Puerto Varas continues to be a destination for international conferences, and the World Summit Awards was the most recent big event held in this fast-growing lakeside tourism center of southern Chile’s lake district.

The World Summit Awards (WSA), organized by the International Center for New Media (ICNM), an Austrian NGO founded by pioneering information technology expert Peter Bruck in 2002, is a unique awards system that promotes local digital innovations that enhance society on a global scale. National experts from 182 United Nations member states nominate creative innovations from their countries that aim to hack gaps and overcome digital divides, an initiative which is aligned with the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. 

Chile is the 13th country to host their annual congress, and the organizers said holding the event here was a deliberate recognition of the efforts that Chile is making to confront the climate crisis, and the untapped potential of its natural resources, specifically lithium, a crucial element in solar electric batteries, and the carbon-trapping capacity of Patagonia.

 

The 2024 WSA Global Congress, with a theme dubbed “Planet Hack,” drew more than 600 global leaders in digital impact solutions from five continents to Puerto Varas for 5-days of discussion on hacking the climate crisis, social cohesion, and impact entrepreneurship. The itinerary included mentoring sessions, roundtable discussions, and an award ceremony to celebrate achievements in digital global development.

At this year’s event, 40 winners from 31 countries were present. Chile had two winning projects: Alfi, a financial education platform that seeks to empower young people and children to make informed financial decisions from an early age, and Dale Profe, an initiative that seeks to close the gap between educators and donors, allowing more students to access quality education.

There was a notable camaraderie among the participants after spending a week together.  “This is such a great global community,” says Catherine Warren from Vancouver, Canada, who is celebrating 15 years with the WSA Board of Directors, adding that, “we’re all tackling these sustainable challenges and this is the time to do it, right? Because we’re in the climate emergency. It's a time to get together and to really solve these problems.” 

On the final day of the conference, the participants were taken on a guided excursion to  Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park, taking in a tour of Saltos de Petrohué and Lake Todos los Santos before they flew back to their home countries. 

On the one-hour bus journey from Hotel Cabaña de Lagos to the national park, our local guide, the charismatic Andrea, had lots of rain jokes up her sleeve from her life in the Lake District as she gave a detailed introduction to the region’s fascinating history, culture, and landscape. She expanded on the significance of different local names (Llanquihue means “deep” or “secret” “place”), introduced us to regional gastronomy like chicha and milcao, and explained in-depth the influences of different indigenous and European cultures on Puerto Varas and the surrounding region. 

The group excitedly got off the bus at Saltos de Petrohué and headed straight for the river, taking pictures in front of the rapids and exploring the lagoon hidden in the Lovers’ Trail, some stopping in the souvenir shop for some artisan treats. After a quick stop at Lake Todos Los Santos, where views of the volcanoes were unfortunately obscured by clouds, the bus headed back from its whistle-stop tour to the hotel, given that many of the guests were on a tight schedule to get to the airport. 

The attendees were clearly enchanted by the small slice of Chile they had got to experience, and were struck by the differences they encountered from their own countries, some curiously pointing out the black sand on the lake’s shore, and the stunning bright turquoise of the water. Even on a rainy day, everyone was enthralled by the beauty and uniqueness of the natural landscape. 

Many of those we spoke to have already pledged to return to Chile as soon as possible to explore more of the country. Yash Bapat, of Australian health technology company, Pen CS, was the recipient of a WSA award this year for the development of a “risk of hospitalization algorithm” tool that helps prevent unnecessary hospitalizations. “This is one of the prettiest places I’ve ever been,” he told us. “The next time I come here I’m probably going to get myself a car and drive around. It’s just a brilliant place.” 

Sachi Wickramage, a member of the WSA board of directors and a serial entrepreneur, was also making plans to come back after experiencing the beauty of Puerto Varas. Sachi was thoroughly impressed by “the nature and how it is surrounded by unbelievable proximity to volcanoes and the water”, adding “I need at least a couple of weeks to explore this beautiful country.” 

 

But even this excursion could not get the lessons of this important congress off everyone’s mind. With conversation turning away from Chile’s marvelous landscapes, and toward the country’s role in climate solutions, even in the national park. Peter Druck, chairman of the World Summit Awards, found the trip particularly educational; “You are seeing that the effects of climate change necessitate that [Chileans] think about mobility differently, about the energy system differently, about education and things like this, and that is something which is very encouraging about Chile.”

The regional office of Chile’s ministry of tourism, Sernatur Los Lagos, and the Los Lagos regional government were heavily involved in making this event happen. The regional director of Sernatur Los Lagos, Luis Hurtado Barros, called the event a huge success and told Patagon Journal that it served “to show and raise awareness of the importance of our region and the major tourist destinations we have here.” He added: “It’s a welcome sight to see how much the participants enjoyed this great event and, above all, get to know the principal attractions here.”

The WSA conference indeed was a tremendous success; for the award-winners we spoke to and digital impact solutions everywhere, for the regional and global organizers who pulled off a packed itinerary for a long and accomplished guest list, and, for sure, for tourism in Los Lagos.