MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Megaport cruise terminal project for Buenos Aires

The cruise industry encouraging prospects has led a group of Argentine private investors to present a Megaport project for Buenos Aires City, which includes a new terminal, convention centre and several apartment towers distributed in a wide open park, reports the Argentine press.

The total investment in the range of 400 million US dollars involves several construction and tourism operators linked to the cruise industry and is scheduled to be finished in several stages with a final target of two million visitors, both from international cruise vessels and the significant fluvial passenger traffic in the area. Megaport blueprints were presented to President Nestor Kirchner last September.

Horacio Iriarte from London Supply, one of the companies involved in the project said the terminal and facilities should be finished in three years time with a covered area of 20.000 square metres a quarter of it built on land recovered from the River Plate.

"The new terminal will create 600 permanent jobs and the second stage with the towers should take another three years", said Mr. Iriarte.

However not everybody is so sure about the Megaport project.

Santiago Diaz Mathe from Inchcape Shipping Services Argentina is enthusiastic about the project, "we want a new terminal, we need a new cruise terminal, but if the adjoining towers project is conditioned to advancing on the cargo area, and this could be the case, we will not support it". Inchcape will be managing 50 cruise vessel calls this coming season.

"The current terminal is well manager and looked alter, but one thing is to land surrounded by containers and another if it's next to Puerto Madero with its fancy shops, boutiques and restaurants", pointed out Maximo Coterno from MSC which among other things is the Argentine operator for the "Melody" cruise.

The Megaport project comes under the Private Initiative Scheme currently launched by the Argentine government to promote private participation in infrastructure investment.

"So far nothing is final; if our project is accepted and the government decides it's of national interest for which it has 120 days, it will then bid the project and invite other companies to participate", indicated Mr. Iriarte.

Last year 55 cruise vessels called in Buenos Aires with 65.000 visitors, which spent an average 250 US dollars per capita according to Argentina's National Tourism Office.

This season 75 calls are expected and 84.000 visitors, a 36% increase, which makes Buenos Aires "one of the most attractive destinations of the industry".

The New York based Cruise Lines International Association estimates that the industry expands at an annual 15%.