MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands and Magallanes Tourism Sign Agreement to Co-operate

Falklands and Magallanes Tourism Sign Agreement to Co-operate

Some twenty-seven persons, representative of all aspects of tourism in the Magallanes region of Chile met last Friday morning in the 19th Century splendour of the Hotel José Nogueira to take breakfast with some of their opposite numbers in the Falkland Islands and to listen to an audio-visual presentation on what the Islands have to offer by way of attractions and services to tourists, given by Tourist Board Manager, John Fowler.

Guests of this event, which was organised by the Falkland Islands Tourist Board with the invaluable help of the Magallanes Chamber of Commerce in the person of Secretary, Pedro Martinic Glasinovic, included the British consul, John Rees, Lan Chile's Regional Manager, Paola Contardo, the Regional Director of Sernatur, Julio Arenas Coloma, the Regional Director of Prochile, Alfredo Fonseca, the Executive Secretary of Austro Chile, Hugo Alcamán Riffo, representatives from Empresa Portuaria Austral, the company which runs port operations in Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales and many others from both the private and public sectors. Apart from the FITB Manager, John Fowler, the Falklands were represented by Jo Morrison of FITB, Sheena Ross of FIC and Arlette Bedford of Stanley Services Travel Division.

The Falkland Islands contingent were in Punta Arenas on the way back from Santiago where they had been attending Travel Mart Latin America and, according to John Fowler, the aim was simply to use this opportunity to raise awareness of the our tourism product among tour operators, travel agencies and others in this important Falklands ?gateway'. The theme of the presentation was that the Falkland Islands appeal to the same kinds of visitor that currently go to southern Chile, but are also sufficiently different to be regarded as a ?complimentary' rather than a ?competitive' destination. Thanks to the one hour and twenty minute jet service between Punta Arenas and Mount Pleasant Airport in the Falklands, provided by Lan Chile, it was now not only possible, but also appropriate and advantageous to offer combined Magallanes/Falklands packages.

This theme of co-operation to build a larger more diverse product was one which was not only well-received, but had also been anticipated by the princip