During January (summer high season) Uruguay received 413.780 tourists, 40% more than a year ago, with the Argentines leading the inflow, according to the latest figures released by Migration Office and the Ministry of Tourism.
Passengers from the MV Polar Star, which suffered a minor incident while cruising along the Antarctica peninsula, were expected to arrive in Ushuaia, Argentina, on Sunday, February 6, 2011.
FALKLAND Islands Tourist Board statistics showed a 90% satisfaction rate yesterday on the busiest day ever in Stanley’s cruise ship visitor history.
Air traffic increased 8.2% in the passenger business and 20.6% in freight according to the full 2010 report from the International Air Transport Association, IATA. Middle-East, Asia-Pacific and Africa regions were above average in passenger transport and Latinamerica led in cargo expansion.
The Chilean government is involved in an aggressive campaign to bolster tourism in the Magallanes region and absorb the impact of the recent protests in the extreme south of the country that paralyzed all activities in the area for several days.
Cruise vessel MV Polar Star with 115 people on board was temporarily grounded Monday morning off the Antarctica peninsula but managed to free itself with no injuries reported and no fuel leaks according to the Argentine Navy.
British holidaymakers wanting to go on a cruise are going to have to shortly pay more as UK based operators announced they are set to begin charging fuel supplements.
Seven days of protests and demonstrations, widespread international coverage, and dramatic warnings of violence in the Magallanes Region took their toll on the tourism industry in southern Chile’s Punta Arenas.
International tourism recovered strongly in 2010 according to the advance release of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) World Tourism Barometer.
Over the past decade, consumer interest in Antarctica has increased exponentially, with a number of expedition cruise companies operating two- and three-week voyages to the Antarctic Peninsula, the Falklands Islands and South Georgia.