Rio de Janeiro

There are many misconceptions about Latin America. Some believe it’s just a handful of countries somewhere south of Texas, others that you have to speak Latin to talk to the natives, writes Colin Ellson.

In fact, ever since the Conquistadors arrived in the region in the 16th century and stamped their claim on it, Spanish has been the main language, and the term Latin America generally refers to over 20 countries – Mexico, the seven small nations of Central America, the 13 countries that comprise South America, and, usually, Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic too.
The region’s perceived volatility has also been somewhat subdued in recent years, with political and economic change, helped by high oil prices and free trade agreement with the US, bringing a stability few would have predicted a decade ago.
This makes doing business here a good deal easier, and UK Trade & Invest pinpoints opportunities in a raft of sectors, from health to the oil and gas industry, from construction to water treatment, via financial services and telecoms.
Foreign investment, too, is a priority, with Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez among those stressing its importance in unlocking the region’s vast economic potential. Getting to this promised Eldorado, though, is a matter of using travel arranger expertise.
There are few direct flights from the UK. This often means sorting through a range of permutations, weighing up the advantages of flying via Paris, Amsterdam or Frankfurt, transiting through Madrid, which offers the greatest variety of direct flights from Europe to Latin America, or crossing the Pond to North America with a US carrier and continuing south from its hub.
After which, doing business with the friendly Latinos, in a region of unsurpassed natural and man-made beauty, could be a samba to success.

Argentina, Buenos Aires
Almost three decades since the Falklands War, the UK enjoys a strong relationship with Argentina. The capital, Buenos Aires, is the financial, industrial and commercial hub, and its port is the distribution centre for the region. The core services sector is supplemented by the banking, agriculture, tourism, oil refining and chemicals industries.
British Airways serves Buenos Aires daily from Heathrow. Air France flies from Paris Charles de Gaulle daily, and Lufthansa five times a week from Frankfurt. From Madrid, there are daily flights with Aerolineas Argentinas and Air Europa, with Iberia flying 16 times a week. North American routes operate from Toronto, New York JFK and Miami.

Bolivia, La Paz
The world’s highest capital city, at 12,008ft in the Andes, La Paz also walks tall in mineral processing. The world’s second-largest deposits of tin are the bedrock of the economy here and manufacturing capacity is based mainly in the La Paz area. Visitors are advised to take it easy until they become acclimatised to the altitude. The best route to La Paz is from Miami on American Airlines, which flies three times a day via Santa Cruz.

Brazil, Brasilia
Purpose-built Brasilia became Brazil’s capital in 1960. The headquarters of many Brazilian companies, the city is a major financial centre, while industry is represented by construction, food processing, furniture making and pharmaceuticals. Agriculture is also important, including exports of coffee, oranges, lemons, and dairy products. Daily Air Canada services fly from Toronto via Sao Paul, while Brazilian carriers offer connections too.

Rio de Janeiro
Noted for its spectacular setting, Rio is not simply a tourism dream. Since losing its capital status, Brazil’s second-largest city has continued to attract major companies, particularly after the discovery of oil in Campos Basin, with Shell, EBX and Esso establishing headquarters in the region. The city is also a major financial centre, and home to multinationals like Coca-Cola and IBM.
From Heathrow, TAM Airlines offers a daily frequency to Rio, with British Airways flying three times a week. Air France serves Rio 12 times a week from Paris CDG, and Iberia daily from Madrid. North American hub airports for flying down to Rio are Miami, Toronto and Atlanta.

Sao Paulo
The largest city in Brazil, high-rise Sao Paulo is one of the biggest financial players in the world, with 1,500 banks and the largest stock exchange in Latin America. A city of business tourism, congresses and fairs, Sao Paulo houses the head offices of 63 per cent of the international companies doing business in the country.
Both British Airways and TAM serve Sao Paulo daily from Heathrow. Air France flies 14 times a week from Paris CDG, KLM six times from Amsterdam Schiphol. Lufthansa operates daily from Frankfurt and five times a week from Munich, Iberia has 13 flights a week from Madrid, and Swiss flies daily from Zurich. North American hubs serving Sao Paulo include Toronto, New York JFK, Miami, Washington DC, Chicago, Atlanta and LA.

Chile, Santiago
Twenty years of economic growth have transformed the capital of Chile into one of Latin America’s most modern metropolises. Santiago is Chile’s industrial and financial centre, and its stability has persuaded multinationals like HP, Reuters, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Nestlé, IBM, Ford and Microsoft to set up headquarters here.
Air France serves Santiago five times a week from Paris CDG, Iberia and LAN fly daily from Madrid. Among the North American hubs with onward flights to Chile are Toronto, Dallas-Fort Worth, Miami and Atlanta.

Colombia, Bogota
The third-highest major city in the world at 8,660ft in the Andes, Colombian capital Bogota is known as ‘The Athens of South America’ for its many universities and libraries. Academia apart, it is the country’s financial services centre, and is also big on telecoms, tyres, chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
Air France flies daily to Bogota from Paris CDG, and from Madrid Iberia offers nine services a week, with Avianca and Air Comet departing daily. The US hubs for onward flights are New York JFK, Miami and Atlanta.

Costa Rica, San Jose
Think coffee and Costa Rica may well come to mind. The capital of San Jose is the centre of the coffee industry, whose exports make it the country’s third cash crop, although electronics, pharmaceuticals, financial services, software research and tourism are the prime contributors to the economy. Intel and GlaxoSmithKline are among the big players in town.
Iberia serves San Jose daily from Madrid. Otherwise, there are two Air Canada flights a week from Toronto, two AA flights a day from Dallas Fort-Worth and five from Miami, while Delta operates 17 times a week from Atlanta.

Cuba, Havana
Latterly the US trade embargo against Cuba has denied Americans the chance to unlock supplies of items such as their favourite Habanos cigars. The capital of Cuba is the centre for trade with many other nations, its industries including chemicals, pharmaceuticals, tourism and tobacco. The economy is sweetened by the sugar industry, which accounts for 75 per cent of exports.
Virgin Atlantic has two departures a week to Havana from London Gatwick. Services from Madrid are daily with Iberia, Air Europa and Air Comet. Alternatively, fly to Toronto and Air Canada operates to Cuba five times a week, Cubana four times.

Ecuador, Guayaquil
The largest city in Ecuador, Guayaquil is located on the Guayas River, its port among the busiest on the Pacific. The metropolis is a centre for fairs and international events, and most of the businesses are involved in agriculture and aquaculture. Increasing investment in urban regeneration is designed to attract more multinationals and to encourage tourism.
KLM serves Guayaquil six times weekly from Amsterdam, with LAN Ecuador flying once a week from Madrid via Santiago. US departure airports with onward flights to Ecuador include Atlanta and Miami.

Quito
Located 9,350ft above sea level on the slopes of a volcano, Quito is the second-highest administrative capital in the world. A major industrial centre for textiles, leather goods and pharmaceuticals, it is also the hub of the country’s oil industry, which accounts for 40 per cent of export earnings.
KLM offers five flights a week to Quito from Amsterdam, and Iberia has a daily service out of Madrid. US flights to Quito depart Atlanta or Miami.

Mexico, Mexico City
Built on the ruins of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, the capital of Mexico is the world’s third-largest metropolis after Tokyo and New York City. The country’s most important industrial centre, it is also the richest city in Latin America, its economy based on pharmaceuticals, an automotive industry, banking and investment, construction, textiles and the service industries.
British Airways operates four times a week from London Heathrow to Mexico City, with Mexicana offering the same out of Gatwick. Air France has a double-daily service from Paris CDG, KLM flies daily from Amsterdam, Lufthansa four times a week from Frankfurt, and Aeromexico daily from Madrid. There are also direct flights from a wide range of US destinations.

Panama, Panama City
The Panama Canal, linking the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, has been the lifeblood of Panama City since the waterways’s construction in 1914 and now the capital of Panama is undergoing massive development in tandem with major expansion of the canal, a move which has attracted developers and investors from around the world.
KLM flies to Panama five times a week from Amsterdam, with Iberia operating frequently from Madrid. Delta offers a daily service from Atlanta, and AA has four flights a day from Miami.

Paraguay, Asuncion
A city of gentle hills and parks, the capital of Paraguay is the oldest city in South America. A principal port, and the country’s chief industrial centre, it manufactures footwear, textiles and tobacco products, but the service sector is the highest revenue earner.
The only service from Europe to Paraguay is operated by Iberia from Madrid. The alternative is to fly to a major Latin America gateway, many of which offer connecting flights into Paraguay.

Peru, Lima
Located on the Pacific coast, Peru’s capital is a centre for financial services. Industrial development is spearheaded by some 7,000 factories producing textiles, clothing and food. Chemicals, fish, leather and oil derivatives are also manufactured or processed, and there has been an upsurge in the services and hi-tech sectors.
KLM flies daily from Amsterdam to Lima. Flights from Madrid include daily services operated by Iberia and Air Comet. North American hubs with flights to Peru are Toronto, Miami and Atlanta.

Uruguay, Montevideo
Best remembered for the scuttling of the German battleship Admiral Graf Spee in its harbour after the Battle of the River Plate at the start of World War Two, Montevideo is the largest city, the capital and chief port of Uruguay. Future prosperity hinges on a programme of privatisation of state industries, but progress is slow.
The most convenient routing to Montevideo is with Iberia from Madrid, or fly with AA which operates a double-daily service from Miami.

Venezuela, Caracas
Located in a valley some ten miles from the Caribbean Sea, the capital of Venezuela hosts numerous banks and service companies which help fuel the country’s economy, one based mainly on its abundance of oil. A regional distribution centre, Caracas’ most important industries include chemicals, textiles, leather, food, iron, rubber and cement.
Air France serves Caracas daily from Paris CDG, and from Madrid, Iberia flies daily and Air Europa four times a week. North American airports with flights to Venezuela include Toronto, New York JFK, Miami and Atlanta.