Political pressure on organisers of the Seatrade South America convention held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, last week meant the Falkland Islands was ignored during discussions as a tourist destination in the region.
Tony Mason, the newly appointed managing director of the Falkland Islands Tourist Board (FITB), has just taken up his position in Stanley, the Falklands’ capital. Originally from Atlanta, Mason is responsible for overseeing the tourism strategy.
The newly appointed Managing Director of the Falkland Islands Tourist Board (FITB), Tony Mason is in the Islands. Tony will work to continue to raise the profile of the Falkland Islands as an international tourism destination. Among his priorities are having the Falklands present, for the first time, at the leading global tourism trade event in London, World Travel Market.
The new managing director of the Falkland Islands Tourist Board Tony Mason says that Stanley needs a 5 star hotel and anticipates a boom in tourism to the Islands in the next five years.
Tourist arrivals to the Falkland Islands are expected to increase by 14.9% in 2012, with a significant 28.8% jump in the number of leisure visitors, mainly driven by the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War.
The UK dominated as the key generating market for tourism in 2011 according to new data released by the Falkland Islands Tourist Board (FITB). Last year land-based tourism from the UK was up 5% to a total of 4.164 arrivals (this figure does not include cruise arrivals).
A gala ball was held on 12th May to highlight the achievements of the tourist industry in the Falkland Islands and to present awards for notable contributions to the development of tourism in the Islands.
Falkland Islands visitor arrivals in 2012 by inbound overnight tourists, cruise passengers and domestic tourists are expected to total 57.000 spending around £7 million. Cruise ship passengers are forecast to make up 35.000 of the 57,000 in the 2012/13 season.
Key players from the Falkland Islands cruise industry attended the Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention in Miami last week, when they were also delighted to receive an award from Cruise Insight Magazine for Best Destination Experience.
The Falkland Islands Tourist Board has just completed its latest Falklands Forecast and all indications are showing a positive increase across the board for the 2011-2012 tourism season.