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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, May 3rd 2024 - 01:00 UTC

Tourism

  • Saturday, October 1st 2016 - 19:35 UTC

    Cruise industry booming in Australia, the fourth largest source market

    A record 41 ships from CLIA member cruise lines would be based in Australia or visiting local waters between October 1, 2016, and April 30, 2017

    Australia will welcome an unprecedented number of cruise ships this summer, with more than 40 vessels sailing in local waters - including eight ships making their maiden visit over the next few months. Among the flotilla will be the largest ship to visit Australia, Royal Caribbean’s 167,000-ton Ovation of the Seas, as well as the youngest and most luxurious ship ever to cruise Oceania waters, the boutique Seabourn Encore, which will arrive two weeks after it is officially named in Singapore.

  • Friday, September 30th 2016 - 08:47 UTC

    Ushuaia encouraged by a cruise season that includes 245 Antarctica calls

    The first Antarctic cruise is scheduled for 17 October with the Ushuaia (Antarpply Expeditions) which has a 90 passengers capacity.

    Ushuaia remains as Antarctic gate king this 2016/2017 cruise season with 245 out of its 305 calls (45 vessels) heading for the extreme south ice covered continent, according to the data published by the Tierra del Fuego Tourism Institute Infuetur. The season took off in early September with the arrival of Chilean flagged Stella Australis, and its 210 passengers heading for Cape Horn

  • Friday, September 30th 2016 - 08:34 UTC

    Punta Arenas cruise season anticipated to be weaker than in 2015/2016

    The first international cruise, “Insignia” is scheduled to arrive at Punta Arenas on 29 October with 1.084 passengers

    The 2016//17 cruise season for the Magallanes region in the extreme south of Chile will see a drop in the number of calls, from 121 to 86, of which 83 in Punta Arenas and 3 in Puerto Natales, according to the schedule published by Punta Arenas port authority, Austral Port Company, EPA, website.

  • Wednesday, September 28th 2016 - 07:46 UTC

    Foreign tourists in Argentina will be refunded VAT on hotel services

    Macri signed the order at Casa Rosada during a World Tourism Day event with Tourism minister Santos, Finance minister Prat Gay and industry representatives.

    Argentine president Mauricio Macri signed an executive order on Tuesday under which foreign tourists will receive a refund of the value-added tax, or VAT, paid on hotel services in an effort to attract more visitors to Argentina and boost tourist businesses.

  • Tuesday, September 27th 2016 - 08:17 UTC

    Accessible Tourism, theme of World Tourism Day 2016

    “All of the world’s citizens have the right to experience the incredible diversity this planet has to offer” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.

    Tourism for all: people with disabilities, senior citizens and families travelling with small children, and sooner or later all citizens will appreciate the advantages of universal accessibility. This is why UNWTO has chosen to celebrate World Tourism Day 2016 on the theme of accessible tourism. Official celebrations will take place on 27 September in Bangkok, Thailand.

  • Thursday, September 22nd 2016 - 17:00 UTC

    St Helena airport “too dangerous to use” opens prospect of £285m compensation claim

    The airport was to be opened last May but test pilots said it was too dangerous to use, and it remains closed to commercial flights.

    Britain faces the prospect of compensation claims over a disastrous overseas aid project to build an airport on the remote island of St Helena, according to reports in the UK media. The £285million flop became a symbol of Britain’s aid waste this year after experts warned it might never open because of severe problems with wind conditions on the British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic Ocean.

  • Thursday, September 22nd 2016 - 10:46 UTC

    Aerolineas Argentinas could become profitable in four years time

    Aerolineas have cut non operational costs and increased revenue in the last nine months, but losses this year could reach a billion dollars

    Aerolineas Argentinas CEO revealed that the flag-carrier is increasing passenger numbers and could become profitable in four years but losses keep piling, an estimated one billion dollars this year, which comes upon a one to two million dollars daily losses during most of the decade.

  • Monday, September 19th 2016 - 07:11 UTC

    Punta Arenas port increased docking space should be ready early 2017

    “This is an emblematic project for us and it is keeping to budget and timetable, with work intensified this last week”, said Ignacio Covacevich

    Works on the extension of the Prat dock in the port of Punta Arenas picked up this last week and should be ready for the beginning of next year, including two dolphins and six jackets, which should enable all cruise passengers to land directly.

  • Wednesday, September 14th 2016 - 21:02 UTC

    Falklands mine clearance project receives a new £20m UK commitment

    MLA Mike Poole said UK commitment's to clear the Islands of mines is ”a welcome move and we remain willing to assist practically and logistically where we can.”

    The Falkland Islands Government, FIG, and Falkland Islanders have welcomed the announcement of a new £20m landmine clearance commitment by the UK which will make safe dozens of areas which have been unusable for residents and visitors. The project financed by the Foreign Office and Ministry of Defense will clear 46 minefields over the next two years and prepare for clearance another 27. So far more than 30 minefields have been cleared in the Falklands in recent years and this is in line with the UK obligations under the Ottawa Treaty.

  • Wednesday, September 14th 2016 - 18:35 UTC

    Falklands welcomes UK/Argentina future cooperation agreement, which leaves sovereignty discussions out

    FIG will be represented at any future discussions on the above matters. Sovereignty of the Falkland Islands will not be part of these discussions.

    The Falkland Islands Government (FIG) welcomed the UK/Argentina future cooperation agreement to remove all obstacles limiting the economic growth and development of the Falkland Islands and points out it will be represented at future discussions on these matters, the removal of sanctions on hydrocarbons, fisheries, shipping and tourism, and underlines that “sovereignty of the Falkland Islands will not be part of these discussions”.