Corporation of Southern Cone Ports Participates in XI Cruise Meeting in Uruguay

A representative delegation from the Chilean Corporation of Southern Cone Ports participated in the XI Regional Meeting on Cruises and Fluvial Nautical Tourism 2026 in Punta del Este, Uruguay. The event brought together tourism and port authorities, representatives of cruise lines, shipowners, tour operators, and executives from the sector from Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Chile, with the aim of analyzing the main challenges of the industry and promoting new growth opportunities for the activity in the region.

The plan was to consolidate their commitment to strengthening regional cooperation and the development of the cruise industry in South America. During the event, topics such as the current situation of the cruise market in the area, the development of new regional routes, emerging trends, the application of artificial intelligence in the sector, and the challenges associated with the competitiveness of destinations were addressed.

Within the framework of the meeting, José Miguel Cruz, president of the Corporation of Southern Cone Ports and chairman of the Board of Empresa Portuaria Austral, participated as a speaker in the panel "Southern Cone Ports: Building the regional cruise route," where he shared experiences and perspectives alongside representatives from Uruguay and Argentina.

For his part, Eric Petri, executive secretary of the Corporation, presented the paper "Port and City: towards a sustainable integration," highlighting the importance of strengthening the relationship between local communities, port cities, and tourism activity.

"This meeting constitutes a valuable instance of exchange and dialogue that contributes to strengthening regional cooperation, consolidating institutional ties, and promoting the joint development of port and cruise activity in South America," said Cruz.

Petri, for his part, emphasized that "one of the Corporation's strategic axes is to strengthen regional integration with a long-term vision, a fundamental aspect for presenting a joint value proposition to the cruise lines operating in this part of the continent. In this sense, it is key to advance in coordinated work that allows positioning our tourist attractions internationally, promoting public policies aimed at improving the sector's competitiveness, reducing port costs, and promoting concrete actions that contribute to consolidating a more attractive and competitive regional system for the Southern Cone cruise industry."

The Chilean delegation also included Paula Bunster, director of the Corporation and director of Empresa Portuaria Puerto Montt, and Marcelo Silva, director of Empresa Portuaria Austral. Among the authorities present were the Ministers of Tourism of Uruguay, Pablo Menoni; and Brazil, Gustavo Costa Feliciano.

Within the framework of this meeting, the Corporation's delegation met with executives from the National Port Administration (ANP), reaffirming the commitment to strengthen cooperation between the ports of the Southern Cone and promote joint initiatives that favor the development of cruise activity.

In addition, a technical visit was made to the Port of Montevideo, where they toured its facilities and learned firsthand about aspects related to its infrastructure and port operation.