Mercosur country members with support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the World Tourism Organization will cooperate in the promotion of tourism focusing on improved and harmonized statistics, strengthening governance and promoting investment in the industry in the region.
The 1050 passenger MV ‘Ocean Star Pacific’ was stranded six miles off the Mexican coast at Huatulco by a generator fire, forcing the evacuation of 522 passengers and 226 crew members on Saturday.
Uruguay is seriously considering the construction of a harbour for the cruise industry and admits infrastructure is already lacking in many areas for the exponential growth of the tourism industry, which in 2011 could be reaching the targets set out for the five year period 2010/2014.
The amount of tourists that arrived in Argentina during February increased 9.3% compared to the same month of 2010 and totalled 203,766 people, according to a government report.
The South Georgia tourist season is drawing to a close with just one cruise ship left to visit in early April, according to the latest edition of the South Georgia Newsletter.
The number of foreign tourists visiting Chile rose 9.2% during the first quarter of 2011 in relation to the same period last year, according to Tourism Secretary Jacqueline Plass. A record-breaking 1,043, 042 tourists entered Chile between January and March, at the height of the summer tourism season.
Uruguay received 2.4 million tourists during 2010, 34% of which the capital Montevideo and if the cruise visitors are added the final number jumps to 930.000, according to Luis Polakof, head of the city’s Economic Development Department.
Three Falkland Islands tours achieved the top ratings out of all South American excursions taken by Princess Cruise Line passengers during the 2010/11 season, confirmed Tourism Coordinator Samantha Marsh of Falklands Port and Shore Excursion Agents Sulivan Shipping Ltd.
Recovering 250 cruise vessel calls a year, --as in 2006 and 2008--, is the Chilean government target with the bill it has sent to Congress which would authorize Chilean and foreign flagged vessels to operate their on board casinos while sailing in territorial waters, currently specifically banned.
Punta Arenas in the extreme south of Chile is experiencing a significant drop in the number of cruise visitors this season according to the Austral Port Authority, EPA.