Brazilian authorities are weighing a request made by local low-cost air carrier Gol to start regular flights to Argentina. Nevertheless, the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) rebuffed a communiqué issued by Gol’s front office in which the company was trumpeting the official go-ahead and the beginning of flights for the last quarter of the ongoing year. CAD officials explained the authorization process is not over yet. Even though Gol is expected to pass all technical and operational requirements, the main problem will lie in the tax policy because the company’s low fares could make quite a significant dent in other Brazilian airlines, such as TAM and Varig, that are currently flying to Argentina.

As a token of good winds for the travel industry, all major U.S. airlines are carrying more passengers now than in any other month of the year, averaging a 75 percent plane seat occupancy. The biggest jump of all went to Northwest, up 4.6 percent from June 2003 and peaking an 86.4 percent seat occupancy in all booked flights last month.

Mexico is licking its chops as it sets aim at roughly $11.5 billion worth of tourism profits that could end up in the country’s coffers by the end of the ongoing year, Tourism Secretary Rodolfo Elizondo said. “The local tourist sector could finish 2004 with a 14 percent increase,” Mr. Elizondo told attendants to a seminar entitled “Tourism, Cultural Diversity and Sustainable Development” held recently in Spain’s Barcelona.

Chile’s travel industry reaped a record high $1.1 billion dollars worth of hard-currency revenues all through 2003. A report issued by the country’s Tourism National Service (SERNATUR), points out that as many as 1,696,889 tourists visited the South American nation last year. Experts believe the nation is in a position to reach the two-million-visitor milestone this time around.

The sector of professional services linked to information technology, research, tourism and healthcare embraces over 50 percent of Cuba’s income money out of exports. Cuba’s Foreign Trade Minister Raul de la Nuez explained the professional level of the island nation’s workforce “is creating ideal conditions to foster and advance the export of professional services linked to intellectual activities.”

The Peruvian government has grounded Aerocontinente, the nation’s flagship airline, because the company failed to hand in the required documentation to get an insurance policy that can keep it up in the skies. The air carrier is going through the worst of times since last June when the U.S. government included Aerocontinente founder Fernando Zevallos on the list of the world’s most wanted drug ringleaders, charged with building his company on laundered money coming from fraudulent activities.