AMERICAS & CARIBBEAN
AMERICAS & CARIBBEAN INBOUND TRENDING DESTINATIONS Hermitage bay Antigua Mingling with the locals as the sun sets at Shirley’s Heights THE BEACH IS JUST THE BEGINNING Antigua Barbuda offers a wide diversity of attractions and authentic experiences Celebrating 35 years of independence after British rule, the Antigua Barbuda Tourism Authority is promoting “authentic experiences”. We asked Jean-Marc Flambert, Vice-President, Sales & Marketing, UK & Europe to tell us more… Antigua and Barbuda are gems in the Caribbean and possibly not known enough. Being a former British colony, the British know the islands rather well, but we are really trying to share this message globally. We have 365 beaches in Antigua – as we say, one for every day of the year, and we talk about Barbuda as our twin island. We are only seven and a half hours from Europe, and we are very well connected, with BA and Virgin, Thomas Cook from Manchester and Condor from and we also of course have American and regional carriers. Our regional strength comes from the fact that Antigua is really a hub for the Caribbean, and our airport is very modern and efficient. People predominantly come to relax, for the warmth and guaranteed sunshine, and for the twin island experience. A lot of people dream of island hopping, and if that means crossing international borders, the process can be cumbersome and lengthy. But travellers can take a fifteenminute flight from Antigua to Barbuda as a domestic flight and spend the day there, and we have other islands within our territorial waters. What are some of the key attractions? The area around English Harbour has just been given UNESCO World Heritage status, as it is the longest running naval dockyard in the world, so that is a good reason to visit, and there are many ‘different’ sea-based activities, such as swimming with the stingrays. On land, there’s hiking & cycling – in fact you can cycle around the whole island in a day. Importantly, at Shirley’s Heights lookout point, every Sunday, the place comes alive with a steel band, barbecue and sunset drinks – an activity that the Antiguans do – and you are invited to join… it’s not an artificial thing just for tourists. You get to meet the people of the island and live as they do • Jean-Marc Flambert Vice-President, Sales & Marketing, UK & Europe, Antigua Barbuda Tourism Authority
Hotel & Tourism SMARTreport #32 2016 Winter Edition 29 Ada Tours, based in Rio de Janeiro, have come up with a new “guide” on the top trending places to go in Latin America. Their general manager Anna Avanesova gave us the “run down”… TRENDING IN LATIN AMERICA The 2016/17 bucket-list of top places to go in South and Central America Anna Avanesova General Manager, Ada Tours 1 / Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Rio is the happiest city on earth and holds one of the seven wonders – the Christ statue. It also has beautiful beaches, great food, warm and welcoming people. 2 / Iguazu Falls, Argentina/ Brazil The world’s widest – Iguazu falls – is one of the great natural wonders of the world and one of the most breath-taking sights on earth, featuring more than 250 waterfalls surrounded by tropical jungle. 3 / Machu Picchu, Peru – Hidden high within Peru’s green Andes Mountains, this mythical city remained a secret for ages. Today it’s South America’s bestknown archaeological site. 4 / Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina The huge wall of ice is spectacular in the spring and summer, when huge chunks melt off the glacier and crash down into the water. 5 / Galapagos Islands, Ecuador See giant turtles and species you won’t find anywhere else in the world on he beautiful volcanic island surrounded by the deep blue sea. 6 / Easter Island, Chile Around 1000 mythical ancient Moai statues are scattered throughout the island. Locals welcome visitors with a flower necklace “Polynesian style”. 7 / Chichen Itza, Mexico The most famous Mayan temple near Cancun, built on a strong energetic spot of the earth served as the political and economic centre of the Mayan civilisation. 8 / Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia, Chile The beautiful mountains of Torres del Paine dominate the scenery of what’s often been called South America’s finest national park. 9 / Angel Falls, Venezuela Nestled within the adventurous land of Canaima there are dozens of Tepuis – huge flattopped mountains where animals and plants were found that don’t exist anywhere else on earth. From one of the Tepuis, the great Angel Falls, the world’s highest waterfalls, tumble down. This astonishing cascade is 19 times higher than Niagara Falls. 10 / Uyuni Salt Desert, Bolivia Drive your 4x4 over the 200 km white salt desert. When it rains, the clouds are reflected on the water-filled salt, creating out-ofearth landscapes • Perito Moreno, Santa Cruz, Argentina Salto Angel (Angel Falls), Venezuela Tortuga Bay, Galápagos islands, Ecuador © Cinir © Benedict Adam © Diego Delso
