In the first nine months of 2013, international tourism grew by five per cent according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. The number of international tourist arrivals reported by destinations around the world increased by some 41 million between January and September, growing above UNWTO’s initial forecast.

South America continues to display stable growth in the market for international travel, where it has easily overtaken the countries of North America. South America continues to be a dynamic driving force of the global tourism industry. Brazilians, who are extremely keen on shopping tours, have contributed significantly towards this trend.

Curacao’s tourism sector is surging in 2013, according to a new report from Expedia. The booking giant said it is seeing growth across a number of source markets, including 18 percent year over year growth from the United States. So far in 2013, nearly 40,000 room nights have been booked through Expedia in Curacao.

Still deciding where to spend your holiday vacation? Costa Rican hotels are filling up fast for the upcoming year-end holidays, with hotel owners expecting eight of every 10 rooms to be occupied, according to a recent survey by the National Tourism Chamber (CANATUR).

A delegation from the French department led by Hilaire Brudey, president of the Guadeloupe Tourism Commission, visited Haiti last week for a two-day visit, mulling the development of a multi-island package for the French market.