‘Working in Paradise’ Contest: Give Us Your Best Shot
January 23rd, 2012
Is there something special about the view from your offices in Latin America or the Caribbean? If that’s the case, log on to our Facebook page and share your best shots. Our panel of editors and designers will be looking to find the most breathtaking image for a cash prize – and a special feature story. Check our our Facebook page for all the details. Any questions, check in with our Facebook hostess extraordinare Bertha Leal.
Nearshore to Get Its First Hard Rock Hotel
May 25th, 2011PANAMA CITY — Marking its 16th property, and its first in Latin America, Hard Rock International today announced that the Hard Rock Hotel Panama Megapolis is expected to open in December 2011. The 66-story hotel, located in Panama City just a few miles from one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, the Panama Canal, will offer stunning panoramic views of the city and Panama Bay, with its yachts and sailboats. Hard Rock Hotel Panama Megapolis, which brings the acclaimed “Hard Rock Hotel experience” to an ever-popular global tourist destination, is developed and owned by Megapolis Investment Group and will be managed locally by Decameron Hotels & Resorts.
Located on Balboa Avenue, and connected by bridgeway to the cross-street Multicentro Mall and the Megapolis Convention Center, currently under construction, Hard Rock Hotel Panama Megapolis is situated on more than three-quarters of an acre, with …
More Travelers Heading to Mexico, Travel Booker Reports
March 30th, 2011Craving a trip to Mexico? You’re not alone, according to booking data released today by Expedia that shows a rising demand for travel to Mexico. According to the data, bookings through Expedia.com and Hotels.com have increased 25 percent over the last year, primarily from travelers in the U.S., Canada and the U.K.
“Year after year Mexico continues to be a preferred destination for Expedia customers, consistently ranking as one of the top three destinations for Expedia in terms of traveler feedback,” said Marco Tagliatti, Vice President of Market Management, Latin America, Expedia, Inc.
The report also said the number of hotels in Mexico that have partnered with Expedia have increased 30 percent over the last year.
Expedia has a new iPhone app, Expedia Hotels, that uses GPS to find hotels within walking distance of the traveler. The free app should be available in a few weeks, and is …
New Mobile App Developed for Collectors of Latin American Art
March 21st, 2011NEW YORK CITY — Thanks to Collectrium, a new “next-gen” mobile technology that recognizes works of art, Latin American collectors and collectors-to-be will experience art as never before at two upcoming international art fairs: arteaméricas in Miami Beach (Friday, March 25 to Sunday, March 27) and Zona Maco Mexico Arte Contemporaneo in Mexico City (Wednesday, April 6 to Sunday, April 10).
With the Collectrium app, a visitor to either art fair will be able to point her iPhone or iPad at any registered artwork and instantly receive extensive information on the artist and the piece; add the artwork to her “My Collection” favorites; share with friends via Facebook, Twitter, and email; and contact the gallery about the artwork.
Following the debut of its iPhone app at New York’s Armory Week in early March, the Collectrium mobile app has been warmly embraced by gallerists at the two upcoming …
Low-cost carriers JetBlue and Spirit have announced new connections between the U.S. and Central and South America. Each airline is taking a slightly different approach, but the net effect is more service to popular and up-and-coming destinations.
Just as JetBlue has interline agreements with Lufthansa and Aer Lingus to Europe, it has now expanded south with an interline agreement with LAN Airlines, one of Latin America’s largest airline groups. The idea here is that customers can book a single ticket to any of LAN’s destinations (including Santiago or Easter Island, Chile; and Lima, Peru) from any JetBlue departure city, connect via New York’s JFK airport, and fly the domestic portion of the trip on JetBlue and the international leg on a LAN carrier. According to JetBlue, “In the coming weeks, customers will be able to purchase JetBlue-LAN travel via the GDS, online travel agencies, and by calling LAN …
CARACAS, Venezuela — President Hugo Chávez is known to have expressed little patience for imported leisure pursuits like golf or Scotch whisky tippling. Now he has reserved some ire for another practice that is beloved in Venezuela: breast augmentation surgery.
Blame for the boom in such surgeries here, Mr. Chávez said on state television over the weekend, rested with doctors who “convince some women that if they don’t have some big bosoms, they should feel bad.” He said it was a “monstrous thing” that poor women were seeking breast lifts when they had trouble making ends meet.
“What is this, friend?” Mr. Chávez exclaimed to his viewers.
Mr. Chávez’s comments come at a time when Venezuela has emerged as one of the world’s leading markets for breast augmentation. Between 30,000 and 40,000 women here undergo …
Photos of Usain Bolt’s Personal Track in Jamaica
November 15th, 2010If you were the fastest runner in the world, you would naturally want your own running track – correct? (Photos below)
Well that’s exactly what has happened for Usain Bolt, who has smashed record after record in recent years becoming known as the fastest man ever to live. On a recent tour of Jamaica, his homeland, Nearshore Americas got the chance to see Bolt’s private training facility – just footsteps from the main campus of the University of West Indies, in Kingston.
The track – just constructed and completed last summer – is part of an advertising contract between BSW (which makes the super delux “Regupol track”) and Usain Bolt as celebrity endorsement for the company’s sports floor products. In the future, the track will be used for training not only by Bolt and his team colleagues in the “Racers Track Club” but also by top athletes …
Scenes from Montego Bay
November 8th, 2010Let’s face it – Nearshore outsourcing does have its benefits. Just take a look at the scenery we found during our recent visit to Montego Bay.
Off Hours: A Woman’s Travel Guide to South America
September 1st, 2010I was strolling along Rio’s famous Copacabana Beach when suddenly I felt forceful yanking at my throat. I thought my assailant had gotten my backpack with valuable documents and money, but to my relief, I realised the miscreant had ripped a thin gold chain with a small diamond from my neck. He’d also gotten my faux gold earrings, all while riding a bike. “My diamond!” I screamed. Luckily he dropped the goods – I learned later that resisting can lead to bodily harm – and with the help of a wonderful ‘abuela’ (grandmother) I recovered my lost gems.
I was foolish to wear jewellery in Rio. Warnings abound in South America’s capital cities about street crime, largely committed by ‘favela’ kids so poor that theft is their only option. The threat of being accosted is real but can …
Off Hours: The Natural Life in Trinidad and Tobago
February 20th, 2010SOURCE: MotherNatureNetwork
On the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago, oil drilling is helping eco-tourism. Yes, where there is oil extraction, there are always concerns about habitat destruction and catastrophic spills. But oil is the main reason that Trinidad and Tobago (TT, colloquially) has taken a different path from its Caribbean peers. The country does not have to rely on mainstream “resort” tourism for much of its income. Shoulder-to-shoulder beach resorts are popping up in some areas, but vast patches of sand are (reasonably) untouched. Especially on Tobago, bungalows and small hotels still reign.
TT has that attractive, laid-back island vibe that makes it a choice destination for beach bums. But the island also owes some of its attraction to geography. It sits a mere 40 miles from Venezuela’s coastline. This puts it outside of hurricane alley, making “low season” travel a bit less risky. The location also means that …
