Surface appearances are important to visitors to Punta del Este in Uruguay, South America’s equivalent of Miami or St Tropez. Many of an increasingly international crowd is drawn to the beach resort by the lavish and exclusive private parties thrown at the beginning of each year.

Mexico spent $19 million to replace beaches washed away by Hurricane Wilma in 2005, but erosion has shrunk Cancun’s sandy playground to the point where waves at high tide lap against some hotel patios.

Uruguay’s summer season (December thru March) attracted 650,000 foreign tourists of which 412,000 Argentines and 115,000 Brazilians according to an official release Thursday from the Ministry of Tourism. Overall the season was described as “good” but less promising than 2005-2006.

As the competition for business travelers and tourists becomes increasingly international, the U.S. still ranks as one of the top five most attractive environments for developing the travel and tourism industry, following Switzerland, Austria, Germany, and Iceland.

West Indies governments have spent an estimated $400 million on hosting the cricket World Cup which they hope will enchant visitors with the attractions of their sun-soaked islands.

Following up on a Supreme Court ruling in 2005, the Transportation Department has formally proposed to issue a new package of regulations to extend the Americans with Disabilities Act to passenger vessels, including foreign-flagged cruise ships.