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South America is enjoying a surge of Australian travellers despite the economic downturn, with bookings up at least 15 per cent for most operators.
Cheap flights, increased promotion and travellers' perennial search for somewhere “new” have made South America so popular some predict it could soon give Africa a run for its money.
The rapid growth in travellers to South America is largely being driven by increased flights, which have led to fare bargains and greater promotion.
It is now possible to fly from Sydney to Argentina or Chile for a little over $1200 return, or to Brazil or Peru for about $1400 return. And fares have at times dropped even lower.
Praful Albuquerque, of Natural Focus Safaris, says South America also benefits from having a huge diversity of experiences, including wildlife and outdoor adventures, cultural experiences, archaeology, sophisticated cities and gourmet food and wine.
“This also makes it a good family holiday destination, as it has products to cater to both adults and children,” he says.
“South America is relatively cheap and offers excellent value for money, particularly now with the strengthening of the Australian dollar.
“We are certain ... this region will grow in leaps and bounds over the coming years.”
Peregrine Adventures says its Latin America program is outperforming almost all other destinations, with both Peregrine and sister company Gecko's on track for a healthy increase over last year.
Chimu Adventures, which claims to be the largest specialist tour wholesaler for South America in Australia, says its business has been growing at an average of 300 per cent a year since 2003.
The company attributes its recent growth to the introduction of multi-country trips, which allow travellers to see several countries in a shorter time frame.
“It has been well documented that people are looking to travel for less time and spend less money,” says Chimu's marketing manager Dillon Bohler.
Chimu's multi-country trips can be customised by each traveller but include journeys such as a Lima (Peru) to Santiago (Chile) trip and Buenos Aires (Argentina) to Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).
Bohler says Chimu has also enjoyed a boom in demand for Antarctica cruises, which depart from Argentina.
“There were some real bargains out there that people just couldn't refuse despite the economic situation, such as Antarctica cruises for around $3500,” he says.
Travel operators' figures are backed up by statistics from the Brazil Trade Bureau, which show the number of visas issued to Australian travellers has grown by an average of 16 per cent since 2003.
Year-on-year figures for January and February showed visa applications were up 21 per cent and an impressive 38 per cent respectively. More than 16,000 visas were issued to Australian travellers last year, up from just 7690 in 2003.
“We know for a fact that extra flights and extra packages with new destinations within Brazil have been contributing to this increase,” says the Brazil Trade Bureau's Claudia Manwarring.
“These products would not have come into the market if there was no demand.
“Our perception is that the current traveller is looking for something different.
"Australians, known to be good travellers and explorers, have been to traditional destinations a few times and have matured to consider exploring to lesser known ones."
Gap Adventures, which operates more than 500 trips in Latin America, says Peru and the Inca Trail in particular are the most popular options for first-time visitors.
Marketing manager Natalie Whiston says most Australians combine the four-day hike to the ruins of Machu Picchu with a trip to the Amazon jungle, Lake Titicaca or the Galapagos Islands, for a holiday of about three weeks.
Travellers with more time often opt for an overland journey, with some covering seven countries on Gap's Great South American Journey of 83 days.
PHOTOS: SOUTH AMERICA'S TOP 10 SIGHTS
Flights within South America can be prohibitively expensive, so take advantage of air passes available from LAN and Aerolineas Argentinas.
Air passes have to be booked before you leave home (usually in conjunction with an international fare) and allow you to purchase internal flights at much cheaper prices.
For more information, go to lan.com or aerolineas.com.
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