MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Cruise industry impact in Magallanes region.

Cruise tourism significance for Magallanes Region and Chilean Antarctica was highlighted by Chile's Tourism Promotion Corporation during a recent forum in Punta Arenas.

According to Chile's Tourism Promotion Corporation cruise business has increased 15% since 2000 with an average two cruise vessels calling weekly into Punta Arenas during the season.

"This has had a tremendous impact for small businesses associated with local tourism, cuisine and crafts", said Lilian Ruiloba from Sercotec Magallanes.

However Ms. Ruiloba also pointed out that the Tourism Promotion Corporation had done an excellent job marketing overseas Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego, Cape Horn, Antarctica and Torres del Paine Park, but since most cruise tourists come from countries where the industry is highly developed, "local standards must improve and one of the alternatives is quality and diversification".

Ms. Ruiloba said that one of the objectives is having visitors stay longer in Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales, which are the starting point for the big visits and tours, and "this means promoting regional cuisine and crafts made of Magallanes wool such as ponchos, rugs, tapestry, taking advantage of the designs of the early ethnic groups. We can't forget wood, ceramics, clay all materials with which the local Indians made their ritual masks".

Regarding local gastronomy some of the ideas considered included not only the rich fisheries of Southern Chile but organic lamb and such exotic meats as guanaco, beaver, ostrich, "which should attract the curiosity of visitors".

But Ms. Ruibola admitted it was not an easy task, "in the whole of Magallanes and Antarctica there are only 150,000 inhabitants and infrastructure is only fully occupied from November to April".