IN CONVERSATION with LATA
talking shop
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LATA's Executive Manager...
ONES TO WATCH
After the World Cup last year and the forthcoming Olympics, the spotlight is well and truly on Latin America,
Megan Parkinson Executive Manager Latin America Travel Association
LATA's Megan Parkinson has a passion for her region and wants to inspire you to love it too. We asked her what’s so great about Latin America…
UP AND COMING
The 2016 Olympics has to be the number one thing to watch out for at the moment. After the success of London 2012 I can’t
wait to see the spectacle Rio puts on. I love the athletics. LATA members are able to book Olympic packages and my advice is to book early. Uruguay is also one to watch, incredible for chic beach and boutique wine tours; while Cuba is emerging as a Latin America star. Improvements in hotels and local amenities and the fact Cuba is opening its doors to the US, mean now is the time to go!
SOMETHING QUIRKY...
and the place everyone wants to visit. This also means that the types of holidays LATA members are offering is growing and diversifying too. The continent is emerging as a self-drive destination with some incredible routes through Chile and Argentina as well as off-the-beaten track routes in Panama and Costa Rica. Foodie tourism is also booming with Peru and Argentina leading the way. Experience Latin America, now in its second
year and with 120 exhibitors, will again showcase a plethora of exciting developments and products from across the region. it takes place June 15-17.
WOW FACTORS
There are so many! Sipping champagne in an outdoor hot tub overlooking
the lakes and mountains of Patagonia as the snow fell was one, Carnival in Olinda Brazil another – surely the best party I have ever been to. But walking the Inca Trail and arriving at the Sun Gate for sunrise tops them all. The fi rst glimpse of Machu Picchu, perched serenely on top of a mountain surrounded by lush forest and mist, is a sight I will never forget!
MACHU PICCHU, PERU: One of the few places in the world that really lives up to the hype - absolutely mind-blowing (pictured).
HAVANA, CUBA: A real slice of yester-year's grandeur with crumbling architecture, 1950s cars and a wonderful cultural vibrancy.
THE GALAPAGOS, ECUADOR: A once in a lifetime experience. There is nowhere on earth where you can get this close to wildlife. With no real natural predators, the fearless creatures scamper up to you or swim next to you in the sea.
MY PERSONAL FAVOURITES...
Latin America has it all – beaches, cities, jungles and deserts.I love it all so it's tough to choose favourites but if pushed:
which stretch across Bolivia, Argentina and Chile, have to be my favourite place on earth! Crystal- clear skies, dazzling salt flats, multi-coloured mountains, a rich and magical culture, not to mention the flamingoes!
���� The deserts of the Altiplano
As for a city, it has to be Latin America – with its beautiful
Buenos Aires – the Paris of
Every country in Latin America offers something unusual and different. The Atacama Desert in Northern Chile has some of the most surreal and other-worldly landscapes in the world with incredible geysers and valleys that look like they belong on the moon (above). Or check out the ruins of Tikal,in Guatemala, set in lush rainforest. They are considered some of the most spectacular in the world and possibly the closest you’ll get to a real-life Indiana Jones Experience. Even Latin America’s most iconic destinations such as Machu Picchu and Rio de Janiero offer a completely unique experience unlike anywhere else in the world.
To register for the Experience Latin America trade event (June 15-17) visit:
experiencelatinamerica.co.uk sellingtravel.co.uk
architecture, arts, culture and chic people. It certainly lives up to the name, but with a very Latin twist. It has some of the best nightlife in Latin America and a meal out on Malbec and steak in Buenos Aires is something everyone has to experience at least once in their life.
must see
must see
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