Figures released by Tourism Fiji this week show the destination welcomed a total of 53,138 international visitors in October 2009, a 7.2 percent increase on the 49,586 achieved for the same period in 2008.

Norwegian experienced strong passenger growth last year and flew 18 percent more passengers than the previous year. In total, 63 new routes were established; 30 in Denmark, 18 in Sweden and 15 new routes in Norway.

Portugal saw an increase in U.S. visitors this summer, and set a record for Americans arriving by cruise ship. Americans helped increase the incoming market ranking to the ninth largest and the sixth largest in terms of spending.

A record 10,000 passengers from the UK and Europe are expected to travel to St. Kitts in the first year since British Airways commenced operations in January 2009, representing a 50 percent growth in just six months. The surge in passenger numbers is set to continue through 2010, following the start of BA’s second service on 30 March 2010.

With over 60 courses spanning the six areas making up the region, Provence Côte d’Azur is one of France’s leading golfing destinations. This activity is actively supported by the region’s tourist industry through a policy designed to assist courses in structuring and promoting high-quality golfing services, and ensure that Provence Côte d’Azur is well positioned on the international golf tourism market.

Israel Tourism reported that 2.7 million tourists visited Israel in 2009, making it the second-best year for tourism in Israel’s 60-year history, just 11 percent less than the record set in 2008. “While tourism to many countries dropped catastrophically in 2009, Israel’s increase underscores Israel’s extraordinary viability as a tourist destination despite the worst recession in 70 years,” said Arie Sommer, Israel Tourism Commissioner for North and South America. The United States is the largest single source of tourism to Israel, accounting for 21 percent of arriving travelers. Russia is the second-largest source of tourists to Israel, followed by France, Britain and Germany.