MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Breaking News: Tourism Pta. Arenas.

Headlines:
Successful first Antarctic campaign for DAP Mares; Chilean Patagonia, main attraction at Berlin tourism forum; Chile plans promotion of nautical tourism in southern coast; Queen Mary 2 next March 27.

Successful first Antarctic campaign for DAP Mares

Punta Arenas based vessel DAP Mares successfully concluded its first Antarctic season having travelled over 6.000 miles in sixty days and provided support to several Antarctic operations reported this week Alex Pivcevic general manager of the company. The former "Chinook" when purchased last year underwent a 2.5 million US dollars refurbishment and was converted for both scientific research expeditions as well as adventure expeditions, with accommodation for a crew of 21 and 26 passengers, plus a deck for helicopters. January 3 DAP Mares left Punta Arenas chartered by the Chilean Antarctic Institute, Inach, with 24 scientists on board and called at South Shetlands, Livingston Island, two Chilean bases, "O'Higgins" and "Prat", plus Bahía Paraíso, Bahía Fildes and other stations from Brazil, Russia and Argentina. The team of scientists included paleontologists, geologists, glaciologists and biologists, and some of the tasks included following whale pods plus taking soil and fossil samples. "Normally in a summer campaign Inach managed six samples, however this season with the chartered DAP Mares they collected 36 samples from 26 different locations", said Mr. Pivcevic. Later in the month, from January 20 to February first, DAP Mares transported 15 competitors for the final leg of the Last Desert 2006 race which includes the windiest, driest, hottest and coldest places on earth: Gobi March (China), Atacama Crossing (Chile) and Sahara Race (Egypt). The competition was organized by Racing The Planet and the Last Desert 2006 consisted of four stages totaling 250 kilometers across the Antarctic continent. The stages were located on King George Island, Deception Island and the Antarctic Peninsula in an area called Hope Bay and included the continent's first ever 100-miler as well as a glacier crossing. On February 5 DAP Mares left for Peter I Island at 68S/90W with 22 ham radio operators and 11 tons of equipment. Working with the helicopter and in severe weather conditions a camp was organized in the inhabited island. A total of 87.000 radio contacts all over the world were done, including with an orbiting space station. This is the furthest south that a Chilean helicopter carrying vessel ever reached, highlighted Mr. Pivcevic. The operation also involved sounding the area to drop the anchor.

Chilean Patagonia, main attraction at Berlin tourism forum

Chile's national Torres del Paine Park, Tierra del Fuego and Antarctica were the three destinations which most attention attracted in the Chilean stand at the International Tourism Forum held in Berlin early March, according to Patricia Gallardo from the Magallanes Region tourism Office. Four Chilean regions, Antofagasta, Atacama, La Araucania and Magallanes were represented at the show which was visited by over 150.000 people plus the several meetings and workshops with travel agents and tourism operators. Of the thirty staff in the Chilean stand, eight came from Magallanes representing Chile's regional tourism office; Antarctica XXI; Hotel Explora, Australis Cruises; Patagonia Collection and the municipality of Timaukel. "German visitors showed great interest in Magallanes region, because overall the German public is quite well informed about Chile and Patagonia", said Ms Gallardo. "We received many interested parties for the coming season beginning next October since Germans want to escape their winter which is our high season". Ms Gallardo said that the Patagonia desk in the Chilean stand was the most visited followed by Atacama. "Most interest and questions were about Torres del Paine, Tierra del Fuego and Antarctica". Miguel Angel Muñoz, Chile's Tourism Director General (Senatur) said that German public opinion knowledge about Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego is partly because of the aggressive promotion campaign the Senatur office has undertaken, particularly in television and the specialized press, "besides the fact that quite a few Germans have links with Chile". "Although we're lagging in more specific tourism opportunities", admitted Mr. Muñoz. Further this year Magallanes Region and Chilean Patagonia will be present at the Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo workshops. "Brazil has a very interesting high income bracket, mostly professionals, who are looking for tourism adventures more associated with the environment such as trekking, kayak, wild life sight seeing; and this is where we are going to target", concluded the head of Chile's Tourism Office.

Chile plans promotion of nautical tourism in southern coast

An integrated circuit of jetties and possibly marinas along the southern coast of Chile to promote yachting and maritime sports is under consideration by the country's Development Corporation, Corfo, TodoChile. A feasibility study on prospects for a commercial exploitation of nautical tourism in Chilean Patagonia is the name of the project which is intended to assess private investment opportunities, and incentives, in the many fiords along the coast of the regions of Los Lagos, Aisen and Magallanes. The first stage of the project includes workshops with companies and organizations that could be interested in the tourism potentiality of the regions, mainly yachting and nautical charters, evaluating pros and cons. The workshops have standing representatives from Chile's Tourism Office, Navy, municipalities and the Development Corporation and so far have been held in Puerto Montt, Coihaique and Valdivia. The Patagonia channels with their unique landscape and refuge opportunities, linked to the Cape Horn circuit so far seem the most attractive alternative. A first feasibility assessment will be officially presented next June.

Queen Mary 2 next March 27

The largest cruise in the world, Queen Mary 2, is scheduled to call in Punta Arenas next March 27, according to local port authorities. The vessel which already called in Punta Arenas last February 3, is expected to remain between 10 and 12 hours, depending on weather conditions. However a new crew is expected to come onboard while in Punta Arenas, revealed Leonardo Castex, the local agent. "Unfortunately she's too large to berth (245 metres), but we are hoping port authorities will soon address the issue because if sometime in the future we have two similar cruises in Punta Arenas, the bottleneck could be gigantic, upsetting tourists and tarnishing Punta Arenas reputation", said Mr. Castex. Queen Mary 2 carries approximately 4.000 people, between tourists and crew members "and only has eight tenders with a capacity of 120 each, of which 80 seated", he added. The trend is for larger vessels "as we have seen with Infinity and its sister Millennium; Regal Princess that replaced Royal Princess and Queen Mary 2, and this will have an impact in docking facilities", underlined Mr. Castex.