Famous Cuban Havana Club rum won most of the awards given in the First International Rum Festival, which 300 participants from 30 nations considered the "Anejo 15 anos" (aged rum) the most complete, event participants said. The Melia Havana Hotel hosted the closing ceremony and awards dinner that ended in the early hours of the morning, and where prizes were awarded for best designs in such categories as best stand (free design) to Tecnoazucar Company, and best design of a product for the range of Havana Club rums, among others.

The West Indian Foundation, Inc. in Hartford, Connecticut is seeking artists to participate in its Annual Caribbean Art Exhibit schedule to open on Thursday July 15 and will end on September 18, 2004. Artists interested in exhibiting one dementional works should send photos of art (noting size and medium), artist’s bio and any other relative information to Yvonne c. Harris, 135 Canterbury Street in Hartford, Connecticut 06112.

Members of the public sector, travel destination managers and institutions from over 25 countries attended the DRH.WTO conference “Building Structures for Tourism Policies and Destination Management”, held on June 2 and 3 at the Madrid Conference Center.

Participants huddled in the Spanish capital to discuss the latest research studies on tourism policies and strategies in the field of travel destination management, as well as to touch on methodology and related strategies that make certain travel destinations go great guns.

Guatemala will be home to this year’s Central America Travel Market, scheduled from October 3 through 5 in the nation’s capital.

The tradeshow’s main goal revolves around the need to put Central America on the world travel map and lure more wholesalers with a view to get them more familiar with the destinations and products the region has to offer.

The Central America Travel Market is a technical and professional event in which tourism offerings from the region’s five countries are showcased in an effort to establish trade ties with wholesalers from the top sending markets.

Mexico City’s World Trade Center will host the 2004 Expo Adventure & Ecotourism (scheduled for June 4 and 5), the only event of its kind in Central America that fosters tourism as a more environment-friendly and nature-loving activity.

Mexico’s countless offers in this field will be presented to attending travel agents, tour operators, representatives of tourism state offices, community tourism authorities and owners of ecological lodgings.

Despite the U.S. government´s fierce opposition and blockade, one of the most relevant sporting events of the Cuban calendar, the Ernest Hemingway International Sports Fishing Tournament, was held this week, with the participation of 17 boats with fishermen from six different countries.