Top experts in tourism communications and journalists from various countries addressed around 200 participants from 20 countries at the first Regional Conference on Tourism Communications (TOURCOM), organized in Nusa Dua, Bali (Indonesia) on Friday. The Conference marks a turning point for media relations and crisis communications in Asia and the Pacific. Organized by the World Tourism Organization in cooperation with the Indonesian Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the event has attracted decision makers in international tourism communications from the public, private sectors and a large group of journalists. The official sponsor partner of the event is Visa International - Asia Pacific.

As the old saying goes, "there´s no gain without pain," and Trinidad & Tobago´s fashion designer Claudia Pegus had not only the vision, but also the drive and the desire to conquer new markets, to forge alliances in the highly competitive realm of Latin fashion. And she accepted the invitation to be the honor guest at a splendid fashion runway show entitled Venezuela Designs, recently held in that South American nation. Mrs. Pegus´ designs and collections have put her on the map, not only in the Caribbean, but also in Europe, the U.S. and Canada. This time around, she presented seven new designs -five of them from her Hemp Resort Collection. The other two outfits belong to her formalwear collection. Not even her world-known cocktail-party dresses were seen in the runways of Caracas, let alone her fanciest creations and flagship bride gowns.

Port security officials from the Bahamas, the U.S. and the Turks and Caicos Islands were given the opportunity to fine-tune their protection of regional ports on Tuesday, as the second annual International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) symposium opened on Tuesday at the Radisson Cable Beach Resort. The three-day symposium will focus on ship and port security within The Bahamas and is being sponsored by The Bahamas Port Authority and the United States Navy and Coast Guard Liaison officers of the U.S. Embassy.

One Earth One Family: Travel and Tourism -Serving a Higher Purpose is the theme of the 3rd Global Summit on Peace through Tourism being held at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort, Pattaya, Thailand, October 2 to 5. The aim of the Summit is to develop a 21st Century Agenda for Peace through Tourism that addresses key global issues of our time.

The recently held 9th Caribbean Hotel Tourism Investment Conference (CHTIC) in Barbados has set the platform for a major investment boom in Caribbean tourism, stressed Bethia Parle, President of the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA). Ms Parle extolled the attendance and participation at the three-day conference last week as one of the best, with the association registering a record participation of companies and delegates.

New Yorkers dreaming of a Caribbean vacation will be exposed to one full week of the region’s pleasurable lifestyle during the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s (CTO) Caribbean Week 2005, from May 29 to June 4. The weeklong series of consumer focused events and business meetings will offer thousands of New Yorkers and visitors to the city, a feel of life in the tropics, CTO has assured.