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Sixty cruise calls this summer in Uruguay.“Positive” tourist season in Ushuaia. Russia “fishing” in Uruguay. OPEC ensures supply and prices. Food scandal in Punta Arenas

Sixty cruise calls this summer in Uruguay

Nineteen major cruise vessels made sixty calls to Uruguay's main port Montevideo and fourteen of them extended their visit to Punta del Este, one of the most renowned sea resorts of the South Atlantic. According to an official end of season release the sixty calls represented 52,892 visitors, slightly less that the seventy calls and 59.691 visitors of the 2001/2002 season. However port authorities are not discouraged since actually the average number of passengers per visiting vessel increased from 852 to 881. Similarly Uruguayan Tourism Office officials have identified the drop in calls, mainly from the Italian company Costa Cruceros that this season carried 8,354 visitors in eight calls, compared to the 15,600 and 15 cruise calls of 2001/2002. Since Costa Cruceros works mainly with Argentine passengers and given the complicated political and social situation of the country in 2002, this reflected in overseas travelling. Uruguayan tourist authorities anticipate that the coming season, cruise calls and visitors to Montevideo should establish a new record. Their optimism is based in the recovery of the Argentine economy, a stabilized Brazil and a report from the American cruise industry in Miami forecasting that the current 7,5 million cruise travellers will jump to 11,8 million by 2005. "Some of that increase will find its way to South America and safer cruise travel areas", explained Mr. Sanitago Caputti from the Uruguayan Tourism Office.

"Positive" tourist season in Ushuaia

Primary information from the Ushuaia Tourist Office indicates that the current season has been extremely positive with a 38% increase over a year ago. Mr. Julio Lovece from the Tourist Office said that in the current season 127,037 tourists were reported to have visited Ushuaia, 70,837 who spend more than three nights in the city plus the 56,200 cruise vessel visitors. "This represents a 38,6% increase over the 2001/2002 season, plus the fact that March was also extremely positive. Last month the city received 21,308 tourists, with 12.038 staying in hotels and an occupancy rate of 68,9%, a 57% increase over March 2002", indicated Mr. Lovece. Most passengers chose 3 and 2 stars hotels with occupancy rates of 90 and 84%, while the four star managed 74,7%. Hostels occupancy was 71%, Apart Hotels 62,1%, cabins 75% and youth hostels 53%. The average expenditure of tourist per day is estimated at 110 US dollars.

Russia "fishing" in Uruguay

A fisheries protocol of understanding was signed this week in Montevideo between Uruguayan Fisheries authorities and the Russian vicepresident of the Fisheries Committee, Mr. Viacheslav Volokh. The protocol is geared to promote bilateral cooperation and the drafting of a fisheries agreement. Mr. Volokh visited the Uruguayan Sciences University, the Marine Biology Department and the Technological Laboratory that monitors the quality all of Uruguay's exports. The Russian minister is also scheduled to visit several fishing ports and a sturgeon farm in one of Uruguay's main rivers. Uruguay is the only country in the southern hemisphere that so far has successfully managed to farm caviar producing sturgeon.

Food scandal in Punta Arenas

Another food scandal broke out in Punta Arenas when officials from the Chilean Ministry of Health in Santiago announced that 2,500 kilos of powder soup destined to low income groups and government hospitals had been confiscated in the extreme south city following several minor intoxication cases. "Golden Years" powder soup is one of several food staples that the Chilean government regularly distributes among old age pensioners, government hospitals and clinics in needy neighbourhoods to ensure high calorie diets. However local resident were furious since the news actually broke out in Santiago and none of the two hundred kilos of soup already distributed in Punta Arenas were recalled. The "Golden years" soup scandal follows a similar situation last February when thousands of litres of special milk supplemented with calcium for children under six and in lactation had to be called back fearing they could spread a diarrheic bacteria. Magallanes Region Health Officer Jorge Flies explained that since at the most 300 people had been exposed to the powder soup and only minor complications were reported in a few cases, it was considered more appropriate not to make the issue public. "In most cases when announcements of this nature are made they generate more public commotion towards a specific brand when actually only a small quantity has been involved and counter sanitary measures have already been taken", said Mr. Flies. The Health Officer went on to say that "we actually made the discovery of the presence of some undesired conditions in some of the powder soup bags and sent samples to Santiago to have them double checked, and that's how it became public". Mr. Flies revealed that the whole lot of 2,500 kilos of soup would be destroyed at the municipal dump and assured the local population that "there are enough food supplies for the whole of this coming winter".

OPEC ensures supply and prices

The Organization of Oil Exporting Countries, OPEC, will make their utmost to ensure that oil prices remain in the range of 22 to 28 US dollars the barrel said Saudi Oil Minister Ali al Nuaimi in Riad. "OPEC will preserve the 22/28 US dollars level of prices during the coming meeting to be held in Vienna next April 24", stressed the Minister of the world's leading oil exporter. Mr. Ali al Nuaimi added that in the coming meeting OPEC ministers will hold talks to ensure that market stability remains in accordance to recent decisions from the group. Oil markets have been edgy since the considerable reduction in US oil reserves was made public and as the war in Iraq evolves. In spite of the relief with the apparent downfall of the Saddam Hussein regime, oil market analysts are still cautious about the recovery of Iraq and the consequences of the conflict in the Arab and Muslim communities.