There is good news for European tourism: despite continuing economic turbulence, European tourism industry figures are up. These are the findings of the ITB World Travel Trends Report, compiled by IPK International and commissioned by ITB Berlin. Among the winners were North and South America, which together registered a 6 percent increase in tourism.   [...]

  Since the water in Bermuda gets too cool for swimming, travelers looking for a winter beach escape tend to overlook the island. And that translates to off-peak savings. Here, Hamilton, Jobson’s Cove in June 2006.   Bermuda   Enjoy a slice of island life without paying the high-season prices of the Caribbean. Bermuda, which [...]

Despite the downward revision of the countries’ economic growth forecast, U.S. tour operators predict U.S. travelers will return to Europe in growing numbers. This is the main finding of a new World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)/European Travel Commission (ETC) report on U.S. outbound travel presented at the recent World Travel Market in London with the support [...]

Leading U.S. travel industry organizations offered a unified front to oppose the United Kingdom‘s plans to increase the Air Passenger Duty (APD) tax, calling it excessively high and counterproductive.   In a letter to George Osborne, the U.K.’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, a score of top agencies, associations and unions expressed strong opposition to the [...]

Destination management company is merger of TMM and Destination PROS; will serve Southern California market                                                              San Diego, CA/Irvine, CA ­- 360 Destination Group, a destination management company with joint headquarters in San Diego and Irvine, has announced its corporate launch. The company will serve the Southern California market, managing corporate travel programs and [...]

The general mood in the business travel industry is cautiously optimistic vs. the gloom felt by many just a couple years ago when travel was treated as a political punching bag. In October 2011, more than 2,000 international meeting professionals attended IMEX America, a new trade show for worldwide meetings, events and incentive travel held [...]

RMC, the largest privately owned destination management and special events company in the U.S., is opening a new division in California and Nevada, concurrent with the announcement of an exclusive destination service provider partnership with The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe.   Lake Tahoe, Calif. and Lake Tahoe, Nev. (November 10, 2011) — RMC, a longstanding destination [...]

  Montreal’s Jean-Talon Market is located on the edge of the city’s Little Italy neighborhood.   These days, Montreal is selling itself to U.S. tourists as more than just poutine and a port.   Poutine is a popular Montreal dish of French fries topped with gravy and cheese curds; and Montreal’s Old Port on the [...]

  The Westin St. John Resort and Villas is a 47-acre tropical retreat on the palm-lined shores of Great Cruz Bay. It’s one of the properties Starwood has put on sale for early winter travel.   Did the Northeast’s surprising, pre-Halloween snowfall get you thinking about Caribbean beaches a little earlier than normal this year? [...]

Total expenditures by visitors who came to Hawaii in the first nine months of 2011 increased 14.7 percent, compared to the same period last year, to $9.3 billion. Total visitor days for all visitors rose 4.2 percent and total arrivals (+2.7 percent) continued to surpass last year at 5,446,393 visitors, according to preliminary statistics released [...]