With the arrival of the Magellan Explorer, Ushuaia officially announced the beginning of the 2023/2024 cruise season which is expected to attract 548 vessel calls and some 195,000 visitors to the most southern port of Argentina in Tierra del Fuego province.
The port of Ushuaia will be receiving an additional 2,5 million dollars (in Argentine Pesos) to continue the expansion and updating of the terminal in the extreme southern province of Tierra del Fuego. The announcement followed a meeting of the provincial governor, recently re-elected Gustavo Melella, and Deputy Secretary Patricio Hogan, from the federal government Ports, Watercourse ways and Merchant Navy Office.
Argentine province Tierra del Fuego authorities have said that 2022/23, has been an excellent cruise season with a record 503 calls and a turnover of some 220,000 people between passengers and crew members. Expectations for the next season are even better with at least 591 calls anticipated.
Argentine icebreaker ARA Almirante Irizar is back in Ushuaia following its round of visits to Antarctica stations leaving all ready for the personnel that remained preparing for the long dark winter months. This has also meant the official end of the Argentine Antarctic Campaign 2022/23, which takes place under the operational command of the Joint Antarctic Command.
Argentine Navy icebreaker ARA Almirante Irízar Captain Carlos Recio announced that the unit had complied with all the tasks emanating from the operations order of the Joint Antarctic Commander, also carrying out more than 600 movements of scientific and military personnel between the different joint Antarctic bases and was therefore on her way to the last stage of the ”Antarctic Summer Campaign (CAV) 2022/2023,” it was reported.
The Ushuaia summer tourism season is in full swing with some 92,000 visitors having arrived at the Argentine extreme southern city by the third week of January, while another 157,900 are expected by the end of March/April, according to data released by the Tierra del Fuego province port authorities.
Two flights between Argentina and the Falkland Islands have been reported in the past few days for humanitarian reasons. One to Ushuaia was to bring an Argentina national and the one to Buenos Aires' Aeroparque was carried out for a US patient.
The current cruise season means some 200,000 tourists will be visiting the extreme south Argentine province of Tierra del Fuego, based on the announced projection of 540 calls in Ushuaia, according to Dante Querciali, president of Tierra del Fuego Tourism Institute.
Two United States cruise passengers drowned in Antarctica during a tour in a semi-rigid inflatable Zodiac boat, which capsized for reasons still to be determined. Fortunately, other passengers on board were rescued on time from the frigid waters.
High School students from Ushuaia, capital of the Argentine southernmost province of Tierra del Fuego were invited to participate in a competition, “Asking about Malvinas”. The competition to mark the fortieth anniversary of the Falklands/Malvinas war was sponsored by the city's program “Young Ushuaia”, and the provincial Youth Coordination office from the Culture and Education ministry.