Bangkok--19 Dec--eTurboNews
Never mind that destinations like Buenos Aires are already so popular that booking flights and hotel rooms there at this time of year is difficult. The more visitors the merrier, apparently.
That's the outlook for travel to Central and South America this season - busier than ever.
True, travel there may cost a bit more than last year, but that's not preventing Americans from heeding the call to go south.
"Prices have gone up, but not dramatically," said Manny Lubian of Futura Travel, a Miami travel agency. That, coupled with the soaring cost of travel to Europe, will drive more Americans to South America, he believes.
All well and good, provided you can find space.
"I have to beg for rooms," said Alex Levin of The Travel Center, a Miami travel agency. That view was seconded by Daniel Taramona, owner of Tara Tours of Miami. "Argentina and Chile are sold out for December, January and part of February," he said. "It's unbelievable!"
But all is not lost. Few locales in the region are as busy as Buenos Aires, and in any case many tour operators have hotel rooms locked up under contract in the Argentine capital for their package clients.
The United Nations' World Tourism Organization reports that Central America sustained its double-digit growth in international arrivals in the first four months of 2006; South America, while slowing, still posted such robust gains as 16 percent for Peru and 12 percent for Argentina.
Travel to Argentina has been booming since the peso was devalued five years ago, making visits to that country much cheaper for Americans. Other South American nations also have been enjoying a spike in U.S. visitation.
A noticeable trend in travel to the south is that Americans are becoming more sophisticated travelers, travel agents say. "They're choosing more exotic destinations, like Nazca in Peru and Patagonian Chile," said Futura's Lubian. Beatriz Cabrera of Maxima Travel, a travel agency in Wellington, Fla., says she recently booked travel for clients who went hunting and camping in the Argentine pampas.
Add to that the offbeat appeal of Chile's new World Heritage sites - Humberstone and Santa Laura in the north, both former saltpeter works, and Sewell, an old mining town in the south. "We've also seen an increase in small luxury lodge hotels, like Explora and Remota. At least 10 of them," added Pablo Retumal, director for North America Chile Tourism.
Central America, too, is busy. "Costa Rica is always full," said the Travel Center's Lubin, "though flight costs have doubled." Panama, Nicaragua and the Honduran island of Roatan also are burgeoning destinations, travel agents say.
Space on airlines heading south is getting tight. American Airlines enjoyed a record number of passengers from Miami to Central and South America in 2005, "and we will pass that this year," said Martha Pantin, American's spokeswoman in Miami.
"In fact," Pantin said, "passengers were only allowed to take prescribed luggage aboard in early December. No extra bags, even if they would pay for them."
The airline has resumed its seasonal thrice-weekly nonstops from Miami to Montevideo, and this month is adding second flights from Miami to Rio de Janeiro and La Paz and a fourth flight to Sao Paulo. It flies more than 1,000 seats a day from Miami to Buenos Aires.
Following is a sampling of travel packages to Central and South America. Prices are starting prices per person, double occupancy, unless otherwise stated, and are subject to availability of lodging and flights, change without notice, booking deadlines, minimum stay requirements, blackout dates, higher holiday fares and certain other restrictions. They may or may not include taxes, service charges, fuel surcharges and airport fees.
Girls-only weekends: Hilton Latin America offers a girls-only weekend with upgraded accommodations, daily breakfast, one beauty treatment per person and late checkout on Saturdays and Sundays. This Spoil Yourself package is valid for stays Friday to Sunday through Dec. 31, 2007, with a minimum stay of two nights, at Hilton's nine South American hotels. Rates begin at $140 per room per night, double occupancy, at the Hilton Barquisimeto in Venezuela. Rates at other Hilton hotels run from $90 to $165. Book with code PR04SY. 800-HILTONS; www.hilton.com .
Basic Buenos Aires: www.go-today.com offers a five-night package from Miami, including roundtrip flights, arrival transfer, daily breakfast, hotel taxes and service charge, and airline fuel surcharge starting at $749. Unless you are a masochist, however, don't book the $749 package, which requires that you take a morning flight with so many layovers and changes of planes that getting to Buenos Aires may take more than 24 hours. Pay $175 more for the overnight flight and you get a sixth night in B.A. Upgraded hotels available at higher prices. Package is valid Feb. 1-March 31, 2007, but must be booked by Dec. 14. 800-227-3235; www.go-today.com .
Carnival in Rio: Have you always wanted to witness one of the world's great carnivals? This Feb. 16-21 package includes roundtrip air from Miami to Rio, transfers, five nights lodging, daily breakfast, a city tour, and two evening tickets with seat reservation at International Sector 9. Price is $2,200 plus tax per person. Maxima World Travel Services. 561-214-4990; www.maximaworldtravel.com .
Costa Rica: A seven-night package includes roundtrip air from Miami to San Jose, lodging, arrival transfer, seven-day rental of four-wheel-drive vehicle and daily breakfast. Prices start at $689. Package valid Jan. 14-March 31. 800-227-3235; www.go-today.com .
Panama: This package includes roundtrip air from Miami, six nights at the Royal Decameron resort, an all-inclusive, for $880. Package is valid from March to November. Tara Tours, 305-278-4464 or 800-327-0080; www.taratours.com .