In the wake of an Oct. 3 U.S. State Department Travel Alert warning of the potential for terrorist attacks in Europe, the U.S. Tour Operators Association (USTOA) is advising Americans to continue with their travel plans and arrangements. “USTOA member companies currently have thousands of travelers in Europe. The safety of our passengers and clients is a key concern for each of our companies, and the USTOA community has always taken steps to maximize traveler protection while at any destination, be it international or domestic,” said USTOA Chairman John Stachnik. “We acknowledge the State Department alert, and our members will do all in their power to treat the alert with the diligence it deserves.”

Home to golfers like Sergio Garcia, the Spanish region of Valencia will have welcomed three new 18-hole golf courses by this fall -- Las Colinas Golf Country Club, Font del Llop Golf Resort and La Galiana. With year-round sunny and temperate weather, this region on the Mediterranean now has 28 eighteen-hole golf courses.

The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee postponed an eagerly awaited vote on a measure that would abolish the ban on travel to Cuba. The move effectively leaves very little time this year for the proposal to get to the full Congress for a vote.

Ecuador’s Ministry of Tourism said it will implement a tourism service and security plan in early 2011 featuring new service training for hotel front desk and taxi workers, an enhanced tourism police presence and a toll-free hotline for travelers, said Freddy Ehlers, tourism minister.

Auckland’s new-look Eden Park, which has just undergone a three-year, multimillion-dollar upgrade for Rugby World Cup 2011, will open its gates on Oct. 10 for a special open day that will allow members of the public to inspect the redevelopment first-hand and get a behind-the-scenes look at what will be New Zealand’s main venue for the Rugby World Cup next year.

A slew of new hotel openings, from the quirky to the ultra-luxe, are primed to burnish Singapore’s reputation as a destination in Asia for a diverse selection of properties. New restaurants by chefs including Daniel Boulud and Mario Batali, and new clubs like Avalon and Pangaea are also set to be unveiled soon. The following are hotels that have just thrown open their doors and properties slated to open in the second half of this year: