Tourism

• Saturday, January 12th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Chile expects 700.000 foreign tourists in Jan/February

  Chile expects 700.000 foreign and overseas Chileans tourists this summer, up 10% over the same period a year ago, which are expected to inject 400 million US dollars to the economy, according to estimates from the National Tourism Office, Sernatur.

• Wednesday, January 9th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Possible alternative 2008 “Dakar Rally” in central Europe

  

  Dakar Rally organizers are considering a race through central Europe this spring to replace the event that was cancelled due to security concerns, the head of the Czech KM Racing Team said on Monday to French sources.

• Tuesday, January 8th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Two weekly flights Santiago-Pto Natales Torres del Paine park

  Air Comet a Chilean subsidiary of the Spanish Group Marsans is expanding domestic flights in the country and announced two weekly flights to Puerto Natales, in the extreme south of Chilean Patagonia.

• Tuesday, January 8th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  QE2 final world cruise before becoming Dubai floating hotel

  One of the world's most famous cruise ships, the Queen Elizabeth 2 set sail Sunday on its final global voyage before being turned into a floating hotel, British media reported. The vessel left with a fireworks send-off from the port city of Southampton for her last winter trip, the domestic Press Association news agency said.

• Monday, January 7th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Santiago airport to handle 2.2 million pax this summer

  From December 2007 to February 2008 an expected 2.2 million passengers will be passing through Santiago de Chile's Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport, reports The Santiago Times. This is a 10% increase over last summer, and 20% of this figure corresponds to first-time travelers, according to airport operations chief Alberto Becerra.

• Thursday, January 3rd 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  South Georgia stamp issue celebrates New Int. Polar Year

  

  In commemoration of a new International Polar Year (March 2007- March 2009) South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands are issuing a series of stamps which will be available this month. South Georgia has been closely linked to polar scientific research from the very first International Polar Commission back in 1879 in the city of Hamburg.

• Wednesday, January 2nd 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Stomach bug downs passengers on 'cursed' ship

  

  Cunard's £300 million MS Queen Victoria - which was officially launched by Camilla in Southampton three weeks ago when she failed to successfully smash the champagne bottle on its side - has been struck by a potentially fatal stomach bug.

• Monday, December 31st 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Norwegian vessel continues cruise and arrives Ushuaia Jan 2

  

  The captain of the Norwegian cruise vessel Fram which hit an iceberg in Antarctica confirmed Sunday that the cruise would continue as planned. The passengers are due to fly home after a planned arrival in Ushuaia on January 2.

• Sunday, December 30th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Aztec pyramid found in Mexico City could rewrite history

  

  Archaeologists have discovered the ruins of an 800-year-old Aztec pyramid in the heart of Mexico City that could show the ancient city is at least a century older than previously thought. Mexican archaeologists found the ruins, which are about 11 meters high, in the central Tlatelolco area, once a major religious and political centre for the Aztec elite.

• Saturday, December 29th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Rescuers ready to pick up freed FARC hostages

  

  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez sent two helicopters into Colombia on Friday on a delicate mission to pluck three hostages from the rebel-held jungle.