MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

First cruise of the season, National Geographic Explorer calls in Buenos Aires

The port of Buenos Aires prepared for 330.000 cruise visitors

Buenos Aires received on Friday the first cruise call of the season with the arrival of the “National Geographic Explorer” and 139 visitors.

One of the smallest vessels to call this season, it is mainly a scientific exploration cruise and Friday night was sailing for Península Valdes in Patagonia and later for Antarctica.

November first Buenos Aires is expecting the call of Norwegian flagged “Fram”, with 500 passengers, which will then head for Ushuaia and Antarctica.

According to Buenos Aires tourism department authorities, the city expects 330.000 cruise visitors this season which extends until April 2011.

Some of the largest vessels expected to call in the Argentine capital include MSC Musica, Celebrity Infinity and the Seven Seas Mariner.

However officials admit that this season could see a reduction of 5.000 visitors compared to 2009/2010 when a record of 336.369 arrived in Buenos Aires.

“The slowing down of growth (14% last season) is a late reflex of the 2008 world crisis”, said Hernán Lombardini, head of the city’s Tourism and Culture Department. “This is something normal given the anticipation with which the cruise companies work and operate their bookings”, he added.

But Lombardini said he was optimistic about the future, “this is circumstantial, since prospects are very encouraging at world level with cruise activity forecasted to grow 3.7%” in the coming twelve months”.