
Thousands of Brazilians and visitors gathered at Rio de Janeiro's Rodrigo de Freitas Lake to witness the lighting of the world largest floating Christmas tree with 3.3 million lights.

The expedition vessel MV Clelia II is now operating at normal speed during its northbound crossing of the Drake Passage, following heavy sea conditions Tuesday that resulted in a broken bridge window and some electrical malfunctions.

A Maltese-flagged cruise ship with 160 people on board which on Tuesday declared an emergency as it was sailing across the Drake Passage off the southern tip of South America is limping back to Ushuaia, its port of destination, according to a release from the Argentine Navy.

Representatives of the United States and Brazil have singed an Open-Skies aviation services agreement which will significantly liberalize U.S.-Brazil air services for airlines of both countries over a transition period, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

Santiago de Chile’s airport is about to be expanded to accommodate millions of more travellers. The crowds of people in the airport have been steadily growing, adding hours of travel time to passengers arriving to and leaving from Chile.

One of the cruise industry's top executives this week openly criticized new environmental rules that he says will have a profound impact on cruise lines.

EasyJet, one of UK's largest airlines and which also claims to give best value, launched Thursday a brand new route to Gibraltar from Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

The chief of the International Air Transport Association or IATA sharply criticized the poor condition of Brazil airports, saying that the situation could put the country in a very bad light during the World Cup and the Olympic Games if the government does not improve capacity and renovate aging infrastructure.

Uruguay expects 200 cruise calls this 2010/2011 season totalling 300.000 visitors between passengers and crewmembers said the country’s Tourism and Sports minister Hector Lescano during the official launching of the cruise season.

The United States Department of Commerce says the number of international visitors to the country is rising fast.