Tourism

• Wednesday, January 8th 2014 - 21:21 UTC

  Visit Britain thinks Germans are rude, Australians intolerant and Russians cold

  

  VisitBritain, the UK government’s agency with a budget of nearly £30 million a year and tasked with bringing as many visitors to the UK as possible, releases a detailed inside guide on tourists from most destinations for use by British hoteliers and operators.

• Thursday, January 2nd 2014 - 18:02 UTC

  Gibraltar visitors in October/November down 40% because of Spanish checks at border

  

  Visitors to Gibraltar during the peak months of October and November have decreased by over 40% from the previous year, statistics reveal. This comes after restrictions were imposed at the border by the Spanish authorities which they say was in response to tobacco smuggling but began immediately after the Government’s decision to lay an artificial reef in July.

• Sunday, December 29th 2013 - 08:30 UTC

  Brazil ups taxes on debit cards and travelers checks to contain outgoing tourism

  

  The Brazilian government said on Friday it will raise a tax on operations with debit cards and travelers checks made abroad, in a move that will raise the country's tax intake by 552 million Reais (234.65m dollars) per year.

• Friday, December 27th 2013 - 05:18 UTC

  Australian cruise operators interested in developing Puerto Williams in Chile

  

  Australian travel agents linked to the cruise industry visited Puerto Williams in the extreme south of Chile to check on the facilities, services and infrastructure with the purpose of planning cruise calls on a regular basis. Puerto Williams in located on Navarino island across from Ushuaia in Argentina.

• Wednesday, December 25th 2013 - 22:03 UTC

  Three icebreakers to the rescue of Antarctica trapped Russia's 'Akademic Shokalskiy'

  

  Seventy four people spent Christmas aboard a cruise ship that has become stuck in the ice in a remote region off the coast of Antarctica and rescue vessels are at least two days away, according to Australian maritime officials. Three icebreakers are sailing to the rescue.

• Saturday, December 21st 2013 - 21:22 UTC

  Uruguay Economy minister resigns over scandal involving flag air carrier Pluna

  

  Uruguay's economy minister Fernando Lorenzo resigned on Saturday in the face of questions over the alleged irregular sale of government-owned airplanes following the closure of Pluna, the country's flag carrier, President Jose Mujica announced at a brief press conference, with no questions taken, next to Vice president Danilo Astori.

• Friday, December 20th 2013 - 06:05 UTC

  Four million Britons heading overseas for Christmas break; 13 million will take to the roads

  

  Around four million Britons will be heading overseas for the Christmas break, with those staying behind having to contend with packed roads and disrupted rail services.

• Thursday, December 19th 2013 - 05:51 UTC

  Concerned with stagnant tourism, Caribbean to promote the region as a single destination

  

  The Barbados-based Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) will next month celebrate its 25th anniversary amidst a call for the region to be promoted as a single destination. CTO Chairman, Beverly Nicholson Doty, in a Christmas message, said that her wish for the sector in 2014 was that Caribbean countries commit themselves to promoting the region as one destination

• Wednesday, December 11th 2013 - 00:00 UTC

  World and FIFA shocked by violent incidents at a Brazilian championship match

  

  Shocking violence at a Brazilian championship match is not an indication of what can be expected when the South American country hosts next year's World Cup, FIFA and Brazilian government officials have declared.

• Friday, December 6th 2013 - 23:20 UTC

  Falklands working on a policy to protect the Islands from norovirus

  

  The Falkland Islands is aiming to develop a policy to protect the territory from the spread of norovirus, an infection which is not uncommon in big urban centres but which several cruise vessels have also experienced.