An ever-growing number of European netizens are making travel reservations through the Internet. That´s not breaking news, but the heart of the matter is that travel agencies and tour desks are scrambling like never before for a piece of a market that´s becoming increasingly elusive. There are still some skeptics that don´t buy online offers like €30 airfares, €100 escapades and €40 hotel rooms in dreamland getaways.

Impresarios and entrepreneurs assembled at the Travel Agency & Tourism Association of Argentina (AAAVYT is the Spanish acronym) are getting increasingly wary of the future of short-haul flights, lack of guaranties for passengers and the potential ripple effects this situation could bring onto the local leisure industry.

By José Carlos Santiago After several decades without a new secretary-general of the CTO, and in the face of a nonstop flow of complaints and protests staged by member states about the economic policy, the marketing strategy, the discrimination against some countries, the lack of vision, the absence of new markets, the non use of languages spoken by other member states, and the dictatorship of some over others, the CTO has decided to hold elections.

The practice of scuba diving on the Caribbean´s largest island is hurriedly dropping the initial S to become one of its top proposals for active relaxation, that according to the opinions of several experts who were polled on the issue. For an important number of connoisseurs, scuba diving is increasingly beating other tourist choices around the world, and Cuba is no exception to the rule. Averaging some 100,000 immersions every year by some 25,000 divers from every nook and cranny of the planet, Cuba is taking solid steps to emerge as a major destination for scuba diving buffs.

For the world travel industry, the worst of the recession is over and continuous improvement is now expected. That was the appraisal made by Dr. Christian Goke, Chief Executive Officer of Messe Berlin at the closing ceremony of ITB 2005 in the German capital. The figures speak for themselves: 10,409 exhibitors from 181 countries and regions, and more than 142,000 visitors, Dr. Goke said before attendants to the closing ceremony of the International Tourism Exchange ITB Berlin 2005.

The Berlin International Tourism Fair rolled down the curtains with a new record high of attendants and superb numbers on the board in every aspect. For the event´s organizers, the world travel industry is once again off to a good start after enduring the fallout of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.