Punta Arenas cruise season: 29% increase in the number of visitors landings

Tuesday, April 12th 2016 - 22:18 UTC

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The number of cruise vessel calls this season increased from 48 to 54. During the 2014/15 season, the number of cruise visitors landed was 78.908.

Almost 30% more cruise visitors landed in Punta Arenas, extreme south of Chile, during the current 2015/16 season which is coming to an end. According to Chile's maritime migration officers, 109.746 cruise passengers and crew members were recorded, which represents a 29% compared to the previous season. The primary report was released by La Prensa Austral.

“The numbers refer to landings from cruise vessels which called in Punta Arenas between 31 October and 3 April” said Inspector Jose Rojas from the Magallanes region Migration Department.

Last season, 2014/15 the number of cruise visitors landed was 78.908, while the number of cruise vessel calls which visited mostly Punta Arenas increased from 48 to 54.

The stats also show that during the same period (October-April) the number of people who arrived to Magallanes Region by the Monte Aymond and San Sebastián border crossings reached 773.995 of which 490.000 to the continent and 283.000 to Chilean Tierra del Fuego. These numbers represent a 3% drop compared to the same period twelve months before.

Categories: Economy, Tourism, Chile.

Tags: Chile, Jose Rojas, Magallanes Region, Punta Arenas - Cruises, Punta Arenas cruise season.

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Troy Tempest
How does this compare to Cruise traffic to Ushaia?

Is that growing too, or are they losing business to Chilean ports?
Apr 13th, 2016 - 12:55 am 0
Marti Llazo
This is not an either-or proposition, since many of the ships are making calls at both Ushuaia and at Punta Arenas. A very small number of the smaller ships are also calling at Puerto Natales. Larger cruise ships cannot put in to Puerto Natales because of the limitations imposed by geography and the Chilean Navy, since the two narrows (Kirke and White) are very narrow and dangerous.

A couple of years ago one of the Chilean ferries sank after hitting rocks while trying to pass through the Kirke Narrows. That ship was later refloated and partially patched but it could not be safely taken to Punta Arenas for scrapping and so it was towed to deep water and scuttled.
Apr 13th, 2016 - 01:06 am 0
Troy Tempest
@2

Thanks, Marti.

Good to see business is growing, though.
Apr 13th, 2016 - 02:49 am 0

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