MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Regional News from Pta. Arenas

Headlines:
Lan Chile accused in Congress; Corriedale workshop;
Punta Arena's tourism new Portal website; Lack of tourism promotion.

Lan Chile accused in Congress

Sanctions, changes in Lan Chile's corporate structure and legal modifications regarding air rates was petitioned before the Congressional Anti Monopoly Committee by Chilean Deputies and private organizations from Punta Arenas. The request delivered in Congress includes a long list of alleged illegal actions and irregularities committed by Lan Chile and a critical report from the Chilean Consumers Office. Deputy Zarko Luksic who belongs to the Congressional Transport Committee meeting with the press said that "we're asking the government to urgently sponsor a legislative modification to the legal system for establishing air travel prices and rates in line with the Bill governing telecommunications, given the number of consumers involved in the demand". "If market conditions are not enough to guarantee free market air rates for air travel and transport, following indications from the Anti Monopoly Committee, this Committee should be entitled to annul or establish the price of these services. The current existent imperfect competition situation has grown to the extent that it has become an absolute monopoly", said Mr. Luksic an persistent critic of Lan Chile's air service to Punta Arenas, which he represents in Congress. The request also asks the controlling corporation of Lan Chile S.A. and Ladeco S.A. to divest its share participation in one of the two companies and that Lan Chile splits its four main businesses: international air travel, national air travel; international freight and national freight into four independent societies. As to air rates, petitioners demand an end to crossed subsidies, particularly between national passenger travel and the other activities of the Lan-Ladeco Corporation. Finally the request demands that both Lan Chile and Ladeco be fined to the extent of the law for all the irregularities committed.

Corriedale workshop

Organized by the Chilean Corriedale Breeders Association a workshop on wool classification and management with the participation of Uruguayan experts is being held in Punta Arenas. Over fifty farmers have registered for the workshop that includes conferences and practical courses and will extend until July 11. The event is sponsored by Pro-Chile the official Chilean export promotion office. Patricio Almonacid regional president of the breeders association said that Corriedale wool represents 45% of Magallanes exports and underlined that after a dreadful decade "wool again has a bullish market and therefore our interest in improving the quality and presentation of our local production". The two Uruguayan agronomists work in Montevideo for SUL, the local branch of the International Wool Secretariat, and are experts in wool and bail presentation.

Punta Arenas tourism new Portal website.

With the purpose of promoting southern Chile world wide and attracting tourism, Punta Arenas authorities officially presented last week the new portal Patagonia Chile www.Patagonia-Chile.com. The ceremony was held in the local Magallanes Regional Museum with the participation of tourist industry representatives and Mr. Bernardo Troncoso head of the regional Economic Office who pointed out the relevance of the English-Spanish portal which has abundance of information, illustrations and maps of the area. Miguel Angel Muñoz head of the regional Tourist Office indicated that the operation demanded an investment of approximately 12,000 US dollars jointly financed by national, regional and private funds. Mr. Muñoz said that a significant number of tourists arriving in Chilean Patagonia collect information on the area through internet and therefore the need to have a top quality official portal. He added that in a near future further languages, such as German, Japanese, will be incorporated. Miguel Oyarzo from Austro Internet the company responsible for the design and setting up of the portal revealed that currently there are 300,000 web pages world wide that include the word Patagonia and "our challenge is that www.Patagonia-Chile.com rapidly is placed among the top twenty". Mr. Oyarzo said that during the month long trial the portal received over 4,000 visits.

Lack of tourism promotion

Chile still lacks an adequate tourism promotion, quality services and more bilingual staff. Those three points were highlighted by Hernán Passalacqua a Chilean tourist consultant who was invited to a forum held in Punta Arenas sponsored by local hotels, Lan Express and the newspaper La Prensa Austral. Mr. Passalacqua said that following the September 11 terrorist attacks the tourist industry has experienced radical changes with an important percentage of tourists choosing to stay at home and enjoy their won countries facilities. However the tendency for remote destinations and now particularly safe and secure, has remained and is benefiting countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Chile. Among those areas most demanded in Chile are San Pedro de Atacama (desert in the north of the country), Easter Islands, the Patagonian lake area and the Torres del Paine national park. "But Chile lacks a strategic vision and we must convince ourselves as a country of the importance of tourism", indicated Mr. Passalacqua adding that in spite of some sporadic campaigning Chile still has much ahead "before it reaches the level of South Africa, Argentina and even Peru who spend far more than us in promotion". Regarding Magallanes Mr. Passalacqua said the area fitted exactly with much of the world current demand for remote tourism but "staff training and infrastructure need upgrading". "Visitors demand staffs that can manage other languages, preferably English, and many of the local services are still in need of a quality boost", concluded the tourist consultant.