Addressing the Royal Aeronautical Society at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) headquarters, UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai called for increased visa facilitation and the liberalization of air transport to help the development of civil aviation and tourism.

Jamaica Tourism Minister Dr. Wykeham McNeill has said that over $20 billion in investments have been earmarked for Jamaica's tourism sector. McNeill pointed to some of the latest investments, such as the Kingston-based 130-room Courtyard by Marriott.

Just over 10,000 Russian tourists visited the island over an eight month period with the establishment of a direct flight from the European country to Jamaica this year. The number of Russian visitors represented a 644 percent increase over the same period in the previous year.

Sandals Resorts International recently hosted the Caribbean's largest recorded organized group of deaf American tourists at its Sandals Negril resort in Westmoreland. During their one-week stay at the resort, the 22 deaf Americans visited several of the island's historical sites, shopping centers and water attractions.

Official figures from the Office for National Statistics reveal visits to the UK by overseas residents are up by six per cent in the year to date. Holiday visits continue to grow and are up eight per cent over the past twelve months compared with a year earlier.