Tourism

• Monday, March 15th 2010 - 21:45 UTC

  Spanish ports handled 6 million cruise passengers in 2009, a 3% expansion

  

  Spanish ports reported growth in cruise passenger numbers last year, despite the impact of the economic downturn on the country’s tourism sector. The country’s state-owned ports handled just over 6 million passengers last year, a 3% increase over figures for 2008.

• Monday, March 15th 2010 - 21:36 UTC

  Gibraltar participates in leading Cruise convention in Miami

  

  The Port of Gibraltar is participating of the 26th edition of the Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention, which opened at the Miami Beach Convention Centre in Florida. The international exhibition and conference is recognised as the leading cruise industry event.

• Saturday, March 13th 2010 - 00:41 UTC

  Norovirus again attacks “Vision of the Seas” cruise in Brazil

  

  Royal Caribbean’s cruise vessel “Vision of the Seas” which last week was struck with an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness has again suffered a similar bout while sailing along the Atlantic coast of South America, according to a Brazilian health officials.

• Wednesday, March 10th 2010 - 19:24 UTC

  China plans to buy 218 commercial aircraft this year

  

  China mainland carriers plan to order as many as 218 commercial aircraft this year in order to cope with an expected surge in demand for air travel in the coming years, state media reported this week.

• Thursday, March 4th 2010 - 21:10 UTC

  Cruise along Brazilian coast suffers alleged massive food poisoning

  

  Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas was liberated and allowed to continue with the cruise after Brazilian sanitary officials imposed a 24 hours quarantine following a massive outbreak of what is believed to be food poisoning.

• Thursday, March 4th 2010 - 20:32 UTC

  Chile’s tourism industry fears long term effects of quake and aftershocks

  

  The tourism industry in Chile has been hit hard as travellers cancel trips to the disaster-struck country. Since the 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit Saturday, Andes Hostel in Santiago has received five to six cancellations per day, an employee told the Santiago Times.

• Thursday, March 4th 2010 - 04:31 UTC

  Santiago airport reopens domestic terminal and activity should reach 50%

  

  Passenger traffic at Santiago de Chile’s main airport should reach 50% of normal activity on Thursday following the increase in commercial airlines flight numbers and the reopening of the domestic air terminal, reports the Chilean Civil Aeronautic Agency.

• Thursday, March 4th 2010 - 04:13 UTC

  Giant waves ram cruise in Mediterranean killing two

  

  Two people have been killed and six injured as giant waves slammed into a cruise ship in the Mediterranean, the ship's owners have said. The 8 metres high rogue waves hit the Cypriot-owned Louis Majesty off the north-east coast of Spain.

• Tuesday, March 2nd 2010 - 19:45 UTC

  An estimated 3.000 passengers waiting in Punta Arenas to fly back to Santiago

  

  Almost 3.000 people remained stranded Monday in Magallanes region, extreme south Chile, since Saturday’ devastating quake forced the temporary closure of Santiago’s main air terminal, according to reports in Punta Arenas.

• Tuesday, March 2nd 2010 - 04:29 UTC

  Lan resumes 15% of flights; priority bringing to Santiago stranded passengers

  

  Beginning Tuesday Lan Airlines resumes flying a skeleton national and international schedule out of a tent at the Santiago airport, according to a short notice from the Chilean flag carrier company.