ministry, “Mexico’s participation in the 8th Pacific Alliance Tourism Business Roundtable in Armenia, Quindío confirmed the strategic value of this forum as an effective platform for turning cooperation into economic opportunities, connecting the tourism sector with global markets such as China.” He also noted that for Mexico’s 2026 Pro Tempore Presidency, these events are key to advancing a renewed agenda that strengthens tourism as a driver of integration, with a focus on sustainability, inclusion, and new generations.

Pacific Alliance member states received more than 63 million visitors in 2025, representing 48% of inbound tourism in Latin America, and accounted for 42% of international tourism spending in the region at US$49.165 billion.

Alliance countries received around 14.9 million travelers from within Latin America in 2025. That figure is expected to reach 15.2 million in 2026.

Focus on the Chinese Market

Ten buyers from China, a key strategic market, took part in the Roundtable. Before the business sessions, they completed a familiarization trip through the region to experience firsthand the Coffee Cultural Landscape offering, as well as Bogotá and Medellín. Combined with efforts to promote Chilean, Mexican, and Peruvian destinations in this long-haul market, projected business with Chinese buyers reached US$3.6 million.

Cristóbal Benítez Villafranca, National Director of the National Tourism Service of Chile, said: “This type of initiative confirms the importance of advancing as a bloc to position ourselves in long-haul markets like China, known for high spending and extended stays. Currently, nearly 50% of inbound tourism in Latin America is concentrated in Alliance countries, which shows that Chile has strong potential in products highlighted by participants, such as nature and adventure tourism.”

PROMPERÚ Executive President Freddy José María Solano González explained: “Participating in the 8th Pacific Alliance Tourism Business Roundtable has been a great opportunity to promote the sustainable tourism destinations of the member countries at the intra-regional level and to engage directly with Chinese buyers at the event. It has helped us continue building our profile as a leading travel destination offering unique and diverse experiences.”

Quindío as a Hub for the Meetings Industry and Sustainability

The Armenia, Quindío venue showcased local infrastructure for romance, cultural, and nature tourism, as well as the meetings industry. Quindío Convention Bureau Director José Manuel Cimadevilla Acevedo said: “Armenia and Quindío are ready to host major events, congresses, meetings, and incentive travel. The Roundtable was not only a commercial platform but also a reflection of the coordinated work between the public and private sectors that has helped build a true MICE ecosystem in Armenia and Quindío as a gateway to the Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia.”

He added: “This effort has produced a diversified, competitive, and high-value tourism offering, placing the destination firmly on the Colombian tourism map. Events like this are especially significant for their ability to stimulate the economy during low seasons by attracting high-spending visitors. It is estimated that over the three days of the Roundtable, the economic impact reached 1.5 billion pesos.” He underscored the significance of an event that returned to the city after eight years, reaffirming its international tourism profile and appeal to the global meetings industry.

The 8th Pacific Alliance Tourism Business Roundtable is one component of the Sustainable Internationalization Capacity-Building Program, which included technical training for businesses between April 14 and 20, 2026, ensuring that the products presented meet international competitiveness standards. A final component will consist of joint follow-up, to measure the impact of the business generated and guide the bloc’s future strategies.

The VIII Pacific Alliance Tourism Business Roundtable will promote the marketing of sustainable destinations as part of the bloc’s Capacity-Building Program for the Sustainable Internationalization of Tourist Destinations, led by the Promotion Agencies Technical Group (GTAP).

February 26, 2026.- Armenia, Colombia, will host the VIII Pacific Alliance Tourism Business Roundtable on April 23–24, 2026. The event is the premier tourism business platform of the regional bloc comprising Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru, and will bring together approximately 100 inbound operators (25 per country) and 50 international buyers, including 40 outbound operators from Alliance member countries and 10 from China, a priority long-haul market within the bloc’s joint international tourism promotion strategy.

The announcement was made at Colombia Travel Mart 2026, held at Corferias as part of the ANATO 2026 Tourism Showcase. The event featured participation from representatives of the Mexican Government—currently holding the Pacific Alliance pro tempore presidency—as well as the Quindío Convention Bureau and ProColombia.

“The Pacific Alliance Tourism Business Roundtable is a strategic platform for our business leaders to forge high-impact partnerships and showcase an increasingly sustainable offering. After eight years, this gathering returns to an in-person format in Armenia—a direct response to our business community’s need to connect face-to-face to strengthen the region. This is the ideal stage to demonstrate the power of integration and jointly promote the richness of our ‘World Treasure’ to priority markets like China,” said Carmen Caballero, President of ProColombia.

Armenia previously hosted the event July 11–13, 2018, generating an estimated US$22.2 million in multi-destination business. That tourism roundtable drew approximately 194 industry professionals from Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, China, and the United States, with nearly 1,772 one-on-one business meetings held between outbound and inbound operators.

The selection of Armenia as the host city reflects the consolidation of the Coffee Cultural Landscape as an international showcase for nature, wellness, and cultural tourism. The destination stands out for its strong sustainability credentials and its potential for attracting Asian travelers. The region has diversified its tourism offering to include meetings and events (MICE) at both modern and traditional venues, as well as romance tourism and destination weddings. Quindío also has infrastructure for sports tourism in mountain settings and theme parks, complementing its biodiversity and traditional cultural heritage.

“By hosting the Pacific Alliance Tourism Business Roundtable in Armenia and Quindío, we continue to prove that our destination is a world-class option within Colombia’s Coffee Cultural Landscape—distinguished by its infrastructure, service quality, and differentiated experiences for the meetings and events industry, corporate segments, and traditional tourism, both at the national and international level,” said José Manuel Cimadevilla, Director of the Quindío Convention Bureau.

The event is part of the Pacific Alliance’s Capacity-Building Program for the Sustainable Internationalization of Tourist Destinations, an initiative funded through the bloc’s Cooperation Fund and implemented by the Promotion Agencies Technical Group (GTAP)—comprising Chile’s National Tourism Service (SERNATUR), Mexico’s Tourism Ministry (SECTUR), PROMPERÚ, and ProColombia.

Over its seven previous events, the Business Roundtable has brought together more than 600 inbound operators from within the bloc and nearly 300 outbound operators from nine international markets, with estimated business exceeding US$75 million. This year, participants will hold 20-minute one-on-one meetings to present their offerings in cultural, gastronomic, nature and adventure, and wellness tourism.

Sustainable Internationalization as a Strategic Priority

Ahead of the Business Roundtable, the program includes a training component designed to strengthen the participating companies’ technical capabilities in sustainability. In April 2026, five virtual sessions will be held, including an open introductory webinar on sustainable tourism and an analysis of current dynamics in international tourism—addressing challenges such as overtourism, the erosion of authenticity, and the growing social backlash in saturated destinations.

This will be complemented by four specialized master classes for the 100 companies participating in the Business Roundtable. Topics will include creating and marketing sustainable products, responsible internationalization practices, the use of technology and data analytics to boost competitiveness, and specific strategies for attracting and retaining Chinese travelers.

China and Multi-Destination Promotion

The program renews the bloc’s joint outreach strategy toward third-party markets, with a particular focus on China—one of the world’s largest outbound tourism markets, known for high-spending travelers who typically include multiple countries in a single itinerary. The participation of 10 Chinese outbound operators at the Business Roundtable is an opportunity to promote multi-destination packages within the Pacific Alliance, deepen regional integration, and extend the bloc’s international reach.

The focus on China reflects a deliberate positioning strategy with the world’s largest source of outbound tourists and a key partner for the bloc’s multi-destination promotion. Chinese tourists continue to represent the highest-value segment for Pacific Alliance destinations, with average per capita spending exceeding $2,800 in 2025, and the total expenditure of this market reaching a historic $459 billion.

Voices from the Region’s Tourism Leaders

Josefina Rodríguez Zamora, Mexico’s Secretary of Tourism, said: “Within the Pacific Alliance, we are building a strong regional narrative in which Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru present themselves to the world as a diverse, authentic, and competitive multi-destination experience. This Tourism Business Roundtable in Armenia reaffirms our commitment to responsible promotion based on sustainability, innovation, and the smart cultivation of key outbound markets for tourism growth in the region.”

Cristóbal Benítez Villafranca, National Director of Chile’s National Tourism Service (SERNATUR), noted: “At SERNATUR, we firmly believe in the importance of driving promotional initiatives like this one, born from the collaborative work of the promotion agencies of the Pacific Alliance member countries. This joint effort strengthens intra-regional tourism while simultaneously opening doors to long-haul markets such as China.”

Ricardo Limo, Executive President of PROMPERÚ, added: “The Pacific Alliance Tourism Business Roundtable is a key platform for strengthening regional integration and building strategic partnerships between public and private stakeholders with the goal of driving tourism to member countries. At PROMPERÚ, we support these kinds of platforms that allow us to take on new challenges, grow together, and promote sustainable, responsible tourism experiences.”

The event, organized by ProChile in conjunction with ProColombia, the Mexican Ministry of Economy and Promperú, brought together 157 companies, including 33 startups, 16 investors, 28 buyers and 80 exporters of services from the member countries of the Pacific Alliance.

November 27, 2024.- With results that reaffirm its impact on the innovation and export ecosystem, the XI LAB4+ Forum concluded with business projections exceeding US$10 million. This meeting, held in Santiago, Chile, stood out as a strategic platform to strengthen the international presence of startups, exporters and innovators from the Pacific Alliance (PA).

The event brought together 157 companies, including 33 startups, 16 investors, 28 buyers and 80 exporters of services from the member countries of the Pacific Alliance: Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. A total of 189 business meetings were held, generating concrete opportunities to expand markets and establish strategic alliances in key sectors such as information technologies, climate change, cybersecurity and financial services.

The general director of ProChile, Ignacio Fernández, said that “the results of this Forum reflect the potential of the Pacific Alliance as an innovative and competitive economic bloc. A business projection of more than US$10 million not only represents an achievement for the participating companies, but is also an indicator of the transforming impact that this platform generates in the internationalization of our entrepreneurs”.

During two days of activities, a business roundtable was held between exporting companies from Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, and importers from the Pacific Alliance countries and priority markets. In addition, there were academic spaces and a day of pitch sessions between investors from the innovative ecosystem of the countries of the bloc, Europe and North America, interested in the services and technological innovations offered by entrepreneurs from the countries of the Pacific Alliance.

The president of ProColombia, Carmen Caballero, highlighted Colombia’s role in strengthening innovation and sustainability in the framework of the XI LAB4+ Forum. “Colombia, ‘The Country of Beauty,’ has immense potential to position itself as a key player in global markets thanks to its diversity and its ability to develop innovative and sustainable solutions. From ProColombia, we celebrate the outstanding participation, creativity and talent of our entrepreneurs in this important meeting, which included services in agritech, cybersecurity, edtech, healthtech and other software solutions from creative and cultural industries,” she said.

For his part, the Director of Business Investment Promotion of PROMPERÚ, Daniel Córdova, said that “we are very satisfied with our participation in LAB4+, because it has allowed us to show that Peru aims to grow and consolidate its entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem, whose strength lies in a thriving business network that is gradually becoming more sophisticated, composed of universities, incubators, accelerators, impact investment funds, corporate actors and business groups that form and nurture startups. Proof of this has been the participation of Peruvian startups, which have been able to present the value of their technological solutions and the potential of their business models to representatives of venture capital companies, which -we trust- will bet on Peruvian entrepreneurship in innovation. I welcome the effort being made by the Pacific Alliance to promote the economic and technological development of our region”.

Beatriz Cervantes Mandujano, Economic Affairs Attaché of the Embassy of Mexico in Chile, said that “the XI LAB4+ Forum reaffirms Mexico’s role as a benchmark in the export of innovative and sustainable services. From the Ministry of Economy and the Embassy of Mexico in Chile, we promote regional integration and seek to expand opportunities for our companies in key sectors such as technology, cybersecurity and clean energy. We highlight the participation of startups and service exporters, who achieved business projections of more than US$10 million in a space that connected talent, creativity and technological solutions between the countries of the Pacific Alliance. With an eye on the future, the next edition of LAB4+ in Colombia will be an opportunity to continue consolidating the presence of Mexico and the region as an innovative and competitive bloc in global markets.”

About LAB4+

Since its creation, LAB4+ has supported the internationalization of more than 100 startups and innovative companies. This year, with projections of $10,943,701 million, the Forum reinforces its position as a key driver for economic growth and the development of sustainable and innovative solutions in the region.

The next edition of the LAB4+ Forum will be held in Colombia, further strengthening the collaboration between the Pacific Alliance countries in innovation and technological development. This move symbolizes the bloc’s commitment to maintain and expand cooperation spaces that connect Latin America with the world, promoting its entrepreneurs in global markets and consolidating the Pacific Alliance as a leader in innovation and entrepreneurship in the region.

With LAB4+ in Colombia, a strategic space will continue to be offered to promote growth, business opportunities and technological development throughout the region.

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Communications PPT 2024 Pacific Alliance

Within the framework of EtMday 2024, the pro tempore presidency Chile 2024 of the Pacific Alliance is holding this event in conjunction with the Technical Group of Promotion Agencies of the PA, which will be a meeting point for 40 startups, 17 investors, 31 buyers and more than 120 exporters of services and innovation.

November 21, 2024 – The XI Entrepreneurship and Innovation Forum LAB4+, organized by the Technical Group of Promotion Agencies of the Pacific Alliance: ProChile, ProColombia, Secretariat of Economy of Mexico and PromPeru, under the pro tempore presidency of Chile 2024, kicked off this Thursday.

The event is being held for the first time in the framework of the fourth version of EtMday 2024, the International Meeting of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Investment, which takes place from November 21 to 23, 2024 at the Bicentennial Park of Vitacura, in Santiago de Chile.

The merger of these events is a strategic bet that seeks to maximize the impact of both meetings, boosting the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in the member countries of the Pacific Alliance -Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru-, projecting it internationally.

The inauguration was attended by the Undersecretary of International Economic Relations, Claudia Sanhueza; the general director of ProChile, Ignacio Fernández; diplomatic and commercial representatives from Colombia, Peru and Mexico; Daniel Daccarett, co-founder of ETM; and Carlos Honorato, founder of LAB4+.

The event is a meeting point for 40 startups, 17 investors, 31 buyers and more than 120 exporters of services and innovation, in total, more than 230 companies from member countries, focusing on strategic sectors such as information technologies, artificial intelligence, climate change, cybersecurity and financial services.

Among the main activities, the Forum includes a business roundtable with more than 400 projected meetings between exporting companies from Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, and importers from the Pacific Alliance countries and priority markets. In addition, there will be academic spaces and a day of Pitch Sessions between investors from the innovative ecosystem of the countries of the bloc, Europe and North America, interested in the services and technological innovations offered by entrepreneurs from the Pacific Alliance countries.

In previous editions, LAB4+ has been key in the internationalization of more than a hundred startups and innovative companies.

PHOTOS (Flickr album)

Communications PPT 2024 Pacific Alliance

The Pacific Alliance Entrepreneurship and Innovation Forum expands its horizons to the European market.

October 7, 2024.- The Pacific Alliance announced the opening of the calls for the XI version of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Forum LAB4+. The activity will take place from November 20 to 23, 2024 at the Bicentennial Park, Vitacura, in Santiago, Chile.

This year, under the pro tempore presidency of Chile, the Forum will be part of EtM Day, the largest innovation meeting in the region held annually in Santiago de Chile; and will seek to enhance the impact of service and innovation companies from Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, and North America, expanding its reach to European markets.

LAB4+ has established itself as an iconic event for the export of services based on technology and innovation, being a key meeting point between entrepreneurs, investors, buyers and exporters of the 4.0 industry ecosystem of the member countries of the Pacific Alliance. This year, the link with the European ecosystem reinforces the Forum’s commitment to position the Alliance as a regional integration bloc that promotes entrepreneurship, innovation and trade in services.

About the activity

Organized by the Technical Group of Promotion Agencies of the Pacific Alliance (ProChile, ProColombia, Secretariat of Economy of Mexico and PromPerú), the LAB4+ Forum will offer a complete experience with four main components.

1. Academic Agenda/Conference Program: Experts from the innovation ecosystem and representatives from promotion agencies will share their knowledge on key topics for business development in the prioritized markets. In addition, there will be academic support for startups to prepare their pitches.

2. Orientation sessions: Leaders of companies in target sectors will present key aspects for doing business in the selected markets.

3. Business Roundtable: Exporting companies from the AP bloc will present their offer to international buyers, with the aim of generating effective business meetings.

4. Pitch Sessions: Startups from the AP block will present their innovations to major international investors, with a focus on sectors such as FinTech, HealthTech, AgriTech, EdTech, PropTech, among others.

Participation Process

Companies interested in participating in the Business Roundtable or Pitch Sessions must register through the official website of the event, completing the registration form before October 30. These registrations will be validated by the promotion agencies of each country and the selected companies will receive a confirmation email.

Registration and activities schedule

• Registration: October 1 to 30
• Validation and confirmation of companies: October 7 – November 8
• Scheduling of business appointments: October 14 to November 11
• Academic day: October 29th
• Startups/Pitch Qualifiers: November 4 to November 8
• LAB4+ Forum: November 20th to 23rd

This event promises to be a unique platform to strengthen business integration and innovation in the region, and explore new prioritized opportunities.

Communications PPT 2024 Pacific Alliance

• The three-day event was successfully concluded, where 102 exporters from Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru had the opportunity to show their products to 52 importers from PA countries and markets such as North America, Europe and Asia.

July 11, 2024.- The XI Pacific Alliance (PA) Business Macro-Round, which took place between July 1 and 4 in Santiago, Chile, concluded successfully after three intense days of networking and business roundtables.

This commercial activity, which brought together exporters and importers from Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, as well as the United States, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Japan, Denmark, Sweden and Italy, once again demonstrated the bloc’s potential for economic and commercial cooperation.

During this event, 154 participating companies held 538 business meetings, with business projections estimated at US$ 55 million. The 102 registered exporters from the four participating countries had the opportunity to present their products to 52 interested importers, thus opening up new possibilities for intra-regional trade as well as trade with other markets in North America, Asia and Europe.

The general director of ProChile, Ignacio Fernández -whose institution leads the Technical Group of Promotion Agencies of the PA- together with the Undersecretary of International Economic Relations, Claudia Sanhueza, headed the Chilean delegation.

Representatives from PromPerú, ProColombia and the Mexican Ministry of Economy also participated actively, underlining each country’s commitment to strengthening the Pacific Alliance.

Ignacio Fernández, general director of ProChile -the General Directorate of Export Promotion under the Chilean Foreign Ministry- highlighted that “the results of this Pacific Alliance Business Macro-Round show that this type of platform is important for the bloc’s exporting companies and, especially, for SMEs. This year we saw a remarkable interest from international buyers in search of innovative and sustainable products, which reflects current trends in the global market, and where Chile and the other PA countries have a high value-added offer that can be internationalized thanks to intra-regional and international trade”.

The participation of PromPerú, ProColombia and the Ministry of Economy of Mexico was crucial for the success of the macro-round and for the fulfillment of the objectives set this year by the Pacific Alliance, which focus on supporting the increase in productivity, sustainability and inclusiveness of these countries, as well as incorporating micro, small and medium-sized enterprises to intraregional and international trade.

To reinforce these commitments, this macro-round-which had the slogan “Road to a sustainable offer”- included a discussion on “Advances and challenges in the Pacific Alliance” on issues of sustainable exportable supply, moderated by Nicolás Millán (co-founder of GetFair, a SaaS that allows measuring, analyzing and tracing impact under ESG standards) and where four PA SMEs were able to present their experiences.

The president of ProColombia, Carmen Caballero Villa, comments that “Colombia, as a megadiverse country, has great potential to become a major supplier of sustainable agro-industrial products. For this reason, ProColombia celebrated the participation of Colombian exporters of coffee, processed fruit, cosmetics and containers and packaging. It is important to highlight that sustainability was the main focus of the Pacific Alliance Macro-round, in which, apart from the business roundtable, we had a significant space to present our proposals to invited buyers from countries such as Korea, India, the United States and Canada. This generated a deeper vision of the offer of Colombia, the Country of Beauty, as a bloc, awakening considerable interest in strengthening trade relations”.

Claricia Tirado, executive president of PROMPERÚ, comments that “the Pacific Alliance Business Macro-Round has been a clear example of the successful collaborative work between our agencies. This event has not only strengthened trade ties between Chile, Colombia, Peru and Mexico, but has also facilitated a fruitful exchange of appointments and business opportunities. The participation of 15 Peruvian exporters, who positively represented the Peruvian supply of food, clothing and inputs for the industry, has significantly reinforced the expectations of many companies to scale their ventures and enable their products to participate in value chains at the international level.

For her part, the Ambassador of Mexico in Chile, Dr. Laura Moreno Rodríguez, shared that “Mexico has 14 free trade agreements with the world and the Pacific Alliance represents a trading partner that strengthens Mexican foreign trade. The XI Pacific Alliance Business Macro-Round has been an important platform for B2B business linkages; a space of maximum use for the important presence of Mexican companies. The Ministry of Economy, in coordination with the Embassy of Mexico, participated as operational representatives in the Technical Group of Promotion Agencies of the PA. We shared strategic information for doing business, showcasing success stories of young entrepreneurs, guiding and approaching companies according to their focal interests in Mexican products, linking businessmen to other markets; increasingly creating more business opportunities with importing and entrepreneurial companies that appreciate the quality of Mexican products.

Activities of the Pacific Alliance Promotion Agencies Group

The Pacific Alliance Promotion Agencies Group will continue its activities this year 2024, under Chile’s pro tempore presidency of the bloc.

In November, the XI version of the Pacific Alliance Entrepreneurship and Innovation Forum LAB4+ will be held between November 21 and 23 together with EtM Day, which will seek to enhance the impact of this initiative and make the link with the entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem part of the DNA of companies, contributing to generate a cultural change in the countries of the Alliance.

The activity will take place in Santiago de Chile and is expected to bring together more than a hundred companies from the PA, seeking to enhance the impact of this regional bloc through European observers interested in the supply of services and technological innovations of the companies.

• The event -which is organized by ProChile- takes place within the framework of Chile’s pro tempore presidency of the Pacific Alliance and is carried out jointly with the PA Promotion Agencies Group, made up of ProChile, ProColombia, the Mexican Ministry of Economy and PROMPERÚ.

July 2, 2024 – Nearly 180 companies will be at the XI Pacific Alliance (PA) Business Macro-Round until July 4, an event that brings together importers and exporters from the member countries of the bloc plus guests from Europe, Asia and North America. Around 600 business meetings are expected between 120 exporters and 58 buyers from the agri-food, clothing, metal-mechanic, manufacturing and chemical sectors.

The event -which is organized by ProChile- takes place within the framework of Chile’s pro tempore presidency of the Pacific Alliance and is carried out jointly with the PA Promotion Agencies Group, made up of ProChile, ProColombia, the Mexican Ministry of Economy and PROMPERÚ.

The Pacific Alliance has established itself as a strategic platform to strengthen trade ties between the countries of the region, promoting the diversification of the exportable supply of goods and services.

Chile’s Vice Minister of Trade, Claudia Sanhueza, highlighted that the Pacific Alliance has established itself as one of the main integration schemes in Latin America. However, she added that a major challenge is to increase trade between member countries, especially MSMEs, which underscores the importance of organizing this Business Macro-Round.

“Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises play a crucial role in the ecomomy of the Pacific Alliance. In fact, more than 90% of the companies in the four countries belong to this category. It is imperative to continue working on the development of policies that support them and to establish regulations that facilitate intra-Alliance trade, thus creating opportunities to access new markets,” she said.

Likewise, Chile’s Undersecretary of Agriculture, Ignacia Fernández, said that “agriculture is an important area of trade and business between Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. Chile, as pro tempore presidency of the PA, has the challenge of consolidating intraregional trade between our countries. By promoting the agro-export agenda, we are intensifying efforts to diversify markets for the export of our agricultural products, and this Macro-Round seeks to consolidate our ties with these countries and other markets such as Europe and Asia, building a more equitable and sustainable future for everyone”.

PA Promotion Agencies

The general director of ProChile, Ignacio Fernández, commented that intra-regional trade within Latin American countries has the opportunity to continue to grow with events such as this. “Precisely, the Pacific Alliance seeks to continue promoting and projecting a regional integration that promotes greater growth and welfare of our countries through intra-regional trade. Chile recognizes the Pacific Alliance as a partner of great relevance. Not only do we share cultural and historical ties that facilitate commercial exchange, but it also shows an economic dynamism that opens many opportunities for our exportable supply, especially for light manufacturing, industrial supply, services and, for our SMEs, a priority segment”, said Fernández.

In turn, the president of ProColombia, Carmen Caballero Villa, added that “we celebrate this Pacific Alliance Macro-Round, which is nothing more than a manifestation of the determination of the country’s entrepreneurs to strengthen their presence in the international market and promote inclusive and sustainable development. This also symbolizes the constant evolution of our regions, of our entrepreneurship and of Colombia, the Country of Beauty”.

From Mexico, the Ambassador of Mexico in Chile, Dr. Laura Moreno Rodríguez, celebrated that “the XI Pacific Alliance Business Macro-Round has been organized taking into account the experience of the Alliance in 13 years, moving towards a fairer, more inclusive and sustainable trade, where MSMEs and women-led businesses should be at the center of the promotion of trade in the bloc, which is in line with Mexico’s policy of democratizing foreign trade”, and stressed ‘the importance of continuing to work on the potential for diversification and growth of exports from the four countries of the Alliance, through joint efforts and collaboration’.

For the executive president of PROMPERÚ, Claricia Tirado, “the XI Pacific Alliance Business Macro-Round is a valuable opportunity for our country to strengthen trade relations between its members and, at the same time, to make markets in Europe, Asia and North America aware of the quality of our exportable supply, as well as the commitment of our producers to sustainability. PROMPERÚ is very proud to have secured the participation of 15 companies from the agri-food sector, most of them small and medium-sized. We are convinced that the high quality of their products will open the doors to new international markets after this event”.

COMMUNICATIONS PPT CHILE 2024 PACIFIC ALLIANCE

• A space to learn about the best of the sustainable tourism offerings of Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, identify synergies and establish strategic alliances.

August 4, 2023 – Within the framework of the Pacific Alliance Tourism Cooperation Agreement, the entities responsible for international tourism promotion in the four countries – Chile’s National Tourism Service (SERNATUR), ProColombia, Mexico’s Secretariat of Tourism (SECTUR), and PROMPERÚ – receive each year the mandate to manage strategic alliances, and develop joint promotional tools and actions aimed at both the business sector and the end public in order to boost the marketing of Pacific Alliance tourist destinations and contribute to increasing the flow of tourists within the region and from third markets to the countries of the bloc.

It should be noted that one of the pillars of the Pacific Alliance is sustainability, thus contributing to one of the priorities of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the countries of the bloc. Taking into account the situation generated by the pandemic, international tourists are demanding a new way of doing tourism, with sustainability being a requirement in all sectors of economic activity. Studies such as the recent analysis of Expedia Group, endorse the importance of sustainability in destinations, since 90% of travelers are looking for more sustainable travel options and 7 out of 10 of them have discarded a destination for fear that their sustainable practices are not real.

Given the above, is that within the activities contemplated in the Work Plan 2023 of the Pacific Alliance, is the 1st Sustainable Tourism Business Meeting, which is carried out as an innovative edition of the past Pacific Alliance Tourism Macro-Rounds that were developed from 2014 to 2021.

The development of this meeting organized by the PA will bring together entrepreneurs and academics from the tourism sector of Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, so they can share experiences and best practices on management, projects or tourism products based on the sustainability component in order to generate new business opportunities and strengthen existing ones.

This meeting will be held on August 9, 16 and 17, virtually, through various spaces to strengthen the sustainable tourism offer of the Pacific Alliance through the exchange of best practices and experiences, training, identification of synergies and strategic alliances in order to generate new business opportunities between inbound and outbound companies of the countries that make up the bloc.

Details of the meeting can be found at the following link: https://www.encuentroturismosostenibleap.com/.

Schedule of activities:

• Inauguration | 09.08.23 | 09:00 – 9:30 COL time | 30 min.

Opening ceremony preceded by Claricia Tirado, Director of Tourism of PROMPERÚ as coordinator of the Technical Group of Promotion Agencies of the PA (Tourism).

• Academic Agenda | 09.08.23 | 09:30 – 10:35 COL time. | 45 min.

Keynote speech entitled “Sustainable and Regenerative Tourism, an opportunity for regional development” given by Vicente Ferreyra Acosta, Vice President of Sustainable Tourism of the Sustainable Social Tourism Summit.

• Commercial Pitch Preparation | 9.08.23 | 14:00 – 15:30 COL time. | 90 min.

Interactive workshop given by Fernando Mandri Bellot, president of the Sustainable Social Tourism Summit, to the participating inbound companies for the construction and improvement of their value proposition and the sales pitch of their products with high impact on sustainability.

• Pitch Sessions | 16.08.23 | 09:00 – 11:20 COL time. | 120 min.

Presentation of commercial pitches by incoming agents from Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru to a panel of experts and outbound agents from the four countries of the bloc. As a result of this space, the outbound agents will have the opportunity to request meetings with the companies whose products were of greatest interest, leading to more effective business meetings.

• Business Networking | 17.08.23 | 09:00 – 16:00 COL time.

Development of 1-on-1 appointments between outbound and inbound participants.

It is expected that the event will have the participation of forty sustainable tourism companies from the four countries, twenty outbound and twenty inbound, which will have the opportunity to participate in pitch sessions and business networking, on August 16 and 17, in order to generate new business opportunities to contribute to the increase of intra-Alliance tourists.

Details of the Academic Agenda

Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru invite you to be part of the Academic Agenda of the First Business Meeting on Sustainable Tourism of the Pacific Alliance, with the keynote lecture: “Sustainable and regenerative tourism as an opportunity for regional development”, a space where you will learn about the trends and market evolution in terms of sustainability.

Speaker: Vicente Ferreyra Acosta, Vice President of Sustainable Tourism of the Sustainable & Social Tourism Summit.

Virtual Connection: August 9, 2023

10:00 Chilean time

09:00 Colombia/Peru time

08:00 Mexico time

Academic Agenda registration link:

https://encuentroturismosostenibleap.koyag.com/signinups/inscripciones-agenda-academica/register

• Within the framework of the pro tempore presidency of Mexico under the leadership of the Ministry of Economy of Mexico and in conjunction with ProChile, ProColombia and PromPerú; the Promotion Agencies Technical Group developed commercial and investment activities that impacted more than 300 exporting companies.

January 4, 2023.-  The 2022 joint work plan positively impacted trade relations between the countries that make up the Pacific Alliance and the bloc’s exporters with purchasing companies from prioritized third-party markets. The coordination of the Promotion Agencies Technical Group (GTAP) was characterized by continuing to include new strategic markets, promoting the participation of more Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and mainstreaming the gender approach in the various promotional joint activities. This through the incorporation of more women entrepreneurs in trade and investment promotion activities.

The joint promotion plan began in January with the “First Networking of Public Procurement Suppliers”. The objective of the activity was to strengthen the Alliance’s state contracting system and consolidate commercial relations between the companies of the bloc through an academic session and business meetings. Due to the forementioned, more than 70 companies of the Pacific Alliance were impacted.

At the end of March, the second activity of the year called “Program of Income Potentiality to China Marketplaces” was carried out, which had the purpose of providing 21 selected companies from Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru with a diagnosis for their incursion into the channel of e-commerce in China.

In April, within the framework of the celebration of the eleventh anniversary of the Alliance, the first “Craft Fair of the Pacific Alliance” took place, which purpose was the promotion of the creative economy of the four countries. It consisted of a physical exhibition with handmade products from 21 Alliance companies and a virtual showroom. For the latter, 150 craft products from 54 companies in the block were promoted, reaching 19,000 visits and 118,000 impressions.

At the end of July and beginning of August, the ” X Entrepreneurship and Innovation Forum of the Pacific Alliance LAB4+” was held. The purpose of this activity was to join efforts to promote and strengthen entrepreneurship, innovation and trade in services in the countries of the bloc. The Forum represented a meeting point for 104 entrepreneurs and exporters from the Pacific Alliance countries who had the opportunity to present, through 200 business meetings, projects or exportable offers to more than 37 investors and buyers from eight markets ( Canada, Chile, Colombia, South Korea, the United States, Mexico, Peru and Singapore), which generated business expectations for 2 million 710 thousand 734 US dollars and an estimated investment ticket of 7 million 400 thousand 598 US dollars (USD).

Between August and October, the ” X Business Macro-Round of the Pacific Alliance ” was held. An iconic event focused on promoting exports of goods from the four countries of the bloc to potential buyers from more than 27 markets. This important promotional activity consisted of three virtual business roundtables focused on the American, European and Asian markets. During the three rounds, more than 150 exporting companies from the Pacific Alliance participated, having the opportunity to make business appointments with 62 international buyers. The foregoing left business expectations to the business fabric of the block for more than 5 million 790 thousand US dollars. In this edition, the participation of MSMEs was promoted, establishing a 60% quota in the three business roundtables. A 30% quota for companies led by women was also contemplated, specifically for commercial activity in Europe.

Finally, the Promotion Agencies Technical Group developed the second edition of the “Pacific Alliance Infrastructure Investment Opportunities Portfolio “, which consisted of 15 projects in roads, water and sanitation subsectors; railways, fluvial and ports. The dissemination of the Portfolio was carried out through two actions:

First. Investment opportunity seminars were held in Japan and Canada (the one in Canada is scheduled to take place in the first quarter of 2023). The seminar in Japan was held in November 2022 and more than 170 investment funds participated, as well as diplomatic personnel from the member countries of the Pacific Alliance and the Japanese business community. In that seminar they had the opportunity to hear first-hand the 15 infrastructure projects of the Alliance countries.

Second. In the first week of December, the “Virtual Investment Roundtable” was held for the first time, a commercial activity aimed at disseminating the Portfolio. In this space, the representatives of the infrastructure investment projects of the Alliance countries had the opportunity to meet with Chinese investors through one-on-one appointments with the intention of investing 7.84 billion US dollars.

The Promotion Agencies Technical Group reiterates its commitment to continue working together with the mission of promoting foreign trade and foreign investment in the region, as well as creating and developing strategies so that more Alliance companies obtain benefits and internationalize.

January 4, 2023.- As every year, the Promotion Agencies Technical Group of the Pacific Alliance, through its promotion agencies ProChile, ProColombia, the Ministry of Economy of Mexico and PromPerú, held the X Business Macro-Round of the Pacific Alliance, an iconic event of the mechanism of integration that aims to promote the best of the exportable supply of the bloc, thus promoting the commercial relationship between the four member countries and with prioritized third markets.

The X Macro-Round was made up of three virtual business roundtables, focused on markets in America (September 26 to 30), Europe (October 17 to 21), and Asia (October 24 to 28). The prioritized sectors were: agro-food and beverages, consumer goods such as textiles and footwear, wooden articles and fine pearls, cosmetic and hygiene products, medical instruments and general manufacturing such as mechanical, electrical and plastic devices.

It should be noted that, in this edition, the participation of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) was promoted, as well as companies led by women, establishing a 60% quota for exporting MSMEs or those ready to export from the Pacific Alliance in the 3 business conference, and 30% of places for companies led by women specifically for commercial activity in Europe.

In these three business roundtables, 327 exporting companies from the Pacific Alliance had an opportunity to make business appointments with 128 international buyers from 27 countries. These commercial meetings left business expectations for the business fabric of the block for USD 5,790,091.00, which translates into more business opportunities aiming to have an increasingly integrated and global Pacific Alliance.

Finally, within the framework of this important joint promotion activity, two academic agendas were carried out. The first, on September 20 in the framework of the business conference with American countries and the second held on October 11 and 12 focused on the European and Asian markets. Both presented important points to consider when entering the three markets, such as: entry restrictions, certifications and good practices. In total, 178 people benefited from the information shared.

The Academic Agenda is available on the page of the Promotion Agencies Technical Group:

https://noticias.alianzapacifico.net/grupotecnico-agencias-de-promocion/