Tourism
TourismCruise lifeboat safety drill ends in tragedy killing five crew members
Five people are dead following a lifeboat safety drill aboard a cruise vessel in the Canary Islands that turned in to a tragedy. The lifeboat fell about 20 meters when a cable snapped, trapping crew members beneath it and killing five of them
Air France returns to Uruguay as of next April with five flights a week
Uruguay seems to be recovering its air connectivity after a rough year that saw the closing down of its flag air carrier Pluna, and the announcement by Spanish airline Iberia that it will cease flights between Montevideo and Madrid as of next April. Iberia is the only European airline currently calling in Uruguay.
International tourism up 4% last year and reached a record 1.035 billion arrivals
International tourist arrivals grew by 4% in 2012 to reach 1.035 billion, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Emerging economies (+4.1%) regained the lead over advanced economies (+3.6%), with Asia and the Pacific showing the strongest results. Growth is expected to continue in 2013 only slightly below the 2012 level (+3% to +4%) and in line with UNWTO long term forecast.
An Argentine queen for the House of Orange; Beatrix steps down April 30
Dutch Queen Beatrix, who turns 75, announced she was abdicating in favour of her son, Prince Willem-Alexander, who will become king on April 30. Willem-Alexander, 45, is married to Argentine born Princess Maxima Zorreguieta and has three young children.
HMS Protector rescues cruise liner at risk of becoming trapped in Antarctica ice
A Norwegian cruise liner at risk of becoming trapped in thick ice off the coast of Antarctica was guided to safety by the Royal Navy in a two-hour operation, an incident which occurred a week ago and has only emerged.
Tourists arriving in Uruguay dropped 14% in first weeks compared to 2012
The number of tourists arriving to Uruguay in the first weeks of this summer season has dropped 14% compared to the same period a year ago, which represents 20.600 less, mostly Argentines and Brazilians, according to Benjamin Liberoff, Director of Tourism.
Record tourist arrivals in Chile during 2012: 3.5million. Target for this year: 4m
Chile received a total of 3.5 million foreign tourists in 2012, a 13% hike over the year before and an all-time record. The 13% gain far outpaced the 6% increase that Latin America scored as a whole last year, Chile's deputy secretary for tourism, Jacqueline Plass, said.
Cuba admits 51 cholera cases in Havana; travel warnings from UK and US
Cuba's Public Health Ministry on Tuesday acknowledged 51 new cases of cholera in the capital Havana amid growing concerns about the illness' spread and disappointment in the diplomatic community over the government's lack of transparency.
Falklands, one of “The 46 places to go in 2013” recommends The New York Times
A New York Times article entitled “The 46 places to go in 2013”, the Falkland Islands is recommended for a visit before the oil industry, “rapidly transforms Stanley's ethnic, economic and social character, driving development in this tiny, eccentric village of about 2,000 year-round residents”-.
P&O cruise line suspends stops in Argentina, confirms calls in the Falklands
British cruise line operator P&O has scrapped stops in Argentina because of continuing tensions with the country over the Falkland Islands. Two of its vessels will no longer dock at three Argentine port destinations on around-the-world cruises. The decision was taken because there was no guarantee they will be able to dock.
