4-7 market focus 24/11/08 16:31 Page 4
Market Knowledge
Flying
colours
DAVE RICHARDSON reports
on the latest
developments and
2004 - £2,050
key issues facing
2005 - £1,960
the continent
2006 - £2,180
Rising...
Average 2007 - £2,330
package
price per
person
2008 - £2,581
SOURCE: LATA
L
atin America is often described as UK arrivals for Mexico in 2007 were static –
the “last frontier”, as generally it gets around 259,107. This figure is the combined visitor
less attention than Asia, Africa and numbers from regular flights (56,635) and charter
other popular long-haul regions. flights (202,472). Manuel Diaz Cebrian, Mexico
Consumer demand is rising, and UK Tourism Board UK director, blames a shortage of
tour operators have a wider range of itineraries flights: “We are trying to keep Mexico in people’s
than ever. But Latin America is being held back by minds, and doing a lot of work with operators
a lack of promotion and high air fares compared including taxi advertising with Thomas Cook.”
with other parts of the world. No other country comes close in terms of
Only Mexico and Brazil have standalone numbers. Brazil is in second place with 177,000
tourist offices in the UK, although other countries arrivals from the UK in 2007, but there has been
such as Peru and Argentina use representation little growth in recent years. A First Choice charter
companies. Mexico still receives a high volume to Salvador was terminated in October.
of charters into Cancun, although flights to But Chris Fuzinatto, UK director of the Brazilian
Puerto Vallarta have been scrapped. Tourist Office, is upbeat. British Airways is
providing a welcome increase in air capacity,
and roadshows were held for agents in five UK
and Irish cities in October.
Up-to-the-minute travel news,
“Charters helped the UK market to grow, but
competitions and more... visit
they have had problems because of fuel prices and
www.ttglive.com
taxes,” he says. “We hope to have a £2 million
budget for joint promotions with operators, and
roadshows are good for agents.”
4
TTG Knowledge LATIN AMERICA November 2008
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