Update 12 March 2010: Aftershocks in Chile have not affected tours
A secondary earthquake hit Rancagua (62 miles south of Santiago) on Thursday 11 March measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale. There continues to be frequent and sometimes heavy aftershocks, including one measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale. We would like to reassure travellers that no Tucan Travel tours go to the latest areas affected and our clients have not been affected by these events.

3 March 2010: Chile earthquake and its effect on Tucan Travel tours
Following discussions with our local contacts in transport and hotel services in Chile, Tucan Travel is pleased to report that our tours are all able to operate as scheduled, albeit with delays due to damage to certain roads.

The road between Bariloche and Pucon is safe and open and our group will not experience delays on this section of their journey. Pucon itself is more or less back to normal and the hotel is 100% ready to accept our groups. Optional excursions are all operating once again in Pucon.

The road between Pucon to Santiago is open once again but due to damage to the road and bridges, the usual 7 – 8 hour journey is taking much longer and will be around 14 hours. Our hotel in Santiago is 100% ready to accept our groups and the downtown area is functioning as usual. We have received reports that the airport in Santiago should be fully functioning by later today.

In summary our tours will be running as usual. The group due to travel from Pucon to Santiago on 9 March will experience some delays en route and tour leaders will advise how and when this will occur. Travellers due to begin in Santiago should be able to land at the international airport as usual but should contact their airline in advance of travel to double check their arrangements and confirm their flight. Clients due to travel to Santiago from the north should experience little in the way of changes to their tour.

If you have any questions regarding this news update, please don't hesitate to contact us:
http://www.tucantravel.com/contact-us/our-offices/

2 March 2010
Update: Santiago International Airport services
Turismo Chile released an update regarding operations at Santiago International Airport provided by the airport authority, SCL Aeropuerto de Santiago, following a meeting with Chile’s National Civil Aviation Authority and airlines operating at the airport. Flight operations will resume in two phases:

Phase 1 – March 2 to 5, 2010 - Domestic flights will gradually resume operations with a limited schedule between 8 am and 8 pm and international flights also with a limited schedule will be operating between 8 pm and 8 am. A temporary makeshift terminal has been set up in tents in order to process departing passengers. All arriving international flights during this period will stopover in another Chilean city prior to landing in Santiago in order for passengers to clear Chilean customs and immigration formalities.

Phase 2 – March 5th onward - Domestic and international flights will be operating 24 hours. All domestic flight arrivals and departures will be operating out of a makeshift terminal set up in tents located to the east of the airport’s old terminal. International flight departures will move to the domestic flights sector of the current terminal. International arriving passengers will clear Chilean customs and immigration formalities in a makeshift facility set up in tents to the west of the current terminal.

All Tucan Travellers should contact their airline for updated information on flight schedules and changes.

29 February 2010
Post-earthquake update from Turismo Chile
Turismo Chile, the country’s tourism promotion organisation, issued a statement to the tourism industry addressing the effect of the 8.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Chile in the early morning hours of Saturday 27 February. According to the report, the cities closest to the epicenter of the quake - including Concepcion, Talcahuano and Temuco, and a number of small towns along Chile’s central coast - were most affected by the quake.

The northern part of Chile’s Lakes and Volcanoes region, around the city of Concepcion and the Bio Bio River, was most affected by the quake. Authorities are still working on assessing the full damage. Basic essential services including water, electricity and telecommunications are gradually being restored. The southern part of the Lakes and Volcanoes region was not affected by the quake. Operations in popular tourist towns including Pucon, Puerto Varas and Puerto Montt are reported to be normal.

In Santiago and Chile’s Central Region, the Santiago airport suffered structural damage to the passenger terminal, however no damage was reported to the runways and the airport is expected to reopen later this week. Electricity and phone lines have been restored in Santiago and the city’s public transportation including its metro is fully operational. Valparaiso and Viña del Mar have also reported damage.

The desert region in the north of Chile and the Patagonia region in the far south were not affected by the quake and have not reported any damage. Easter Island, which lies 2,300 miles off the cost of mainland Chile, a 5.5-hour flight from Santiago, was not affected by the quake. Initial tsunami warnings have been lifted and all operations are normal.

Chile is a country with a history of seismic activity. The country’s preparedness, including its strict anti-seismic building codes, the rapid emergency response from the government as well as the help from a number of organisations can be credited for managing the situation and help minimise the damage. The country’s tourism infrastructure has, overall, fared well, reporting little damage. “Our thoughts and sentiments go out to the families who have lost loved ones,” said Pablo Moll, executive director of Turismo Chile. “Chileans are a resilient people and we are hard at work to get the country back on its feet quickly. We look forward to continuing to welcome travelers and are making every effort to making them feel safe and secure.”

27 February 2010: No Tucan Travel Clients Affected by Chile Earthquake
At 06.34 GMT on 27 Feb 2010 an earthquake struck 91km northeast of Concepcion and 317km southwest of Santiago, Chile. The extent of the damage caused by the earthquake measuring 8.8 on the richter scale has yet to be fully determined.

Tucan Travel currently has no clients in the immediate area however there is a group in Pucon, Chile. All members of the group are safe and well.

The road between Pucon and Santiago and the airport in Santiago are currently closed, affected clients have been advised to contact their travel agents or airlines to confirm or rearrange their onward travel arrangements. 

The Tucan Travel vehicle will travel from Pucon to Bariloche in Argentina on 01 March, where there is better access to other Argentine towns.

The next clients are not due to arrive in Santiago until later next week at which time we hope to have more information on the situation in order to make alternative arrnagements if necessary.