2010 will be the year for South America - investment & tourism. Monday, 12th October 2009 Source : HVS International

It is Brazil’s performance throughout this current world financial crisis – considered to be very good by the experts who attended the Conference – as well as the performances of the Peruvian, Colombian, and Chilean economies, which led to the below projection.

After two days of meetings and break-out sessions, the theme was strong:

In 2010, South America will attract the greatest volume of investment in hotels and tourism in the world, and Brazil is poised to reap the greatest benefit from this influx of capital, primarily from international groups.

"Last year, we didn’t know how the region would weather the economic crisis, but now we are certain that South America is not at the level of risk observed in Europe and the United States," explains Arturo García Rosa, President of SAHIC and President of HVS Buenos Aires, organizer of the Conference. "Brazil, in particular, shows clear signs of a very strong economy with a promising future, which makes it very attractive to investors from all over the world."

During the SAHIC, leading hospitality executives from around the world discussed the course of hospitality and tourism in South America and exchanged experiences about current topics.

Organizers of SAHIC also presented awards to acknowledge leaders who contribute to the development of tourism in the continent:

• The award for Best New Hotel or Mixed-Use Development was presented to Francisco Rencoret, the CEO of Territoria Chile;
• The Best Personality Award was bestowed on Roland de Bonadona;
• The Best Developer Honor was awarded to David Sutton, owner of the Alvear Palace Hotel in Buenos Aires, Llao Llao Hotel & Resort in Bariloche, and Galerías Pacífico in Buenos Aires.
• According to García Rosa, “It was exciting to witness the participation of the leading executives of our industry. Our expectations were exceeded as the quality of the presentations was outstanding, and the interest in investment in our region was heard loud and clear.”