Great show on the Travel Channel at the invitation of former President Alejandro Toledo. Brilliant marketing move for tourism. Parts 1, 3 and 5 of this show follow.
In 2002, I hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, watched the Inti Raymi (Festival of the Sun) celebrations at Sacsayhuaman, outside Cuzco, and went trekking in the Cordillera Blanca around Huaraz. Spectacular! I highly recommend a visit.
Popularity: 9% [?]
Of the 1.8 million visitors to Uruguay in 2006, more than half were Argentine. But quietly, Uruguay is developing a second vacation spot that may help uncouple its tourism fortunes from Buenos Aires. It has found its best hope 3,000 feet underground, in the hot springs along the Uruguay River, a once-isolated region that even Uruguayans lump in with the rest of the “interior” — anywhere outside Punta del Este and the capital, Montevideo.Since the discovery of the hot springs in the 1940s, by an oil exploration team wildcatting along the Argentine border, Uruguay has developed an impressively varied string of private resorts, public campgrounds, water parks and dude ranches. All tap the Guaraní Aquifer, the largest in the continent, funneling its toasty and mineral-rich water into indoor and outdoor baths.
…discovering in the hot springs an authentically Uruguayan experience
that comes without sacrificing the comforts of the coastal resorts.
Popularity: 4% [?]
Outbound travel:The Economic Times
Outbound travel from India is bucking the trend even as inflation and slowdown coupled with increasing airfares is adversely affecting domestic traffic and corporate travel.Not only have outbound numbers grown from India, especially on short-haul routes, average spend of travellers is also going strong, as per figures for January-July period shared by various international tourism boards. According to industry estimates, the number of Indian travellers visiting foreign shores is poised to touch 12 million by end of this year, about 2 million higher than last year.
“Indians who travel abroad are the top of the pyramid. This group of travellers are not impacted by inflation or increase in air fares as they have high disposable income,” says SOTC COO Sunil Gupta.
And, it’s not just arrival figures, Indians are high spenders too. “Though an exact fix on spend for this year is not available, Indians for sure haven’t reduced their spend either on shopping or F&B . The Great Singapore Sale was a big hit among Indians,” says Singapore Tourism Board area director Kenneth Lim.
In 2007, the overall tourism receipts of Malaysia from India was above $1 billion. “Since most Indians travel with their families, the average expenditure is significantly higher compared to inbound tourists from other countries,” says Tourism Malaysia director-India P Manoharan.
Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) too is way too bullish about Indian outbound travel. The PATA-Visa 2006-07 report estimates that outbound travel from India in 2010 will be around 16 million. Similarly, Euromonitor International estimates the outgoing tourism expenditure from India to grow to $21 billion by 2011, representing a growth rate of over 25.7 % between 2006 and 2011.
Popularity: 3% [?]
Indian hospital groups like Apollo, Fortis and Wockhardt should takeover hospitals in Latin America to increase outreach to US patients.
BLOG.THEMEDICALROADSHOW.COM:
Americans are living longer than ever before, but at the same time they’re facing challenges presented by out-of-control medical costs and inadequate health insurance. Increasing numbers of U.S. citizens are traveling abroad to avail themselves of Asian and Latin American hospitals and medical centers, for treatments that range from something as simple as getting your teeth whitened, to procedures as major as hip replacement surgery.
According to the most recent census data, 47 million Americans have no health insurance, and 120 million are under-insured. The Commonwealth Fund, a New York-based healthcare research organization, recently issued a report saying nearly half the working-age population of the U.S. risks being financially devastated if confronted with the need to pay for major surgery, either because they have no insurance or inadequate insurance.
Medical Destinations
Some of the major players in this niche in Asia are India, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, while destinations in Latin America that are attracting a major share of the market include Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico and Panama.The India Tourist Board reports that approximately 500,000 medical tourists go to Asia annually. Of this number, India receives 200,000. Medical tourism to India has been growing at 30 percent a year for the past three years, and experts estimate that, by 2012, medical tourism will be a $1 billion industry in India. Presently, the lion’s share of medical tourists traveling to India come from the Middle East, although the U.S. accounts for 10 to 15 percent of the total. It’s clear that it’s a cost-driven decision for many patients. For example, heart surgery can cost $60,000 in the U.S., but might cost $8,000 in India. When you add travel for two, and perhaps a recuperative or holiday stay, you’re still paying a fraction of what the cost would be in the U.S.
“Latin America and Mexico are extremely popular among U.S.
tourists for this form of travel simply because these regions are so close to
the U.S. border and therefore have many doctors that are U.S. certified,” says Willie Moreno, director of operations and registration for the Latin America
division of
Links:
Vacation, Adventure and Surgery
Popularity: 4% [?]
Many parts of Argentina, Chile and Uruguay are without doubt paradise on earth. Low population density, plenty of food and fresh water, unspoiled landscapes. If World Wars III, IV and V break out you can peacefully ride them out sipping wine in your hideaway in the Patagonia or in the Uruguayan countryside.
PropertyWire.com Features | News
‘Brazil is the big brother in terms of property investment and the country is currently experiencing a residential building bonanza, due entirely to its sound fiscal policy and low interest rates. But the other South American countries are showing signs of following in Brazil’s footsteps, particularly Argentina and Uruguay, with economies that are becoming healthier and more stable every day.‘This will lead to more consumer confidence to invest in these emerging markets. I also expect there will be an overspill from Brazil. Those that perhaps want the lifestyle, weather or beach, but not specifically in Brazil, will look to neighbouring countries.
Argentina is a strong contender to catch up. ‘Argentina is simply the best place in the world right now. Buenos Aires is one of the world’s greatest and most liveable cities,’ said Doug Casey, founder of US based Casey Research, an independent investment research organisation.
Why you might ask? ‘The country is running a massive balance of trade surplus. The government is running a big fiscal surplus. Rich Europeans are piling in since Argentina is ethnically and culturally the most European country in the world,’ he added.
Argentina has beaches, ski centres, mountains to climb, the pampas to ride across, it’s just that not everyone knows it yet. The number of tourists is predicted to increase to around 10 million by 2010.
Nestling between the two is much smaller Uruguay. Recent figures show that Uruguay has 2.3 million tourists a year, almost half descending on Punta del Este. Argentines account for the majority of arrivals in Uruguay however the Brazilian slice of the market is increasing. A rise in European visitors is anticipated.
Ecotourism is also forging forward with many innovations on how to protect Uruguay’s biodiversity and natural resources at the same time as gaining benefit from them. Golf is popular and there are three top notch 18-hole golf courses within the Punta del Este catchment area.‘Although the concept of foreign purchase of investment property and holiday homes in Uruguay is still quite new, the process of buying property is kept simple by the Uruguayan Government. A foreigner has the same rights and incentives as a Uruguayan national, including access to locally-based finance,’ said Andy Welland, MD of GEM Estates, a specialist in the area.
There are no restrictions on transferring capital in and out of the country and whilst the majority of real estate agents in Uruguay add a minimum of 3% to the selling price for commission, most GEM Estates’ developments have this included in the list price, he added.
It is a similar story across the next border in Chile. It too has a stable economy, positive government and the beaches, mountains and attractions that have the potential to draw a huge number of tourists.
Popularity: 2% [?]
Latin America has incredible scenery, mind blowing ancient ruins and an indefatigable party spirit throughout, though each country has a distinct identity.Top tourist sites include the Incan ruins at Machu Picchu, the Iguazu Falls, which straddle Brazil and Argentina, the Bolivian salt flats and the Galapagos Islands (though a visit here is expensive). Take time to consider your priorities: would you rather party in Rio, or lose yourself trekking in the Patagonia wilderness?
Popularity: 1% [?]
Location: it’s a Bourdain family vacation to Uruguay, the hidden secret of South America. Quietly tucked between beach-strewn Brazil and boisterous Argentina, Uruguay is the unsung hero of grilled meats, beautiful scenery and a quintessential “laid-back” lifestyle.Bourdain and his brother travel to “Gaucho country” near the village of La Galleja to visit a Uruguayan estancia.
Next up is the sleepy village of Garzon, population 200, where Tony pays a visit to renowned chef Francis Mallmann. Mallman has retreated from the glitzy dining scene of nearby Punta del Este to focus his energies
on simple, traditional Uruguayan cooking. To demonstrate his new focus,
he prepares Tony a meal using the traditional styles of asado – meat cooked between two iron grills, meat cooked in salt crust, vegetables cooked in hot ash and a pascualina spinach-egg pie on the side.Seemingly satisfied with his time in the interior, Bourdain heads for the coast where he relaxes in Punta del Este, Uruguay’s infamous summer beach retreat for the rich and famous.
The two brothers then head up the coast to the hippie enclave of Cabo Polonio.
They drink at a small bar with a local named Raoul, downing shots of
the local moonshine made from grapes while the bar’s pet penguin,
Pancho, scurries about beneath their feet.Upon their return to Montevideo, Tony and brother Chris conclude their visit at a raucous street fair featuring chorizo sandwiches, some drum based candombe
music and siete y tres cocktails made from a mixture of red wine and
coke. Though Bourdain and his crew clearly planned the event for
television, the scene quickly becomes a full-fledged party as the
friendly locals notice the commotion and begin to gather. It’s fairly
typical of Uruguay – it just sort of sneaks up on you with its beauty,
its surprising and fantastic food and the unassuming friendliness of
the locals. But don’t expect Uruguay to stay under the radar much
longer – a place this good can only stay a secret for so long.
Popularity: 2% [?]
In an effort to get travelers off the beaten path and support destinations in developing countries, a group called Ethical Traveler has published a list of the “10 best ethical destinations.”The organization said in a statement that many countries “are making noble attempts to preserve their natural assets, create a user-friendly infrastructure, and build an economy where their citizens share the benefits of tourist revenue. By bringing our commerce to such places we encourage their efforts, and inspire neighboring countries to support these values as well.”
To create the list, Ethical Traveler looked at environmental protection, social welfare and human rights in the world’s developing nations. The honorees on the Ethical Traveler’s list, in alphabetical order, are Argentina, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Estonia, Namibia, Nicaragua, and South Africa.
Popularity: 4% [?]
It’s only a matter of time before they run hotels in Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo and Mexico City.
Business Standard
The Taj Group of Hotels, owned by the Tata Group, is foraying into high-end business and luxury segments globally. “Spas have EBITDA margins as high as 30 per cent, making them highly lucrative,’’ Amol Rao, a hotel analyst at Pioneer Multimedia, said.Taj has entered business gateways such as New York, Boston and Sydney, whereas Taj Resorts and Spa is concentrating on leisure travel in exotic destinations including Phuket, Doha and Saraya islands of UAE. It is either purchasing the properties on an outright basis, as was the case with the New York and Boston properties, or getting into managing contracts for running the businesses.
Popularity: 3% [?]
People who know anything about this small country across the Rio de la Plata from Argentina usually know of a few major spots: the capital, Montevideo, the historic town of Colonia and the ritzy beach town of Punta del Este. I had been to the top three, but this trip I wanted to find out what was along the coast. What we found was spectacular.Destination uno was Punta del Diablo. The road was well-paved, clearly
marked and empty. Taking us less time than we anticipated, we were in
Punta del Diablo three and a half hours later. We were surprised at how
isolated this former fishing village felt after the relatively short
drive. The beaches were practically empty, extremely beautiful and
stretched on for miles. As we would come to excitedly learn, this is
the norm for coastal Uruguay. Here there are no typical hotels or large
buildings monopolizing the sea view. Wooden cabins and dirt roads
populate this village. Punta del Diablo is postcard perfect.Destination numero dos was Cabo Polonio. This remote outpost surrounded
by miles of secluded windswept sand dunes was second to none. Getting
to Cabo Polonio was half the fun. We were flagged down along route 10
on the way to Cabo Polonio by one of several businesses that, for a fee
of about $6 per person, provide parking for your vehicle and
transportation to the town.Our last stop before Montevideo was Piriapolis. Just 20 minutes west of
Punta del Este, this beach community had an old-time feel. My husband
said it reminded him of Asbury Park, a quaint beach town on the Jersey
Shore that was a popular family destination until the 1970s. It was no
surprise when we heard Piriapolis was the pre- Punta del Este vacation
spot of choice. The proximity to Montevideo and the long white beach
makes it an obvious choice for an easy getaway.
Popularity: 1% [?]
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