REMINDERS:
Media registration to attend Experience Latin America (ela) will close on Friday 30 March. Register HERE to secure your place to attend. Returning to CCT Venues in Canary Wharf, London, from 11-13 June, ela 2018 will feature over 130 exhibitors for a three day by-invitation-only event offering the Latin American travel community the opportunity to present their products to the UK and European tourism industry during scheduled meetings, seminars and networking events.
The deadline to submit entries for the 2018 LATA Media Awards is Saturday 31 March. The LATA Media Awards recognise innovation and excellence across the British travel media landscape with a specific focus on Latin America. Every year, LATA holds a prestigious awards ceremony to celebrate and reward inspiring and creative Latin American stories. Please find entry guidelines and submission forms HERE.
Destination News
June 2018 marks what would have been Che Guevara’s 90th birthday
June 2018 marks the 90th anniversary since the birth of Cuban revolutionary leader Che Guevara. To commemorate his birth, LATA members are offering tours which retrace the steps of Che Guevara in Argentina and central Bolivia. For example, Journey Latin America offers 14-day ‘Signature Bolivia: The final frontier’ tour. The holiday departs from the vibrant city of Santa Cruz before travelling into the mountains to Vallegrande, a pleasant market town known for being the place where Che Guevara’s remains were found in 1967 following his failed revolutionary campaign. Other highlights of the holiday feature a tour of the salt flats in Salar de Uyuni and a boat trip over Lake Titicaca to the sun highland before travelling back to La Paz. The holiday is priced from £3,935 per person including domestic flights, accommodation and excursions. www.journeylatinamerica.co.uk/destinations/bolivia/holidays/signature-bolivia-the-final-frontier
Chile welcomes two new National Parks
Two new national parks called, the Patagonia National Park and the Pumalin National Park, have recently opened in Chile bringing the Chilean government closer to the realisation of the ‘Ruta de los Parques’ initiative. The project is aimed at linking 17 national parks together along a 2,000 kilometre stretch in Chilean Patagonia from Puerto Montt to Cape Horn, opening up the region to tourism whilst also protecting this natural area. Pura Aventura offers a self-drive experience along the Carretera Austral, Patagonia’s southern highway, from the glaciers in the north to the grasslands, exploring Chile’s Aysén region. The tour is priced from £4,865 based on two people sharing. www.puraaventura.com
Nicaragua expects tourism to grow 10% over Easter
Nicaragua is expecting a 10% year on year growth this Easter compared to the same period in 2017, according to new official statistics announced by the Nicaraguan Tourism Board (INTUR). 87,894 people visited Nicaragua during Easter Week in 2017, and 96,683 visitors are expected from 25-31 March 2018. International tourism left Nicaragua with revenues of some 700 million dollars in 2017, 9% more than the 642.1 million dollars received during 2016, according to official figures. www.visitnicaragua.us
UK visitors to Costa Rica increase by 6.7% in 2017
The Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT) registered a total of 76,173 visitors from the UK in Costa Rica in 2017 representing an increase of 6.7% on the previous year, and strengthening the UK’s position as Costa Rica’s largest source market in Europe. www.visitcostarica.com
Airline News
Air Europa introduces first Boeing 787-9
Air Europa has started the second phase of its renovation programme with the introduction of its first 787-9 Dreamliner; confirming its positing as having one of the youngest and most efficient fleets in the airline industry. The aircraft offers a more comfortable flying experience for its passengers and is complemented by excellent on-board products and experiences, including on-board WIFI, audio-visual entertainment, a menu offering healthy and organic produce. The new aircraft will operate the existing route to Buenos Aires, together with a second B787-9. www.aireuropa.com
Air France / KLM launches new flights from Europe
In May 2018, Air France-KLM will bring Europe closer to Brazil with the launch of new flights from Paris – Charles de Gaulle (operated by Joon!) and Amsterdam-Schiphol (operated by KLM). The new services will operate twice a week from Paris on Fridays and Sundays, and three times a week from Amsterdam on Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays. Also, in May 2018, the group’s air hub will begin operating at Fortaleza Airport in partnership with GOL, which will increase the number of flights in the state capital by 35%. www.airfranceklm.com
Tour Operator News
Belmond Andean Explorer introduces new spa carriage
In May 2018, the Belmond Andean Explorer will add a new spa carriage to its luxury offering. The carriage, which will be called “Picaflor”, will offer guests the ultimate way to enjoy slow travel and unwind while indulging in Peruvian-inspired spa treatments, whilst catching glimpses of the passing Andean landscape. The new service will operate on all journeys and treatments will be bookable with the train crew on board. The Belmond Andean Explorer two-night ‘Andean Plains and Islands of Discovery’ journey from Arequipa to Cusco costs from £1,070 per person based on two adults sharing a cabin. www.belmond.com/trains/south-america/peru/belmond-andean-explorer/spa
Wendy Wu Tours launches new dedicated South America collection
Leading touring specialists, Wendy Wu Tours, has launched its first dedicated collection of escorted group tours and tailor-made holidays in South America. Wendy Wu Tours has been developing the tours for two years making sure they incorporate the best of South America and has introduced nine new experiences featuring Peru & Colombia, Argentina & Chile, Brazil, Panama & Costa Rica. For example, the tour operator will offer a 14-day ‘Essence of Argentina and Brazil’ tour travelling to San Antonio de los Cobres, Humahuaca, Salta Iguazu, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires. He tour is priced from £3,990 per person. www.wendywutours.co.uk
Llama Travel registers increase in bookings to Galapagos Islands in 2018
Latin America specialist Llama Travel has announced that bookings to the wildlife-rich Galapagos Islands are up by 30% for 2018 so far, compared to the same period in 2017. Llama Travel offers a number of tours to the Islands priced from £2,599 per person, including flights from the UK, accommodation and transfers with various departures between April 2018 and March 2018. www.llamatravel.com
Chimu Adventures launches new Latin America brochure
Latin America travel specialist Chimu Adventures has launched its new brochure, which outlines the array of personalised itineraries, small group tours and small ship cruises. The brochure features Chimu Adventure’s new experiences in Latin America, including new itineraries in Cuba, the Galapagos Islands, the Arctic, as well as new city tours and accommodation. www.chimuadventures.com
Hotel News
Casa Gangotena launches new Quito experience package inspired by Andean staples
Luxury boutique hotel Casa Gangotena located in the Andean capital of Quito in Ecuador has launched its own heritage package. Consisting of three experiences, the package will offer its guests unique access to the city’s most beautiful sites. The heritage package includes a walking tour by a local resident guide incorporating visits to the city’s oldest hat maker and herbal healers, as well as the San Francisco market, the Jesuit Church of La Compañia de Jesus and the historic old town. The package will also include a 30 minute helicopter adventure, developed in partnership with Avio Andes, which will see guests soar about the city of Quito and the Andes, and a new culinary concept at the hotel with a menu that plays homage to the Mestizo culture and features locally-source Ecuadorian produce. A one night stay at the hotel is priced from £323 per night. www.casagangotena.com
Hotel B in Lima expands
Boutique hotel Hotel B located in the bohemian district of Barranco in Lima, Peru, has recently expanded into an adjoining gallery. The revamped hotel will feature three new suites, a more spacious bar and restaurant, as well as a stand-alone boutique gift shop and on-site gallery which will feature exhibitions. A one night stay at the hotel is priced from £347 per room per night. www.hotelb.pe
Hacienda AltaGracia recognised as Coolest Resort for you Next Level Destination Wedding by Brides.com
Luxury resort Hacienda AltaGracia in Costa Rica, which was recognised at the number one resort in Central America by the prestigious Travel + Leisure and Conde Nast Traveller brands, has received further endorsement by Brides.com listing the resort as one of the Coolest Resorts for your Next Level Destination Wedding. Located in the southern highlands of Costa Rica, the resort is the ideal location for soon-to-be-weds looking for a relaxing but also adventurous wedding holiday. A wedding for up to 20 guests is priced from £3,462 with special room rates available for guests in attendance. www.altagracia.aubergeresorts.com
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Editorial notes:
The Latin American Travel Industry (LATA) is represented by LOTUS. For more information a/o images, please contact Kate McWilliams or Lucy Keenan (latapr@wearelotus.co.uk / 0207 953 7470). For more information on LATA, please visit www.lata.travel