MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Penguin News Update.

Headlines:
Exciting opportunities ahead; Ambassador-designate visits Islands;
News in brief:
Fishing update; Cover comb shearing.

Ambassador-designate visits Islands.

BRITISH Ambassador designate to Buenos Aires, Mr John Hughes was in the Falklands on a fact-finding tour this week accompanied by Mr Tony Crombie, Head of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Overseas Territories Department.

Mr Hughes, who takes up his appointment on November 5 is no stranger to the South American political scene, having preceded ex Falkland Islands Governor, Donald Lamont as Ambassador to Venezuela. He also served between 1983 and 1985 as the Head of the Political Section in the British Embassy in Santiago, Chile.

The visitors arrived in the Islands on Monday and spent Tuesday meeting a variety of Government officials and others before spending two days in Camp, travelling overland from Port Stephens to Port Howard on Wednesday. After over-nighting at Port Howard, they drove to Hill Cove from where they where returned to Stanley by FIGAS. Friday will be spent with the military at Mount Pleasant before Mr Hughes and Mr Crombie leave for the UK on Saturday's Airbus.

Obviously reluctant to talk about policy in advance of taking up his post, Mr Hughes did admit that South Atlantic issues were likely to occupy a significant part of his attention, saying that being able to see the Falklands first hand had "made it come alive."

Exciting opportunities ahead.

DESPITE having to leave the event earlier than the rest of the suppliers in order to make the connection at Santiago for the return flight to the Falklands, both Falkland Islands' Receptive Agents reported an encouraging increase in the number of appointments with travel agents at this year's Travel Mart Latin America.

The Falkland Islands Tourist industry was represented at the 28th Annual Travel Mart Latin America in Iguazu Falls Brazil, by Connie Stevens (Falkland Islands Tourist Board), Sally Ellis (International Tours and Travel) and Jenny Luxton (Stanley Services).

At this year's event, over 300 ?buyers' from the world's most important markets, including USA, Canada, Europe, Asia and the Pacific attended and a record number of 5,768 business appointments were pre-scheduled prior to the event starting on September 29.

Connie Stevens said, "Interest in the Falklands was high and feedback from North Americans was that we need to promote ourselves more there." Jenny Luxton of Stanley Services said, "There was a lack of awareness of our fantastic wildlife and more generally, simply how to get to the Falklands. A great deal of birdwatchers were very interested in adding a week's visit onto their Patagonian itineraries to the Falklands."

Jenny also noted that the once weekly flight was again a stumbling block. "I felt we would get a lot more business if people came for four days or ten days from Chile. One thing I hadn't realised is that the North American's do not have a great deal of holiday to spend abroad and two weeks is about their maximum on average.

"Whilst Falkland Islanders are accustomed to longer breaks, two weeks is generally the maximum in the USA and with the travel time involved, this only leaves a maximum of eight to ten days for actual holiday time here. Onward travel within the islands becomes a crucial factor here, to ensure that visitors can be flown straight out to the wildlife sites upon arrival on the LAN flight."

ITT were also very pleased with the full schedule of meetings over the two day event. Sally Ellis explained, "At this year's Travel Mart, meetings were held both with tour operators we already work with and some new agencies from all over the world. The general consensus is that given the unrest in other parts of the world people are looking for new holiday destinations, and operators are therefore keen to make contact with the Falklands."

Connie Stevens, of the Falkland Islands Tourist Board said, "key feedback from the event is that travel to Latin America as a whole in on the increase, so the outlook is extremely good for the Falklands and there could be some exciting opportunities ahead. It will take time for actual sales of Falklands programmes to be generated directly as a result of our attendance at Travel Mart but we would certainly have missed out on a dynamic sales opportunity if we had not been represented. The continued attendance of Falklands delegates at these events keeps us in the public eye, helps to promote our growing tourism industry and generally raises the profile of the Falkland Islands as a significant destination. Most important is the opportunity to make direct sales contact with operators who can make a real difference to the number of visitors to the Falkland Islands."

All three delegates report that existing contacts were eager to learn of any new developments within the tourism industry in the Falklands and it was apparent that other destinations are constantly expanding their industries and developing their infrastructure. Connie Stevens notes that, "for the future development of the Tourism industry in the Falklands, whilst we obviously need to selectively promote to new markets it is also clear that we need to improve and develop our existing product to ensure we retain the business of our existing clients. We are in a competitive and ever-more discerning market ? we have to ensure we are delivering the goods."

News in brief

Fishing update.

The licensing round for the first 2005 fishing season was closed last week. Director of Fisheries John Barton said the final total for Illex licence applications was 91. Mr Barton said, "this is a bit reduced compared to the number of applications received this time last year, although it is close to the number which actually took up licences in 2004. "It represents a reasonable level of interest in the fishery and is encouraging at this stage in the process. However, there is a long way to go." Mr Barton said applications for other licence types; Loligo and Finfish, were much as normal. The second Loligo season finished with a catch of 18200 tonnes, which makes it a "reasonable" second season. The total Loligo catch for the year is some 26800 tonnes which is "a low annual catch."

Cover comb shearing.

THE Veterinary Department has offered a reminder to farmers that until October 15, sheep must only be shorn using cover combs. Even after that date cover combs should be considered for shearing if the weather forecast indicates that post-shearing weather conditions are likely to be particularly unpleasant as laid out in the Code of Practice for the welfare of sheep. Further information can be obtained from the Veterinary Section of the Department of Agriculture on telephone number 27366.