The summer season in the Southern peninsula started with good perspectives, with expectations for Argentina, Brasil, Chile and Uruguay to receive a record amount of local and foreign tourists. In Argentina, the resorts of the Atlantic Coast, with Mar del Plata in the lead, await a season which will exceed the activity of the 20.2 million tourists received during the past summer throughout the whole country. For 2008, Uruguay expects a record increase in Brazilian tourists and a marked increase in Argentinians. Chile foresees that during January-March of 2008, 700,000 foreign tourists will visit the country.

Buenos Aires closed 2007 with 2.3 million foreign visitors, 40% from neighboring countries, but also with a strong presence of Europeans (22.5%) and the rest of America (27%).

The Ministry of Tourism published official figures on the amount of tourists who visited the country in 2007, which reflect a 2% increase with respect to 2006. Said activity brought in US$ 800 million during 2007.

The government published the Provisional Decree 413 that foresees an acceleration in the depreciation of consumer goods. With this measure, hotels will pay less income tax.

The general manager of Air Comet Chile and Aerolineas Argentinas announced the route to Puerto Natales as well as to Arica and the aim of arriving at Easter Island. Furthermore, they are studying Osorno and Copiapo to begin flying there before the end of 2008.

LAB continues to operate charter flights while it awaits the renewal of its Commercial Certificate to renew flights with a regular itinerary.

The number of foreigners that entered the country in November 2007, amounted to 182,806 people, which is 8.9% superior to that registered in the same month in 2006. The foreigners that entered during that month mainly came from Chile (31.4%), the United States (19.4%), Ecuador (9.9%), Spain (7.2%), Argentina (4.9%), and Bolivia (4.5%), among others.

The Executive Committee of the Bolsa Internacional de Turismo del Ecuador, BITE, is fulfilling a busy agenda as the organizer of the most important commercial touristic event, Ecuador Travel Mart 2008, which will be held in Cuenca from April 19th to the 22nd. The fair will bring together wholesale and small scale tour operators from the main markets of the five continents for the commercialization of the touristic services of Ecuador.

The Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism said that in 2010 Colombia will be the fifth most touristic country of Latin America, increasing the number of international tourists to 4 million and generating a great impact in the GDP (Gross Domestic Product), because of the 100% increase in the actual level of income for this concept.

Panama expects the arrival of 300,000 travelers from cruises for the 2007-2008 period, with a ship expected every 15 days, foreseeing the arrival of at least 135 craft of this sort. Each passenger spends approximately US$ 95 during their brief stay.

Canatur signed an agreement between Costa Rican and Chinese authorities to promote tourism from the Asian country towards the Central American one.

The Mexican Caribbean received 7.4 million tourists during 2007, 60% of which were foreign visitors. This figure exceeded the 5.9 million tourists who visited this country in 2006 by 24.9%. This sector received an income of US$ 5 billion from the visitors.

Starting this year and continuing until 2010, Cuba plans to construct 30 new hotels to include more than 10,000 rooms to the island’s touristic infrastructure.

When we think about the Inca Trail, the “traditional” Inca trail, we picture amazing sceneries, a great amount of winding up and down hills, endless slopes through beautiful mountains, the possibility of seeing diverse flora and fauna as we pass through different ecosystems related to the many altitudes along the path, passing through the typical Andean scenery and reaching the tropical forest. Read more...