Interview: Image of Chile Foundation seeks to boost Chile's reputation worldwide

The main task of the Image of Chile Foundation (ICF) is showcasing Chile as a strong and trustworthy country around the world, said Myriam Gomez, IFC's executive director.

Gomez told Xinhua that she wants every Chilean to be an ambassador for the country "in order to highlight every corner of the country and the positive attributes of every region."

ICF is a non-profit, private-public partnership, whose president is Chilean Foreign Minister Heraldo Muñoz.

Another mission of the ICF "is to help creativity, which is present in innovations across architecture, astronomy, scientific research, tourism, agriculture, and more," she said.

According to Gomez, Chile has been a leader in many areas of innovation and applied technology, from the development of its wine region to numerous sciences, including astronomy, seismology and volcanology.

"Chile's image around the world is very positive. We have been promoting the country, whether astronomy, wine or tourism," she said.

Last year, around 4.5 million tourists visits Chile, which the ICF executive says is due to it "being a safe country with many options to enjoy."

As a result, Gomez points to a rise in international media coverage of Chile, with publications even having named it as the "best adventure tourism destination in South America."

"These results have helped Chile's image, building its reputation in broadly different areas, such as a good export basket, an attractive place for foreign investments, a tourism destination, a country with good governance, which strengthens our political, economic and cultural influence," added Gomez.

The ICF and Chile's Foreign Ministry are currently preparing the Second Week of Chile in China, which will take place in Guangzhou on Aug. 29-30 and Beijing on Sept.1-2. Enditem