South America travel tips

Twelve minutes. That’s all the time it took for the board of directors of Avianca, the second largest airline in Latin America, to set the fate of the carrier and begin a series of sweeping changes to the airline industry in the region.

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AmaWaterways is delaying the launch of its new river cruises in Colombia.

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February was a relatively quiet month in terms of travel advisory updates from the U.S. State Department.

Tourists will struggle to visit Machu Picchu in the near-term because protestors have for days blocked access — with no end in sight. Peru’s government on Tuesday suspended talks with protesters.

Are you considering planning a trip to South America? Home to incredible natural wonders, including some of the oldest rainforests, the largest waterfall and the driest desert in the world, along with glaciers and the biodiverse Galapagos Islands, this continent has an allure all its own. 

The bilateral meetings further provided the President and the Secretary General with an opportunity to extend ICAO’s gratitude to Peru for its generous and continuous hosting of the organization since 1948.

With landscapes ranging from glaciers to deserts and home to every adventure activity imaginable, it’s no surprise that Latin America is a prime destination for trekkers. If you’re planning a trip, you’re covered with this travel gear for Latin America list. Whether hiking on glaciers in Argentina, trekking to Machu Picchu in Peru, driving 4WD through the deserts of Chile, or swimming with sea lions in the Galápagos, you’ll be ready for any adventure.

Nestled in the heart of Central America, Belize offers more than just pristine beaches and crystal-clear waters. Inland Belize, particularly the area surrounding San Ignacio, beckons adventure seekers and nature enthusiasts with its lush jungles, ancient Mayan ruins, and vibrant local culture. San Ignacio: A Gateway to Inland Adventures

Peru has announced plans to introduce a digital nomad visa. It will enable remote workers to stay in the country for 365 days, with the possibility to extend.

A big focus in Belize at the moment is Responsible Tourism in the Belize Barrier Reef, which is the world’s second largest reef and continuing to protect the reef for future generations. The coral reef is a very fragile ecosystem, and visitors to Belize can help to preserve these living reefs for the protection and enjoyment of future generations in many ways. The Lionfish, with its striking appearance and venomous spines, is an invasive species that poses a significant threat to the Caribbean’s underwater biodiversity. This damaging species has quickly become a prolific predator, consuming native fish and disrupting the delicate balance of marine ecosystems. Their rapid reproduction rates and lack of natural predators in the Caribbean have led to their population explosion, further exacerbating the damage they cause.

Belize is home to a kaleidoscope of natural beauty, incredible history and some of the world’s most remarkable wildlife, marine life and natural wonders. With a modest population of 380,000 people, visitors can marvel at Belize’s outstanding beauty and explore some of its most intriguing undiscovered locations without seeing another soul for miles. From hiking to Mayan sites and snorkelling through the enchanting Belize Barrier Reef (the largest in the northern hemisphere), to admiring the exotic birds and immersing oneself in the sounds of the lush rainforest, Belize is the perfect destination for those adventurers, solo travellers, couples, or families keen to disconnect and reconnect to the natural world. Here are five of the unmissable natural wonders Belize has to offer:

This week free-market candidate Javier Milei won the Presidency in Argentina in a sweeping 55% of the vote victory and his core election promises were to abolish the Peso and introduce the Dollar, slash public spending and generally liberalize the economy. If he proceeds with this agenda what will that mean for the tourism sector – inbound, outbound and domestic – in what is Latin America’s biggest economy? How quickly could we see changes? How relevant is this to international tourism sector?

This is part of our global guide to the Best Places to Go in 2024—find more travel inspiration here.

Quito Turismo was in the spotlight for yet another year with its participation in World Travel Market, which took place in London on 6-8 November. This internationally renowned event has been a key opportunity to show the full range of tourism, cultural and gastronomic attractions the city has to offer. During the fair, Quito Turismo held more than 50 meetings with media and agents from the tourism sector, with the aim of establishing strategic alliances to promote Quito’s novelties and charms. Ten interviews were also successfully conducted with various international media channels, in addition to destination presentations that targeted more than 10 international media, providing the opportunity to learn about the destination first-hand.

The finest travel brands from across the Caribbean and the Americas have been unveiled at a glittering Gala Ceremony in Saint Lucia. The industry elite travelled from across the region to the paradise island for the World Travel Awards (WTA) Caribbean & The America’s Gala Ceremony 2023 to find out who amongst them had been crowned best of the best.

South America’s Guyana, one of the most densely forested areas in the world, has piqued the interest of U.S. adventure seekers with its remote expedition appeal. 

Peru’s post-pandemic recovery will take longer than expected because of the violent political protests that started in December. As the protests continue, the country’s competitiveness as a tourist destination is at risk if the political situation isn’t resolved and images of unrest and chaos stay in the international spotlight.

Colombia’s civil aviation authority, Aerocivil, is taking a new look at the proposed merger of Avianca and Viva Air following what it described as a “substantial irregularity” in its initial review. That process, which concluded in November, rejected the airlines’ combination due to competition concerns.

The potential merger of Avianca and Viva Air took a small step forward Wednesday when the former partially accepted the conditions laid out by the Colombian government for the combination of the country’s largest and third largest airlines.