Tourism

• Friday, July 2nd 2010 - 00:31 UTC

  Argentina upgrades Tourism to Ministry given its growing economic contribution

  

  Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner led the swearing-in ceremony of Enrique Meyer as Minister of the newly created Ministry of Tourism. Meyer was Secretary of Tourism but this week the post was upgraded to Ministry.

• Thursday, July 1st 2010 - 00:20 UTC

  Positive outlook for tourism in 2010 according to UN World Barometer

  

  International tourist arrivals grew by 7% in the first four months of 2010 according to the latest issue of the United Nations World Tourism Organization World Tourism Barometer.

• Monday, June 28th 2010 - 22:30 UTC

  Hobart to host Antarctic tourism, IAATO conference in 2011

  

  Hobart, Tasmania has won the right to host a prestigious Antarctic tourism conference, again proving its unique status as Australia’s “Antarctic Capital”.

• Thursday, June 17th 2010 - 22:30 UTC

  Less Europeans travelling to Chile, more Chileans visiting the old continent

  

  The number of Chileans travelling to Europe is up sharply, thanks to the lower value of the Euro – down 9.74% between January and February of this year – which makes travel to Europe more attractive.

• Thursday, June 10th 2010 - 18:30 UTC

  Chile ski resorts still waiting for snow to begin winter season

  

  Though Chilean ski resorts were ready to begin the winter season more than a week ago, the slopes cannot be opened due to lack of snow. A lack of rain in the region has been blamed. The central and southern region of Chile has had a low level of rain this year, causing opening delays for some centres.

• Wednesday, June 9th 2010 - 20:06 UTC

  Uruguay received 910.597 tourists in the first four months of 2010

  

  In the first four months of this year (high season in the southern hemisphere) Uruguay hosted 910.597 tourists who on average stayed nine days (spent over 800 USD per capita) totalling an estimated income of 744 million US dollars, according to Uruguay’s Deputy Secretary of Tourism and Sports Lilian Kechichian.

• Tuesday, June 1st 2010 - 23:48 UTC

  Invasive algae found in Chilean Patagonia threatens ecosystem and tourism

  

  In February, Chris Spelius, owner of the adventure travel company Expediciones Chile, was standing out by the Futaleufu River in Southern Chile waiting for a client, when he looked into the normally clear water and noticed something unusual.

• Tuesday, June 1st 2010 - 02:46 UTC

  Major Brazilian airports on the verge of a “logistics blackout”

  

  Airports in the major cities of Brazil that will be hosting the World Cup in 2014, and the Olympic Games in 2016, are working at their maximum capacity and eight of them are described as “in the edge of operational collapse” according to a report from the Applied Economics Research Institute in Sao Paulo, IPEA.

• Saturday, May 29th 2010 - 05:19 UTC

  Montevideo, Buenos Aires, most liveable cities of South America

  

  According to the 2010 World Ranking of Mercer's Quality of Life, Buenos Aires, Montevideo and Santiago are the best major cities in South America to live although they compare poorly with the top ten mostly from Europe, Canada, NZ and Australia.

• Friday, May 28th 2010 - 11:09 UTC

  Whales centre study to be built in Chile’s Strait of Magellan

  

  Chile is researching the possible construction of a new centre for visitors and scientists to study whales in the Straits of Magellan.