VYVA 2025: when Sustainable Tourism was left in the rhetoric

From the simplicity and depth that characterizes the worldview of Latin America's Indigenous peoples, the recent VYVA 2025 Expo, held in Santiago, Chile, during the first weekend of October, was observed with a hint of skepticism. 

Rather than bringing us closer to the longed-for sustainable, regenerative, and conscious tourism , so often proclaimed from the microphones , the event seemed to accelerate our departure from the “Chile Circular 2040” agenda. This program, intended as a roadmap for circular economy between public and private sectors, has been adopted by Chile as a state strategy to gradually transform its production and consumption systems, and waste management, into a more efficient circular model.

And yet, amid the eighth edition of VYVA 2025: "Viajes y Vacaciones" ,Chile’s most important national tourism expo, featuring products, offers, business rounds, and audiovisual content for both professionals and the general public , its organizers proudly claimed the gathering of more than 1,500 tourism professionals and over 15,000 visitors and travel lovers. Across three days, attendees explored tightly packed booths showcasing the latest travel experiences from Chile’s many regions.

However, Aymara and Atacameño exhibitors ,residents of the desert and highlands ,recognized each other as kin in a foreign land. More than selling products, they aimed to share something deeper: the living essence of their cultures and the ancestral legacy of their territories , the rich Andean worldview , as a call for experiential and contemplative tourism.

Yet their message was drowned out by the chaos of VYVA: the cacophony of dozens of microphones, clashing background music, the roar of ATVs, and the glare of countless LED screens , a spectacle more reminiscent of Las Vegas advertising than the local reality. This sensory overload ultimately muted the possibility of a magical, human, and cultural encounter , the present meeting the ancestral.

To make matters worse, the expo was filled with glossy brochures, plastic merchandise, and an excessive use of electricity, which even led to a power outage on Saturday ,all of which served as stark reminders that sustainability still hasn’t taken root as a responsible practice, but remains merely an obligatory narrative in the institutional and corporate tourism sectors.

The waste generated and the energy demand over the three days of VYVA should spark a collective and profound reflection:How can we stand out without betraying the mission of protecting the nature and environment that sustains us?

One shining counter-example came from "Turiskunza, Turismo Indigena en San Pedro de Atacama."At a small booth within the VYVA Expo, this Indigenous tourism initiative quietly stood out.

No screens, no microphones, no printed flyers or flashy displays , just the humble strength of clay, plant fibers, woven textiles, desert fruits, and a delicious tasting of arrope de chañar offered to interested visitors.

There, through creativity and spirit, the essence of sustainability was revealed: not as a trend or slogan, but as a way of life ,expressed through real, grounded actions that beat at the very heart of Indigenous communities.

It is time, then, to listen with the heart, not only to see through the lens of postmodernity. The sustainability we seek already exists.It lives within those who have cared for the Earth long before “tourism” became a buzzword for our liquid, social media-driven reality.

Thalía Möder. Bachelor in Tourism and Culture.

Cristian Carvajal. Director, WTJO Chile.