Foreign travel briefing

Chile

More than two weeks after a magnitude-8.8 earthquake and tsunami waves struck Chile, ravaging the country’s south-central coast and killing hundreds, travel and transportation appeared to be heading back to normal.

At first, the quake paralyzed the country’s tourism industry. Scores of flights were canceled, and many passengers were stranded for days in Santiago, the capital. Last week, LAN, Chile’s national air carrier, said it was once again operating flights to all domestic and international destinations. Santiago’s airport, which suffered serious damage, was operating at 80% full service as of Monday.

But the picturesque regions most affected by the quake face months, perhaps years, of rebuilding. These include the central coastal cities and towns of Talcahuano, Temuco, Cauquenes and Constitución. Major roads, such as the Pan-American Highway, were also heavily damaged. Chile’s tourism ministry said most of the rest of the major tourist destinations to the north and south were not affected.

In Santiago, some historic buildings and churches, such as the Fine Arts Museum, were damaged. But overall, the city’s popular attractions, such as poet Pablo Neruda’s house, emerged unscathed. Efforts are concentrated on reconstruction, Pablo Moll, general manager of Turismo Chile, said in a statement.

“I have no doubt it will be a tough task, but just as [Chile] has done it many times before, we’ll be back on our feet soon enough,” Moll said.

—Daniel Hernandez

2. Haiti

American Airlines on Feb. 19 flew the first commercial passenger flight into Haiti since a Jan. 12 earthquake killed more than 200,000 people. But the State Department, citing infrastructure damage, continued to urge Americans to avoid travel there.

—Reuters

3. Mexico

Cancún, which saw tourism drop last year amid the global economic crisis and concerns about Mexico’s drug violence, is rebounding quickly, with 85% of its hotel rooms filled in February, officials said. Even higher occupancy is expected this month, as college students start spring break.

—Associated Press

4. Russia

Russia said it would stop taking tourists to visit the International Space Station, citing NASA’s plans to retire its shuttle fleet later this year. With Russia left as the only nation sending crews to the station, there won’t be room for tourists, officials said. The last such adventurer was Canadian billionaire Guy Laliberte, who paid $35 million in October to make the trip.

—Reuters

5. Cambodia

Hoping to attract more foreign tourists, Cambodia opened a $100-million luxury casino in Bavet, about 68 miles southeast of the capital, Phnom Penh. The Titan King Casino is one of several that have sprung up near Cambodia’s borders with Vietnam and Thailand.

—Associated Press

Caution spots

The State Department recently issued warnings or alerts for these areas:

Colombia, because of violence by narco-terrorist groups.

Mexico, because of increased violence.