CHILE: LATAM Files For U.S. Bankruptcy Protection Seeking Emergency Reorganization Due To The Pandemic.

LATAM Airlines Group has sought chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States as the company seeks to reorganise in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Affiliates in Chile, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador are all involved in the move.

Colombian carrier Avianca took a similar step earlier this month.

LATAM entered the Covid-19 pandemic as a healthy and profitable airline group, yet exceptional circumstances have led to a collapse in global demand and has not only brought aviation to a virtual standstill.

But it has also changed the industry for the foreseeable future, says Roberto Alvo, chief executive of LATAM.

We have implemented a series of difficult measures to mitigate the impact of this unprecedented industry disruption, but ultimately this path represents the best option to lay the right foundation for the future of our airline group.

We are looking ahead to a post-Covid-19 future and are focused on transforming our group to adapt to a new and evolving way of flying, with the health and safety of our passengers and employees being paramount.”

LATAM laid off 1,800 employees out of over 40,000 in the lead-up to its bankruptcy filing.

The group said it had secured the financial support of shareholders, including the Cueto and Amaro families, and Qatar Airways, to provide up to $900 million in debtor-in-possession financing.

In addition, as of the filing for voluntary protection, the group had approximately US$$1.3 billion in cash on hand.

The chapter 11 financial reorganisation process is a legal framework under which LATAM, and its affiliates, will have the opportunity to resize operations to the new demand environment.

LATAM said it was also in discussions with the governments of Chile, Brazil, Colombia and Peru to assist in sourcing additional financing, protect jobs where possible and minimise disruption to its operations.

Faced with the biggest crisis in the history of aviation, the Board has approved this path forward having analysed all the available alternatives to ensure the sustainability of the group.

As we have adapted to new realities in the past, we are confident that LATAM will be able to succeed in the post-Covid-19 context and continue to serve Latin America, connecting the region with the world, said Ignacio Cueto, chairman of LATAM board of directors.

LATAM Airlines, the largest Latin American air transport group, had losses of $2.12 billion in the first quarter after an accounting adjustment of its assets amid the coronavirus pandemic, the company said in a statement late on Friday.

LATAM said its operational quarterly result was 17% higher year-on-year despite the fact that in March it reduced its offer of flights due to the first effects of the health crisis.

The firm mainly attributed the loss to a goodwill impairment loss of $1.73 billion as a result of the pandemic, the statement said.

The accounting loss is a natural consequence of the impact that COVID-19 has had over the entire industry, where inevitably the assets of airlines are devalued due to the impossibility of operating, CEO Roberto Alvo said in the statement.

Revenue from ordinary activities fell 6.8% to $2.266 billion between January and March.

LATAM filed for U.S. bankruptcy protection on Tuesday, becoming the world’s largest carrier so far to seek an emergency reorganization due to the pandemic.

LATAM Airlines Group S.A. is an airline holding company headquartered in Santiago, Chile. It is considered the largest airline in Latin America with subsidiaries in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Peru.

Although LATAM Airlines' headquarters are located in Chile, the carrier is an American depositary receipt and trades on both the Santiago Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange.

The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States on May 26, 2020 due to economic problems attributed to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on aviation.

Chile's LAN Airlines and Brazil's TAM Airlines signed a non-binding agreement to merge on 13 August 2010, followed by a binding agreement on 19 January 2011 and papers to close the merger on 22 June 2012, with TAM Airlines’ shareholders agreeing to the takeover by LAN Airlines.

Enrique Cueto, former CEO of LAN, became the CEO of LATAM;[16] Mauricio Rolim Amaro, formerly vice-chairman of TAM, became LATAM chairman.

CHINA: Most Dangerous Zoo In The World Where Tourists Are Cagged And Animals Visit Them!

The Lehe Ledu Wildlife Zoo in the city of Chongqing in China has turned the traditional concept of a zoo on its head by caging its visitors instead of the resident animals.

People pay to get inside a cage at the back of a truck, which is driven into an open habitat where big cats, as well as bears in other areas, roam ‘free’.

Chunks of fresh meat are tied to the outside of a vehicle, which drives through the enclosure, in a bid to attract the predators and give tourists the closest possible dining experience with them without becoming dinner themselves.

What makes all of this even more unusual is the fact that the caged visitors can hand-feed the wild cats, including lions, Bengal tigers and white tigers, through a small opening at the top of the meh.

This draws the predators and images show the large cats up against and even on top of the cage as tourists push meat on a stick through the small opening at the top.

Critics say this is simply an accident waiting to happen, as the tigers’ claws, for example, get so close to the people inside the cages.

Only in China would such an out-there idea come to fruition. The country has been known for some of its outlandish occurrences like the giant moon that recently rolled through the city of Fuzhou, sharks and crocodiles for sale at Walmart and a variety of comical English translations on t-shirts.

So, it seems to be no surprise that the Lehe Ledu wildlife zoo offers such a strange experience, allowing humans to be caged and observe the animals as they freely roam.

The founders of the zoo say that they wanted to create an experience where visitors could feel the thrill of being stalked by a large animal without taking any actual risks.

They wanted to turn the traditional zoo experience around, and people are taking a huge liking to the idea. In fact, tickets to the park are being booked up months in advance as the demand is so high.

Animals included are White Tigers, Bengal Tigers, and Bears who are lured by live chickens and actual cuts of meats. As many pictures show, the animals will approach the caged vehicle and climb onto the sides to reach the meat, giving spectators a full on view.

Those inside the cage are warned by zoo officials to keep their fingers and toes inside as they could easily be mistaken for food by the animals.

The concept is bringing in local Chinese tourists from all over the country as well as international tourists who want to experience it too.

While the overwhelming majority find the zoo to be a fantastic idea, there are people out there saying that it’s an accident waiting to happen.

However, animal lovers have mostly good things to say as they feel that the zoo gives the animals a much better life than the traditional enclosures of zoos around the world. It also gives visitors an opportunity to understand how animals in captivity may feel.

On the flip side, extreme animal activists still believe that the practice is cruel as the animals have been taken out of their natural environments. These activists also argue that it’s inhumane to bait the animals and then watch them as a form of entertainment.

For now, the zoo still remains one of China’s top up-and-coming attractions since it opened in 2015. People are still flocking there to have a unique experience that they feel is both thrilling and educational.

If you’re thinking about checking out the zoo, there are plenty of other things for you to do while visiting Chongqing. Dig deeper into the industrial services and you will find some quirky attractions to fill in your visit to the zoo.

Venture and explore:

• Zhou Enlai’s Former Residence: Once working alongside Mao Zedong, this member of the Communist Party held residence in Chongqing along the Jialing River. His home has since been preserved and now serves as a museum that is open to the public.

• Foreigner Street: Considered an area for entertainment and amusement, it’s the place to go if you want to find shopping and foreign owned businesses. There is an Australian bar, and upside down house, church and apparently the world’s biggest public restroom.

• The Pedestrian Street: It’s located in the affluent downtown area amongst the skyscrapers and business centers. However, it is a gem full of shops, malls, high-end hotels and shopping centers.

• Three Gorges Museum: A museum showing off the Ba minority culture and life in Chongqing back in the Qing Dynasty.

• Zha Zi Dong: A prison from the 1940s that previously held more than 200 Communist prisoners who were killed at the end of the war in 1949.

• Red Rock Village: The spot where Mao Zedong negotiated with Jiang Jieshi. There is an exhibit center available here for those who wish to learn a little more about the history.

• Ciqikou: A river town that shows off the architecture of a Chongqing from the past. There are old streets and little shops selling tourist souvenirs amongst the functioning homes of locals and pretty views.


Tourism Observer

VENEZUELA: Venezuela Tourism Is Trouble As Venezuelans Flee The Country Because Of Economic Hardships

Venezuelan migrants face difficulties when entering bordering countries, including the risk of human trafficking, while attempting to flee from economic problems back home.

Since the oil price crash of 2014, hyperinflation forced at least 2.3 million Venezuelans to leave the country.

The conflicts between Venezuelan migrants and local residents caused Brazilian president Michel Temer to send the army in an attempt to ensure safety in the region two weeks ago.

On Tuesday, Temer signed a decree to deploy soldiers for two weeks along the federal roads of Roraima, which borders the south of Venezuela.

These soldiers will reportedly ensure the security of Brazilians as well as thee migrants from crisis-hit Venezuela.

And in Peru, Venezuelan migrants are required to provide passports instead of national ID cards to enter.

It's reported that Peru witnessed a 50 percent drop in the number of migrants on the first day the new rule was implemented.

Those who could not provide passports could only enter the country by seeking asylum.

Similar measures were taken in Ecuador, only to be overturned by a court ruling.

The exodus is more disastrous for those who want to seek new lives in Colombia, the north part of which borders their home country.

A report issued on Wednesday by The Ideas for Peace Foundation (FIP), said sex trafficking of Venezuelan migrants is particularly rife along Colombia's northern borders where criminal gangs and guerrilla groups are active.

It's very difficult for Venezuelan migrants because they come across major illegal groups who take advantage of their vulnerability. We've heard several testimonies of the sexual exploitation and trafficking of women, Juan Carlos Garzon, head of the FIP said.

Child migrants are being trafficked into forced begging in Colombia, according to children's charity Terre des Hommes.

The charity surveyed more than 900 people, mostly Venezuelan migrants, along with the border in August.

Colombia is to step up efforts to manage the Venezuelan migrant crisis by asking the United Nations to intervene, Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo said on Wednesday.

We're going to continue to request the appointment of a special envoy to coordinate a multilateral action to combat this humanitarian crisis, Holmes Trujillo told Blu Radio.

Holmes Trujillo said the government would submit a proposal at the UN General Assembly in New York next month, while also pushing for the creation of a multilateral emergency fund to support the hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans risking perilous conditions to flee the economic crisis in their homeland.

Colombia has already called on its southern neighbors, Ecuador and Peru, to agree on a common strategy to address the problem.

More than two million people have fled food and medicine shortages as well as collapsing public services in Venezuela, the UN says.

More than a million have entered Colombia in the last 16 months alone as President Nicolas Maduro's Venezuela grapples with a four-year recession and hyperinflation.

But Ecuador and Peru last week announced tightened border control measures, meaning thousands of Venezuelans have got stuck in Colombia, unable to continue their journey south.

Colombia has given temporary residence to more than 800,000 Venezuelans, but many of those hope to travel further afield to Peru, Chile and even Argentina.

Around half of them aren't carrying passports but both Ecuador and Peru have said that will be a requirement now to enter their countries.

Colombia's migration director, Christian Kruger, said he was worried about the consequences of such a move.

Asking for a passport isn't going to stop migration because they're leaving their country not out of choice but out of necessity, he said.

Ecuador announced on Tuesday it would organize a meeting of 13 Latin American countries to discuss the migrant crisis, with Venezuela invited alongside those most affected and regional giants such as Brazil, Argentina and Mexico.

Relations between Venezuela and Colombia have been strained recently. Maduro blamed Colombia for a drone assassination attempt on him in early August, while Colombia accused Venezuelan soldiers of border incursion earlier this week.

Brazil's President Michel Temer has sent troops to the border town of Pacaraima after residents clashed with Venezuelan migrants, driving them out of makeshift camps.

Following the decision, Temer met key ministers, including those of defense and public security, amid regional tensions rose over the exodus from Venezuela.

The situation in Pacaraima, on the opposite side of the border to the Venezuelan town of Santa Elena de Uairen, was calm early Sunday, partly because locals managed to force out Venezuelans living on the streets.

More than 1,200 Venezuelan migrants returned to Venezuela after Saturday's violence, said a spokesman for a Brazilian migration task force.

The city looks deserted today, it's very quiet because police reinforcements have arrived and the markets are reopening said a local in the town of around 12,000, who wished to be anonymous.

The public security ministry announced it was sending a contingent of 60 troops to join teams in the area on Monday.

Tens of thousands of Venezuelans have crossed the border into Brazil over the past three years.

The latest tensions began early Saturday, hours after a local merchant was robbed and severely beaten in an incident blamed on Venezuelan suspects, in Pacaraima, where an estimated 1,000 immigrants had been living on the street.

Dozens of locals then attacked the immigrants' two makeshift camps and burned their belongings, forcing the Venezuelans back across the border. Shots were fired, stores were shuttered and debris littered the streets.

It was terrible, they burned the tents and everything that was inside, said Carol Marcano, a Venezuelan who works in Boa Vista and was on the border returning from Venezuela. "There were shots, they burned rubber tires."

Roraima state Governor Suely Campos made a plea to temporarily close the border and asked the national government to send security reinforcements to "face the increase in crime" she links to Venezuelans in the region, particularly in the capital Boa Vista.

Meanwhile, Venezuela called on Brazil Saturday to provide "corresponding guarantees to Venezuelan nationals and take measures to safeguard and secure their families and belongings."

Tensions are rising in Latin America over migration triggered by the crises in Venezuela and in Nicaragua.

Peru and Ecuador are halting immigrants at the border by requiring them to present passports, which many lack, instead of identity cards.

Last week alone, 20,000 Venezuelans entered Peru, authorities said. On Sunday, 18 undocumented Venezuelans were detained in the capital Lima, according to police.

Brazil closed its northern border on Monday to block the entry of Venezuelans.

The measure followed Sunday’s decision by federal judge Helder Barreto in the northern Brazilian state of Roraima, on the Venezuelan border, to put a stop to the entry of more Venezuelans until a greater number of immigrants from the economically beset nation are transferred elsewhere in Brazil.

Barreto on Sunday ordered the border closed until the frontier state of Roraima can create humanitarian conditions to receive the massive and disorderly influx.

But the injunction has not gone into effect yet pending an appeal by Brazilian government lawyers.

According to the judge, the measure applies to land crossings at the border, not air or sea arrivals.

Over the last three years, tens of thousands of Venezuelans have arrived in Roraima, overwhelming social services and causing a humanitarian crisis with families sleeping in the streets amid rising crime and prostitution.

The state government on Thursday decreed Venezuelans seeking medical and other social services in Roraima would have to present a valid passport, which many of the refugees do not have.

Barreto ruled that such a measure was discriminatory and countered Brazilian laws. He suspended a provision that would allow the deportation or expulsion of Venezuelan immigrants who committed illegal acts and ordered the vaccination of those admitted to Brazil.

However, he ordered the suspension of the entry of Venezuelans into Roraima until the state can reach an equilibrium between the arrival of migrants and their exit to other parts of Brazil.

Following recommendations by the UN refugee agency UNHCR, the Brazilian Air Force in early May began airlifting Venezuelan immigrants from Roraima for resettlement in other cities of Brazil.

To date, some 820 Venezuelans have been flown out of Boa Vista, the state capital, by the Air Force.

But state officials say more than 500 Venezuelans cross into Brazil every day on average and many stay in Roraima because they cannot afford to move on.

Brazil’s federal government has declined requests by Roraima’s governor to close the border. Solicitor General Grace Mendonça renewed an appeal to the Supreme Court on Monday to suspend the state decree restricting services for Venezuelans, saying it interfered with federal powers.


Tourism Observer

CHILE: JetSMART To Expand Into Argentina

JetSMART will expand into Argentina in December, and plans to launch domestic service as soon as mid-2019.

The airline has embarked on the process of obtaining an air operator's certificate in Argentina, and expects to begin sales in early 2019 for flights beginning mid-2019, JetSMART chief executive Estuardo Ortiz says.

The domestic service in Argentina will follow the airline's launch of flights between Chile and Argentina from December, with five routes planned.

JetSMART began flights in Chile in July 2017.

It will connect Santiago with Mendoza from 11 December, followed by Cordoba on 14 December. On 17 December, it will begin service between La Serena and Cordoba.

Flights between La Serena and Mendoza will launch 18 December. On 2 January, service between Santiago and Buenos Aires El Palomar will begin.

Despite a deluge of airline interest in Argentina following the liberalisation of the aviation industry in the country, Ortiz says JetSMART is bullish about the market.

It's a large market in terms of population and geography, he explains. We believe that with the recent progress made by the government to remove the fare floor, it will allow us to offer low fares to stimulate the market.

Argentina removed a minimum fare rule in August, allowing airlines to price their fares freely, in a move that was welcomed by all carriers.

Ortiz believes there is enormous potential to stimulate air travel in Argentina, pointing to the lower number of trips per capita compared to other more mature Latin American aviation markets like Chile and Colombia.

We see potential for the market to grow two to three-fold, Ortiz says.

JetSMART currently operates mostly within Chile, with a lone international route to Lima. It has a fleet of five Airbus A320s but will add another six by early 2019 for a total of 11. In the second half of 2019, it will add eight A320neos that will be leased.

The airline's owner Indigo Partners firmed up an order for A320neo family aircraft in late 2017, including 70 aircraft for JetSMART.

Deliveries of these will begin in 2021, says Ortiz.


Tourism Observer

Enjoy Churrasco

Churrasco is a Spanish and Portuguese term referring to beef or grilled meat more generally, differing across Latin America and Europe, but a prominent feature in the cuisine of Uruguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Nicaragua, Peru and other Latin American countries.

The related term churrascaria or churrasqueria is mostly understood to be a steakhouse.

A churrascaria is a restaurant serving grilled meat, many offering as much as one can eat.

The waiters move around the restaurant with the skewers, slicing meat onto the client's plate.

This serving style is called espeto corrido or rodízio, and is quite popular in Brazil.

In Brazil, churrasco is the term for a barbecue similar to the Argentine, Uruguayan, Paraguayan and Chilean asado which originated in southern Brazil.

It uses a variety of meats, pork, sausage and chicken which may be cooked on a purpose-built churrasqueira, a barbecue grill, often with supports for spits or skewers.

Portable churrasqueiras are similar to those used to prepare the Argentine, Chilean, Paraguayan and Uruguayan asado, with a grill support, but many Brazilian churrasqueiras do not have grills.Only the skewers above the embers.

The meat may alternatively be cooked on large metal or wood skewers resting on a support or stuck into the ground and roasted with the embers of charcoal, wood may also be used, especially in the State of Rio Grande do Sul.

In Nicaragua, the first immigrant group to introduce the term for this cut of beef to the United States restaurant scene in Miami, Fl as early as the 1950s.

It refers to a thin steak prepared grilled and served with a traditional chimichurri sauce- macerated parsley, garlic, peppers, and olive oil sauce.

Although seldom accredited to Brazilians and Argentinians, these two nations' most popular cuts of grilled meats are not churrasco but Rib and Picanha (Brazil) and Entrana respectively.

In Argentina and Uruguay a churrasco refers to any boneless cut of beef that is sliced slightly thin as a steak and grilled over hot coals or on a very hot skillet.

Gauchos would have grilled churrasco as part of their asado, now the national dish of both countries, served with salad and fried or mashed potatoes, and sometimes a fried egg.

In Puerto Rico it always refers to skirt steak, cooked on a barbecue grill. The chimichurri sauce is optional, since the meat is very savory with just a slight hint of sea salt that is sprinkled over the meat during cooking.

It is also customary to replace chimichurri sauce with a guava rum sauce made with spices and 7up or Ajilimojili sauce.

In Ecuador churrasco is a staple food of the Coast Region, specially Guayaquil. The dish's main ingredient is the grilled steak that is seasoned with chimichurri, it is served with plantains, white rice, French fries, a fried egg, and slices of avocado.

In Guatemala, churrasco is regarded as a typical dish, often eaten in familiar gatherings and festive occasions.

It is usually served topped with chirmol, a red sauce containing chopped tomatoes and onions, and accompanied by corn, guacamole, grilled potatoes, stewed black beans, rice and tortillas.

In Chile, churrasco refers to a thin cut of steak which varies depending on the desired quality of the sandwich.

The slices are grilled and served in a -sometimes warmed- local bun called marraqueta, or pan batido in Valparaiso, usually accompanied with tomato, avocado and mayonnaise, in the case of a churrasco italiano.

Another popular dish, churrasco a lo pobre or poor man's churrasco, consists of a churrasco served with French fries, fried egg, and caramelized onions.

In Portugal, Frango de Churrasco with piri piri a kind of salty roasted chicken cooked on the churrasqueira, spiced with hot red chili sauce is very popular.

Portuguese churrasco and chicken dishes are very popular in countries with Portuguese communities, such as Canada, Australia, the United States, Venezuela and South Africa.

The term churrasco is used in former Portuguese colonies—a Churrasco Moçambicano is a grilled meat dish from Mozambique, for instance.

In Galicia, churrasco refers almost exclusively to grilled pork or beef spare-ribs.

Galicians who emigrated to America in the 20th century took with them the recipe for churrasco.

Nowadays, many Galicians of all social classes prepare a churrascada.

In North America, Churrasco is the trademark name for rotisserie/grills manufactured by Hickory Industries, Inc.


Tourism Observer

ARGENTINA: Tierra del Fuego

The province of Tierra del Fuego shares borders with Chile to both the West and the South and with the Atlantic Ocean to the North and to the East. It may be reached by land through the National Road N° 3 or by air, taking a flight to the “Gob. Ramón Trejo Noel” Airport in Río Grande or the

Known as the southernmost city in the world, Ushuaia is 3.171 Kms far from Buenos Aires. Tierra del Fuego - "Fireland" - is an archipelago formed by the Isla Grande and hundreds of minor islands until Cape Horn. It is the last visit before starting navigation towards The Antartida. Catamaran sails through the Beagle Channel, during which there is a chance of seeing the famous Les Éclaireurs lighthouse; an excellent gastronomy based on spider crab, shellfish and lamb; its winter center, Cerro Castor, featuring the most extended snow season (June to October); sport fishing; ecotourism at the parks and rides on the fabulous End of the World Train are just a few of the many options that turn Tierra del Fuego into an unforgettable experience.

The whole territory has permanent options to combine active tourism with nature. Tierra del Fuego National Park preserves species of sub-antartic forests, where live red foxes, guanacos, rabbits, beavers and condors. The observation of marine birds is another attraction, mainly at LaPataia Bay. Year after year, adventurers, explorers and climbers arrive from different parts of the world and they leave fascinated by the proposals that these lands offer.

Worship of Corn in El Salvador

The origin of the corn plant is still nowadays a mystery but its history can be traced more than 4,700 back in time.

In 1492 Christopher Columbus returned from a trip to Cuba, when his men informed him of the existence of a plant of dry grains which taste like flour and called "maiz" by the locals. The Spanish conquerors did not realize that corn was more precious than gold to the indigenous people, since it was their main food.

As time went by these corn plants were found all throughout the American continent from Canada to Chile. Spanish conquerors did not realize back then that this plant was even more precious than gold to the people, since it served as their main food.

Currently, there is not one country in the continent that does not cultivate corn and even countries in Asia have started to do so.

Every year during the second or third week of August Corn festivals are held; to thank the gods for the harvest - jut like our ancestors used to do. During the festival hundreds of meals from corn are made, among others: pupusas, riguas, tamales, atoles, etc.

Fastest Growing Tourists Destinations In The World

1. Paraguay (up 97 per cent to 1.28m)

2. Tajikistan (up 94 per cent to 414,000)

3. Niue (up 62.9 per cent to 10,000)

4. Japan (up 47.5 per cent to 20million)

5. Iceland (up 29.8 per cent to 1.3millon)

6. Bosnia and Herzegovina (up 28.2 per cent to 687,000)

7. Panama (up 22.4 per cent to 2.13million)

8. Thailand (up 22.3 per cent to 30.3million)

9. Chile (up 20.4 per cent to 4.5million)

10. Palau (up 19.2 per cent to 168,000)

11. Hungary (up 19.1 per cent to 14.5million)

12. Seychelles (up 18.7 per cent to 318,000)

13. Sri Lanka (up 17.8 per cent to 2.12million)

14. Cuba (up 17.3 per cent to 3.48million)

15. Colombia (up 17.2 per cent to 3million)

16. Oman (up 17 per cent to 1.78million)

17. Romania (up 16.9 per cent to 2.24million)

More and more people are expanding their horizons and exploring the world, new statistics show, but some locations are creating more of a buzz than others.

The United Nations World Travel Organization has released its latest Travel Barometer, featuring the countries where arrivals rose fastest in 2015.

PARAGUAY
Leading the pack was Paraguay where tourism grew a whopping 97 per cent in 2015, making it the fastest growing travel destination of last year, closely followed by Tajikistan which saw 94 per cent more visitors than the previous year.

The country stealing the title for the fastest growing destination when comparing tourism rates was awarded to Paraguay, which saw an estimated 1.28million visitors arrive - almost double the figures welcomed in 2014.

As well as receiving the fastest grower status for its 97 per cent increase, Paraguay became South America's eighth most visited country, falling slightly behind neighbours, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Uruguay.

The large country, which has an estimated population of around 6.8million people, is located between Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia, and is home to large areas of swampland, subtropical forests and beautiful rivers - including the Paraguay River.

TAJIKISTAN
Off the beaten track, Tajikistan became better known in 2015, with 414,000 tourists flocking to the country in Asia.

The home to 8.2million people, which borders Afghanistan, China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, saw a 94 per cent increase in the amount of visitors it received in 2015.

Known for its luscious green landscapes and rugged mountains used by hikers and climbers, the central Asian country took home the second spot for this year's fastest risers.

NIUE
Tiny island country, Niue, saw 62.9 per cent more visitors heading to its sands in the South Pacific Ocean in 2015.

Despite the increase only amounting to 3,000 people, this is more than double the population of people residing there - as only 1,109 were recorded living there when last check in 2014.

Niue, which is situated Northwest of New Zealand, is often referred to as 'The Rock' by local people - a spin off nickname from its traditional title 'Rock of Polynesia'.

JAPAN
Japan is packed up with high-rise buildings, imperial palaces and mountainous national parks - making it an obvious contender for one of the most popular destinations to visit

Filled with Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and cherry blossoms, Japan's popularity levels hit the roof in 2015 when they reached a 47.5 increase, seeing the amount of tourists visiting the country hit figures of around 20million people.

The large country, which has an estimated population of 127million people, is packed with high-rise buildings, imperial palaces and mountainous national parks - making it an obvious contender for one of the most popular destinations to visit.

The crowded capital lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia.

ICELAND
Iceland, the home place of mountains, hot springs, black-sand beaches and glaciers, was visited by 1.3million people over the year

Iceland's starring role in the latest Star Wars film - The Force Awakens - may have helped it slide into fifth place of the countries that welcomed extra tourists to their country in 2015.

The home place of mountains, hot springs, black-sand beaches and glaciers, was visited by 1.3million people over the year. As well as it's breathtaking beauty, the Nordic country, which is home to 323,002 people, also offers a renowned nightlife scene.

Ireland, another country to feature in the latest movie alongside Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford, saw a 14 per cent increase in arrivals.

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is made up of mountainous terrain, medieval villages and Muslim and Christian landmarks, placed sixth

Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is made up of mountainous terrain, medieval villages and Muslim and Christian landmarks, was placed sixth for a 28.2 per cent increase, taking its overall visitation figures for the year to 687,000 people.

PANAMA
Coming in seventh was Panama. The stunning white sands and clear sea country which links Central and South America saw 2.13million people explore its modern skyscrapers, casinos and nightclubs in 2015 - a 22.4 per cent increase from 2014.

THAILAND
Eighth and ninth places were awarded to Thailand - from a 22.3 per cent increase, taking its 2015 visitor total to 30.3 million - and Chile welcomed 4.5million guests in the 12 month period - a 20.4 per cent boost.

South-east Asia experienced a good year for figures. Not only did Thailand, a traveller favourite, welcome an additional five million visitors, but Laos saw a 14.2 per cent increase, Burma 13.3 per cent and the Philippines 11.1 per cent.

The mesmerising Palau in the South Pacific took home tenth place. The tiny island, which is home to just 27,000 people, was visited by 168,000 travellers - more than six times its population and a 19.2 per cent rise.

Making up the rest of the top 17 countries to earn a tourism increase of more than 15 per cent, was Hungary, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Cuba, Colombia, Oman and Romania.

Sri Lanka is a rugged land of rainforest, diverse wildlife and endless beaches - and last year it was visited by a huge 2.12million people

CHILE: Chile Is Global Astro-tourism Leader

Ana Castañeda, a tourism expert from the island of La Palma, spoke about her experience in the public sector on La Palma’s development of astronomy tourism and her vision of our destination as a Southern hemisphere leader in the field.

La Palma, in Spain’s Canary Islands, is leading the way in European astronomy tourism, with its programs to build awareness of the sky’s value, certification as a Starlight destination and the world’s first Starlight reserve, special stargazing accommodation options, and a network of astronomy lookout points.

Ana Castañeda, head of general issues at La Palma’s tourism service, visited Chile in September and gave a presentation on the development of the island’s astronomy tourism at the country’s First International Seminar on Astro-Tourism. She spoke with Turismo Chile at the event, explaining issues such as La Palma’s strategy to position itself as a leader in astronomy tourism, and her vision of Chile’s place in the field.

You visited Chile in 2010 from your home in La Palma – what was your goal?

-In 2009, International Year of Astronomy, Spain’s tourism industry suffered a crisis that hit La Palma hard, because we didn’t have any single product to set us apart; we were just promoting sun and sand, just like all the other Canary Islands. Based on that, and following the International Starlight Conference that had been held on the island in 2007, with the signing of the La Palma Starlight Declaration”, there was renewed emphasis on the need to create a product linked to the stars, which had been somewhat forgotten back then.

Thus, more value was placed on how the sky could be used as a tourist attraction, with the creation of working groups: a technical body and an institutional one with different groups involved. We went to international tourism fairs and looked for other destinations that offered astronomy tourism, to find out what they had developed, and where we could find information about it. At the International Tourism Fair in Spain (FITUR) we met representatives of Chile and Coquimbo Region, and started to make contact with them. The first thing we did was a visit to La Palma for the Coquimbo people in 2010, where they gave talks and held meetings to set up exchanges. We then scheduled another visit for us to go to Chile and find out about its astro-tourism in Coquimbo Region. So, late in 2010 I went with four other people to find out about initiatives in progress there.

We visited observatories, some astronomy accommodation options, and had work meetings and meetings with businesspeople from the region. That sparked the natural relationship between the two destinations. Meanwhile we got financing to do things on the island, as agreements were signed with the Ministry and the Canaries government at the end of that year, and in 2011 we started implementation, to generate astronomy-themed options and work on the product.

How did you find Chile for astronomy tourism, back then?

-It impressed us. We went home wanting to cry, as we had nothing at all, and you had so much. So far ahead.

We went to astronomy themed hotels, like Hostal Apuwara, and several tourism observatories, like Cruz del Sur, Mamalluca, and Collowara, and we saw scientific observatories, like Tololo.

The scientific side was not such a surprise, as we also have observatories like that in La Palma. More in terms of tourism we found that they already had an impressive network of observatories and that everyone was saying they had an amazing sky, that it was the best sky in the world. They were talking about the sky and the astro-tourism option with respect and wonder. People in the community were aware of it. We were amazed that people were talking like that, and the fact that they already had some initiatives for astronomy-themed restaurants and accommodation.

That’s almost six years ago. Had you come back to Chile?

-This is our first trip back. We’ve had a representative from Coquimbo visit us on the island for work meetings and at some seminars we’ve held, as we wanted our people also to become aware and see what was possible.

Now that you are here, do you feel that Chile has advanced?

-The road signage you have on the Gabriela Mistral Highway is impressive. Sure, there’s room for improvement, like what we took home from a meeting about signage for the observation elements closest to the specialized astronomy accommodation options. I’ve also seen new initiatives like Alfa Aldea, Mamalluca now has a new part, and there are small private initiatives. I’ve seen progress.

You’ve managed to make a lot of progress in a short time…

-When you have nothing it’s easy to stand out, because you see the projection. We have taken an important path, from having nothing to having what we have six years on. One of the main aspects is awareness building, for citizens and decision makers, as they are interested in astronomy tourism as an industry.

The work you have been doing has a major element of visibility…

-It was also something that came along at the right time. The creation of the Starlight Foundation gave visibility to the destinations they certify, as happened at La Palma. So they’ve made us a benchmark for Europe. People even came from Canada to see how we had integrated the theme. That’s helped us too. We went from not having a clear product to having something that has started to stand out, which made the regional government also get involved.

La Palma and Chile are two destinations that are not comparable in terms of size. Awareness building has been easier for us, because we’re so much smaller. Our astronomy tourism services are controlled, we know all about them and they’re in our action plan. For example, in municipal government we have applied the sky law, and they know that it has to be applied. We have been raising awareness that it is necessary and compulsory for years, as the observatories need it. The thing it, the result and visibility of that work, when set in a context of tourism, the infrastructure of the lookout points and the trails, together with integrated astronomy into companies and souvenir shops with merchandising, generates visibility for visiting tourists.

It’s an attractive area and has been covered heavily in the local press, and it’s also made a big splash with the Ministry of Tourism, which has given us a national award as an emerging destination for creating a star product. All that gets you a level of visibility that we didn’t have before. In politics and government people have taken this on board. Now emphasis is being placed on implementing the astro-tourism projects that were requested, like the observatory, and the observation cabin that is going to be built.

When you have a specific ephemeris, the leading destinations are always going to stand out, for instance as the best place in the world to observe the stars. Reports like that put us in the limelight and give us visibility. The national and international press have taken an extraordinary interest in astronomy tourism, and they started talk about Chile on the one hand and Spain on the other. It seems that astro-tourism is in fashion, and you have to take advantage of the trends.

In Europe people have always been looking at the stars, but we don’t know of any place that got certified, that built a market around that field. We’re also aware that it’s been a matter of circumstances and a bit of luck, as everything has worked out for us.

Do you still think that Chile is better positioned for astronomy tourism?

-Yes. Chile has been doing it for years. For example, Mamalluca has been up and running almost 20 years. So we’re years behind them. We don’t have the major infrastructure that you have, making up a powerful network of tourist observatories, which we’d love to have.

Do you not have any tourist observatories in La Palma?

-We don’t have any tourist observatories yet. What we do is tours to the astronomy lookout points, where they put up portable telescopes and do the activity. In Chile the services available are more complete, as you have a huge range of options. More than 40% of the surface area of La Palma is protected. As the tourist observatory that we want to build is inside a protected natural space, we’ve had to deal with heaps of legal requirements. So any initiative you want to do isn’t very easy. In Chile you have it easy in terms of areas.

What do you think Chile is missing when it comes to astronomy tourism? What do you think we need in order to keep on improving?

-I’d try, if you’re talking about growing and attracting tourism markets, to think about building with more European parameters. Although there are all kinds of clients, it’s also true that some are not going to be comfortable camping, they prefer a hotel. There are very good establishments there they’re running initiatives with telescopes and domes, so maybe they could make more hotel style accommodation there, which could improve the image. Anyway, it’s all relative, depending on the market.

Does your agreement with Coquimbo set out to create a network of astronomy tourism destinations?

-Yes. We want to have quality standards. The idea is that not just anywhere can get certified as a Starlight zone. You need to meet requirements, like specialized accommodation, infrastructure, etc. Now we know that both Coquimbo Region and La Palma meet those requirements.

So the idea is not to compete, but rather to be complementary destinations…

-The idea is to work together to make a difference and have a solid, high quality standard. These two areas are leading the way in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. We want to stay in the lead.

We also want to advise each other, work together, make powerful astro-tourism events to raise awareness and keep us in the limelight, so we get mentioned now and then and we’re always in the news.

CHILE: Chile Is One Of The 10 Countries With The Highest Tourism Growth In The World

The British newspaper, The Telegraph, drew up a ranking of the 17 countries in the world to have registered the highest growth in tourism during 2015 and Chile came in at number nine, out-performing countries including Cuba and Columbia, registering 4.4 million visitors and a growth of 22% on the previous year.

According to the publication, the destination is full of great attractions, including the Atacama Desert, the Patagonia and the beautifully multi-colored city of Valparaíso.

According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), international tourist arrivals grew by 4% worldwide, and a record number of 1.200 million people moving from one place to another all over the planet, an increase that has been maintained for the past six years.

The figures continue to unfold positively for Chile. During the first two weeks of January, an increase of 26,9% was registered when compared to the international arrivals recorded in the same period last year. It’s a marked difference that allows for positive industry projections this year.

China and Argentina promise to be the countries from which the great majority of tourists arrive to our country. Since the visa waiver motion that occured in the middle of 2015, we’ve seen an increase of 30% in oriental tourists. Similarly, the number of Transandean tourists has risen considerably and promises to continue in the same vain, particularly since the recent shift in the value of the dollar.

CHILE: The Difference Between The “picadas” And The “parrillas” In Chilean Food

Before trying the delicacies that this country has to offer, you’ll need to acquaint yourself with the names of the different places where you can go to eat.

Do you know that difference between a “picada” and a “parrilla”? Would it seem strange to you if someone invited you to a “marisquería”? Do you know that they sell in a “fuente de soda”?

To avoid errors of this kind, we present you with a basic guide to the different types of restaurants you’ll find when visiting Chile.

Comedores/cocinería: These are the local, simple restaurants located inside the markets all over the country. You can ask all the things you want to about Chilean food in these places and if you don’t know the name of the dishes on offer, you can simply order what everyone else is eating.

Salón de té: In these places you’ll find a great variety of infusions, coffees and delicious sweet pastries. The atmosphere is, in general, homely and informal.

Fuente de soda: It’s characterized for its large, tasty sándwiches, its hot dogs (called “completos”) and fries, all served at very reasonable prices. In many of these places, you can order an ice-cold beer to accompany your meal, perfect if you’re traveling in the summer.

Picada: It’s normally an informal restaurant where people go to dine with friends or family. Many “picadas” begin life as the dining room of a regular house, but little by little they grow so popular that they transform themselves into the best restaurants in town. The picadas conserve their homely touches via the use of rustic picture frames and religious ornaments hanging on the walls. In general they’re family businesses in which the mother cooks and the father manages the till, or viceversa.

Restaurante: We’re certain that you’ve already guessed what these are! Chilean restaurants are relatively formal in nature, they offer extensive menus and you’ll be attended to by a waiter in elegant attire.

Parrilladas: This type of restaurant is very easy to find, if only because of its distinctive smell! Barbecued meat is the main dish on the menu, but large parrilladas will serve a range of chicken and seafood dishes as well.

Marisquería: These are the seafood experts. Some of them are simple in nature and others are very elegant. There are small marisquerías and large ones and if you happen to find yourself in the one of the latter kind, it’s probable that meat dishes will be available too. If you want to dine on the weekend be sure to book a table in advance, particularly in the busiest areas of Santiago or if you plan to eat anywhere on Saturday afternoon.

CHILE: LATAM Airlines Group Reports Preliminary Monthly Statistics For December 2015

LATAM Airlines Group SA and Its subsidiaries, ("LATAM Airlines Group" or "the Company") (NYSE: LFL / IPSA: LAN / Bovespa: LATM33), the leading airline group in Latin America , today Reported STI preliminary monthly traffic statistics for December 2015 Compared to December 2014.

System passenger traffic Increased by 2.1% while capacity Increased by 2.3%. As a result, the Company's load factor for the month Decreased 0.2 points to 82.6%. International passenger traffic Accounted for approximately 53% of the month's overall passenger traffic.

Domestic passenger traffic in LATAM Airlines Group's Spanish speaking operations (Chile, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia) rose 4.3%, while capacity Increased by 3.6%. As a consequence, the domestic passenger load factor Increased 0.6 points to 81.7%

Domestic passenger traffic in Brazil Decreased 10.6%, while capacity Decreased by 10.1%. As a consequence, the domestic passenger load factor Brazil Decreased by 0.4 points to 81.9%.

International passenger traffic Increased by 10.1%, while capacity Increased by 10.6%. Accordingly, the international passenger load factor for the month Decreased 0.4 points to 83.3%. International traffic includes international operations of Both LAN and TAM on regional and long haul routes.

Cargo Traffic Continues to be weak During the month of December Especially in Brazil domestic and international markets. Additionally, weaker seasonal exports from Latin America Contributed to the softness in demand. As a result, cargo traffic for LATAM Airlines Group Decreased 11.2% in December, and the cargo load factor Decreased 6.1 points to 54.1%. We continue to adjust capacity Through a reduced charge freighter operation, Which Resulted in a decline of 1.3% in December ATKs of charge.

BRAZIL: LATAM Airlines Sees Brazil Capacity Falling

LATAM Airlines said it expects capacity in the Brazilian market will fall between 6 and 9 percent in 2016.

In a filing with Brazil's security regulator, the company said its operating margin will likely be between 4.5 and 6.5 percent this year.

LATAM Airlines was formed in 2012 through the merger of the biggest airlines in Chile and Brazil.

BOLIVIA: Amaszonas Offers Flights To Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Amaszonas offers flights to a wide range of destinations within Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Amaszonas, the Bolivian private airline whose aim is to be come the best regional airline in South America, now offers a wide range of destinations within South America.

These destinations include Montevideo, Ciudad del Este, Asuncion, Iquique, Uyuni, Sucre, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, La Paz, Rurrenabaque, Rurrenabaque, Lima and Cusco.

Amaszonas offers to flights to see Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world, Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat and Rurrenabaque, the door to the greatest reserve of biodiversity in the Amazon.

Star-gazing Tourists Flock To Africa's Darkest Place

NOT many tourist spots boast of being dark and difficult to get to, but the Namib desert is one of a number of remote "Dark Sky Reserves" drawing in stargazers for a celestial safari.

In the cool night air, an urbane Austrian tourist climbs rocky steps behind a chic hotel lodge and peers into a matt-black metal cylinder containing a spine of mirrors and lenses that reveal the universe.

"My mum wanted to set him on fire yesterday when he said, 'We are looking ten million years in the past!'" he joked, pointing at the resident astronomer.

Not everyone is ready to face the enormity of the universe laid out so starkly by powerful magnification and the crisp desert sky.

But across the starkly beautiful Namib, hotels and lodges are betting that the stars will lead to more business rather than a spike in Galileo-esque witch hunts.

Many lodges have bought research-grade or "prosumer" telescopes and hired live-in astronomers as they try to lure tourists who want to gaze deeper into space and time.

According to consultancy Euromonitor, astro-tourism holidays are growing in line with increased urbanisation, with Africa in particular "taking off".

"Most people come here for the other activities, visiting the dunes or the nature reserve where you see all the wildlife. This is kind of a bonus," said Misha Vickas, formerly a guide at a public observatory in Sydney, but now resident at the AndBeyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge.

"Most people have never looked through a telescope and a lot of them have just never looked up."

Vickas operates a "go-to" telescope, a device which, once calibrated, pivots on demand to any star or planet with little more than a mechanical hum and whir.

Not that a telescope is really needed in the Namib.

Across as much as 50% of the Earth the starry firmament is obscured by an orange glow of man-made light pollution.

During the day, the Namib's sea of copper red and ecru yellow dunes and mountains glow blindingly, befitting the world's oldest desert.

But in the inky night sky, the Milky Way seems much closer than Windhoek, a half day's drive away across dirt track and sun-rippled single-lane carriageway.

Mars's red glow, Magellanic clouds -- dwarf galaxies outside our own -- and assorted gaseous nebulae are all visible with the naked eye.

"The sky is particularly good to look at here, because the Milky Way, which is the main part of our galaxy, is usually very high overhead," meaning light refraction is at a minimum, Vickas said.

"There is a lot to look at."


Darkest places on earth

In 2012, a sliver of the central Namib the size of Mauritius -- the NamibRand -- was named Africa's first "Dark Sky Reserve," in recognition of the sky's special allure here.

A handful of similar sites exist across the world, including Aoraki Mackenzie on New Zealand's South Island and the Iveragh Peninsula on Ireland's southwest coast.

Hawaii and Chile have also become renowned as astro-tourism hot spots.

"The darkest places are almost inevitably distant from populated places," said John Barentine of the Arizona-based International Dark-Sky Association, which awards the designation.

"The glow of cities can often be seen several hundred kilometres away under good conditions."

To rank sky quality, scientists use measurements like the Bortle scale.

An inner city is level nine, meaning you can see very little. Bright constellations like Orion may be faint or even invisible.

At the other end of the scale, in a first-class sky like the Namib, Venus and Jupiter shine bright, a white swathe of zodiacal light smears the sky.

Like parts of Chile, the Namib's good weather and ultra-dry atmosphere make for clear nights and particularly transparent air all the way to the horizon.

"A visitor to NamibRand has a statistically high probability of experiencing that exceptionally dark sky on any given night," Barentine said.

Namibia has just over two million people spread over an area roughly the size of Pakistan or Nigeria, making it one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world.

"NamibRand is located in one of the darkest accessible places that remain on Earth," said Barentine.

"It is as close as you get to the way the world was long ago, before the invention and proliferation of artificial lights."

That may be the only thing this remote region is close to -- thankfully for stargazing tourists.

CHILE: Tracking Pumas In Patagonia

Pumas are among the least seen of earth's big cats.

Though they're widely distributed from the Canadian Rockies to the southernmost Andes (and known alternatively as cougars or mountain lions), pumas have historically been thought of as too elusive for any sort of commercial tourism.

That changed when a company called Quasar Expeditions, in partnership with Explora Patagonia, launched its first puma trekking safaris earlier this year in Chile's famed Torres Del Paine National Park.

The idea was to give wildlife enthusiasts the same opportunity to see pumas as they'd have with jaguars in Brazil, lions in Africa or tigers in India.

It's estimated that the 935-square-mile Torres Del Paine in southern Patagonia is home to more than 50 pumas, giving it one of the world's densest big cat populations.

Early morning rays have just painted the park's famed massif in a violet hue when I meet up with 33-year-old puma tracker, Jose Vargas.

It's been about a half hour since my chance encounter, and he can sense the effect the cat has already had on me.

"When you see the puma eye to eye, it transmits an energy that's quite powerful," Vargas says as we set off into the UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve with binoculars and high hopes.

Our first stop on the aptly named Fauna Trail is an arid plateau buzzing with brush-grubbing guanacos.

These wild cousins of the domesticated llama are among the puma's favorite foods, and it shows on the bone-riddled trail ahead.

Vargas bends down next to a spiky "mother-in-law's pillow" bush to inspect a particularly bloody guanaco carcass.

He tells me that it can't be more than two days old, but adds, "the puma has surely moved on by now to hunt for another kill."

A beret-wearing, mate-drinking gaucho, Vargas grew up in the park's Lago Grey region and was tracking pumas alongside his father when he was just five years old.

He says the methodology hasn't changed over the years.

He listens to the guanaco's bleating calls -- "many in rapid succession could signal a puma" -- and looks for cues from the sentinel, an older male who stands on a hilltop overlooking the herd.

About three hours into our hike we reach an overlook above Laguna Goic with sweeping views of the snow-capped Andes floating like white waves on the horizon.

We've laughed at courting rhea birds (they're related to the ostrich and emu), chased a gray fox in pursuit of photos and smelled more hog-nosed skunks than we'd care to.

But we have yet to lay our eyes on another puma.

Vargas says the caves near this lagoon are a popular puma hangout.

He saw a mother and two cubs here three days ago, but there are no signs of activity as we stand on a high point surveying the land, nor is there the slightest hint of fear in the guanacos nearby.

Active from dusk to dawn, pumas are rarely spotted midday and our clock is ticking.

Vargas suggests we climb along the lagoon's frosty edge in a last ditch attempt to come eye to eye with a puma.

We're rounding a rock formation when he calls out that he's spotted a puma.

A light snow has just erupted from a sunny sky slightly obscuring my vision.

By the time I make my way to his side the puma has climbed over a ledge out of view.

I'm gutted.

It's nearly noon and our window of opportunity has closed.

I head out again in search of pumas that evening and twice the following day.

I'm awed by the wingspan of soaring condors, the elegant frock of the caracara and the cotton candy blue of the glacial lakes, but I never do manage to spot the enigmatic puma in broad daylight.

In the end I'm OK with it.

Unlike many safaris in Africa (or Asia) where Big Five success is all but guaranteed, there's nothing contrived about finding pumas in Patagonia.

There's no baiting, there are no feedlots and there are a limited number of tracking sessions each year where the chances of success are admittedly slim.

But there's something nice about knowing that these creatures are free to roam in and out of the park, clocking in six-mile journeys on an average hunting day -- and that your encounter, if it happens, hasn't completely disturbed their solitary ways or turned them into showpieces in a cageless zoo.

When you do see this spectacular feline, however dark the night may be, you feel like you've actually earned the honor.

SPAIN: Iberia To Start Flights To Manchester

Iberia Express will commence a three-times weekly service between Madrid and Manchester next week.

The low-cost carrier will operate the return flights on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays from September 8.

During the winter season, the service will fly twice-weekly, on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Outbound flights to Manchester will depart Madrid at 1600 and arrive in Manchester at 1725, with return leg leaving Manchester at 1800 and landing in Madrid at 2135.

Iberia Express will roster a 180-seat A320 on to the route.

The airline said: “The flights are timed to offer easy connections from Madrid to Valencia, Vigo, and other Spanish destinations, as well as to Lisbon, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Montevideo, Santiago de Chile, Sao Paulo, and Tel Aviv.”

In July, Iberia announced plans to launch new services to destinations in Asia, Africa and the Americas over the next two years

PERU: Inca Festival Of The Sun In Cusco, Peru

Tika t'akaqkuna, the emperor's chosen women, scattering flowers ahead of his arrival.

Five centuries ago, the approach of the winter solstice must have been an anxious time for llamas grazing the Andean mountainsides near Cusco in modern-day Peru.

Here at the heart of the vast Inca empire that stretched from Colombia to Chile, the Inca emperor and his subjects would gather as the Sun reached its furthest point from the land and order a mass sacrifice of llamas to appease the Sun god, Inti. The Incas believed that the spilling of llama blood and other rituals would ensure Inti and his life-giving warmth and light would return; crops would grow and thus save them from starvation.

The Inca emperor arrives on a replica of the original golden litter.

Today, during the re-enactment of the ceremony that takes places annually in Cusco, llamas are once again centre stage, but, like the crowds who come to watch, they all get to go home afterwards unscathed.

Inti Raymi (Festival of the Sun) celebrations take place in Cusco over several days but the most important rituals occur on June 24, the day of the winter equinox. Thousands of Peruvians, augmented by many hundreds of overseas visitors, start the day by making their way to the plaza beside the ruins of what was once the richest temple in the Inca Empire, Qorikancha.

Cusco was the capital of the Incas' vast empire and was built in the shape of a puma, an animal they held sacred. Now probably best known as the builders of the stupendous "lost city" of Machu Picchu, the Incas for just over 100 years controlled the largest empire in the Americas. Springing from modest origins, probably as Andean llama herders, the Incas first began to figure in South American history during the late 12th to early 13th centuries but, for a relatively brief golden era between the 1430s and just before their final defeat by the Spanish in 1572, the Incas ruled the Andes and an empire encompassing most of modern-day Peru, along with parts of Colombia, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile.

The representatives from the expanse of the Inca empire saluting the sun during the ceremony.

When the Spanish conquistadors fought their way through to Cusco in 1533 they found the walls of the Qorikancha temple lined with gold, 700 sheets of it, about 1400 kilograms in total. Subsidiary small temples dedicated to the moon and the stars were lined with sheets of solid silver. The temple, which had been built by the Incas' 10th emperor in the mid 15th century, was stripped of its treasures by the Spanish. By 1536 the temple had been handed over to the Dominican religious order, which converted it to a church and monastery, and banned the Inti Raymi for good measure.

Although the Incas' veneration of the Sun, along with their fascination and plethora of beliefs connected with the night skies, imply a heritage of age-old beliefs, the first Inti Raymi was in fact held for the first time in only 1412. It would not be reinstated until 1944.

On the morning of the 2015 re-enactment, Cusco's streets were a jostling mass of humanity... and a few llamas. Most of the locals were Quechua, direct descendants of the Incas. Traditionally dressed women, small in height but due to the voluminous nature of their skirts almost circular in breadth – posed artfully in their bowler hats beside immaculately groomed llamas. Some even added a snowy white lamb to the composition and ruthlessly pursued any tourist who neglected to pay a tip for a photo.

A sacred fire, lit from the rays of the sun, takes hold.

The aroma of giant heaps of freshly cooked popcorn drifted over the crowds; I resisted and chewed on coca sweets instead. At 3300m, Cusco can be literally breathtaking and coca leaves (from which cocaine is derived) are a recognised treatment for keeping mild altitude sickness at bay (quaffing coca tea is the more regular way to imbibe one's perfectly legal dose of coca, but to me it's akin to trying to drink a cupful of bay leaves steeped in hot water).

There was roast guinea pig available for lunch too. It's surprisingly rich and rather greasy but, if the painting in Cusco's cathedral is any indication, it received divine approval – it was the main dish served at the Last Supper, according to an 18th-century Quechua artist.

We watched the first part of Inti Raymi from a classroom overlooking the temple ruins and the grassy expanse of the adjacent plaza. Accompanied by a band of drummers and panpipers, hundreds of performers in an array of traditional costume danced their way into the open space. Above them, on the Inca-built stone terraces on which the temple was built, more participants emerged – Inca high priests, sweepers cleaning the path before the emperor, his chosen women scattering flowers ahead of him, and finally the emperor himself, along with the empress.

The Inca emperor’s handmaidens make their ceremonial entrance.


The rhythmic beat of the drums, the repetitive melodies from the panpipes and the swirl of colour and pageantry below was mesmerising. After addressing the Sun, the emperor, now borne on a golden litter, was carried in procession for 5km through the city and up to the former Inca stronghold of Saqsaywaman.

We made a less splendid journey to the site by bus. Saqsaywaman had, until the Spanish arrived, been a centre for Inca religious and military events and, with a backdrop of snow-capped Andean peaks, now made a spectacular setting for a second re-enactment of the Inti Raymi.

There were temporary stands for tourists but the hill behind had disappeared completely under a sea of locals; balloon sellers, wares bobbing overhead, wove among them, while down at our level, paramedics stretchered away at least two spectators with breathing problems.

A Quechua woman and companion making the most of one of the busiest days in Cusco's tourist calendar.

Dancers, some clad in multi-coloured skirts, other with feather headdresses, and others in rather scanty Amazonian-inspired attire (who were noticeably shaking with cold as the sun dipped low after about 4pm), filled the grassy square. The emperor descended from the fortress ruins, heralded by plumes of red smoke. His subjects paid homage, each section of the assembly dancing before him and offering tributes.

Corralled at the base of some of the original fortifications were a dozen or so llamas. As the climax of the ceremony approached several minions were sent to collect the chosen animal which was then "sacrificed" on the central altar.It could have been even more dramatic as apparently the Incas regularly made blood sacrifices of children or slaves.

The llama was either exceptionally well trained or tranquillised as it lay totally still, giving an extremely good impersonation of a sacrificially dispatched offering. Bonfires were lit and as one, the entire cast of hundreds turned towards the setting Sun and saluted its wintry light.

Yes, it was all very stage-managed and far more of a choreographed spectacle than what would have transpired 500 years ago. However, as the emperor, breastplate gleaming gold in the light, arms raised, pleaded with the Sun to return, it was impossible not to be transported, albeit briefly, back to a time of Sun gods, Earth mothers, sacred pumas and revered llamas.