Ushuaia in the extreme south of Argentina is experiencing one of the busiest weeks of the current cruise season with six vessels and thousands of visitors calling at the capital of Tierra del Fuego. This includes the Emerald Princess, which is the largest to visit the End of the World city and will be completing its third call this season.
In case you didn't know, this Saturday, 20th January, is World Penguin Day! What better way to celebrate it than start planning your own Falkland Islands adventure. Penguins...well we've got plenty, but that's not all the Falklands is about. It's a bird watcher's paradise. It is fabulous for walking, exploring, photography, fishing, and immersing yourself in island life. And perhaps as much as anything else, it's the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of, well, the rest of the world!
Millennials are known for their wanderlust — their desire to explore the world and experience the unknown. But that obsession with an authentic, off-the-beaten-path travel experience isn’t leaving many countries left on their bucket-list — which is why a surprising destination is having its moment.
Punta Arenas in the extreme south of Chile is encouraged by the cruise industry prospects for its port and facilities: this season Norwegian Sun has returned with at least ten calls and for 2016/2017 a line will be cruising to Antarctica with Punta Arenas as a home port.
The number of adventurous tourists visiting Antarctica dipped in the 2014-15 austral season but is expected to bounce back this year, according to visitor totals released by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO).
New figures released on Monday by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), estimate that 36,545 tourists will travel with IAATO members to Antarctica next season, 2014-2015. The information was reported at the first day of the 37th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) in Brasilia, which IAATO attend as Invited Experts.
The challenging rescue operation launched after a Russian ship became trapped in Antarctic pack ice in December shows the inherent risks facing the frozen continent's burgeoning tourist industry, experts say. Antarctica represents one of the last frontiers for adventurous travelers, an icy wonderland of glaciers, emperor penguins and seemingly endless white expanses.
A small increase in cruise ship visitors to South Georgia compared to the previous season bucks the trend of the Antarctic region. In the 2011/12 season tourists to the Antarctic fell by 22%, whereas in South Georgia they increased 8%, according to the September edition of the South Georgia Newsletter.
The South Georgia tourist season is drawing to a close with just one cruise ship left to visit in early April, according to the latest edition of the South Georgia Newsletter.
An intense maritime activity was registered in South Georgia during the month of January including cruise and research vessels, the British Antarctic Survey ship “RRS James Clark Ross”, several yachts and HMS Gloucester, reports the latest South Georgia newsletter.