News on Travel and Tourism Sector

Recession hurting cruise ship builders

2010-03-19T05:01:12Z

<div id="subtitle">Ship builders fear downsizing, or worse, if cruise companies don't order more vessels</div><div><p>The cruise industry is rebounding, but not for the companies who build the increasingly elaborate ships.</p><p>Executives from the major European shipyards say they're not getting enough orders to keep busy and profitable. Though cruise bookings and prices are up, a flood of new ships is crowding the market, and operators have shown little will...

Cruise liner hit again with illness returns to SC

2010-03-18T12:18:07Z

<div><p>A cruise liner hit by an outbreak of intestinal illness for a third straight trip from South Carolina returned a day early Thursday as operator Celebrity Cruises brought in extra crew to scrub the ship down for three days.</p><p>The Celebrity Mercury arrived about 2 a.m. and passengers began disembarking as the sun rose over Charleston.</p><p>...

U.S. cruise lines say return to Cuba would take time

2010-03-17T12:45:31Z

<div><p>MIAMI (Reuters) - U.S. cruise companies are eager to add Cuba to their itineraries; but even if U.S. policy allowed that, Cuba's ports would need years of rebuilding to accommodate the ships, industry officials said on Wednesday.</p><p>"Our business has grown so much that these ports in Cuba that were (established) in ...

Santa Rosa Hotels, California - Presenting Finest Lodging Experience

2010-03-17T10:28:29Z

Santa Rosa, located in the watershed of Santa Rosa Creek is the largest city in California's Wine Country.This beautiful city is surrounded by three mountains including Hood Mountain, Taylor Mountain and Sonoma Mountain.Hence, Santa Rosa houses wonderful mountainous sightseeing.Besides, it also offers many tourist attractions such as enthralling w...

Travel and Leisure Resorts

2010-03-16T01:22:52Z

If you are planning to embark on a luxury cruise voyage, then do not hesitate any more. As much as it may look like just an ordinary leisure outing, at the end of it all you will have developed great and lasting friendship with your cruising partners. It is from such friendships that you get to learn very many things that you never knew.<br><br>During your journey, you will be overjoyed to spend some time in the travel and leisure resorts which offer marvelous services and delicac...

Celebrity Century Review

2010-03-15T13:26:40Z

Having just returned from our first Celebrity Cruise aboard the Celebrity Century and I wanted to post a Celebrity Century review that hopefully others can benefit from it.<br><br>Some background on our cruising experience. This is our 6th cruise we have taken in the last 20 years so by no means are we what you would call experts. Nor would you call us rookies either. In the past 20 years we have cruised with United States gears up for a 100-million-dollar effort to boost tourism, doubts remain whether the initiative can live up to its promise and overcome a tarnished US image abroad.</p><p>A law signed March 4 by President Barack Obama creates a Corporation for Travel Promotion, modeled a...

Moody's may cut Hyatt senior unsecured rating

2010-03-10T11:30:16Z

<div id="subtitle">Moody's may cut Hyatt Hotels senior unsecured rating; worried about profit declines</div><div><p>Moody's Investors Service said Wednesday that it may cut Hyatt Hotel Corp.'s senior unsecured rating, citing profit declines and concerns over soft demand.<...

ITB - International Tourism Fair

2010-03-10T08:30:27Z

BERLIN - MARCH 10: In this combo the hosts and hostesses from (L to R, top row) Papua, the Dominican Republic, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Nicargua, (L to R, bottom row) Peru, China,

Tourism eyes sunnier days as world's top fair opens

2010-03-10T07:16:11Z

<div><p>The world's largest tourism fair, the ITB, kicked off Wednesday in Berlin with the global travel industry hoping for better times following a crisis-hit 2009.</p><p>According to United Nations figures, international tourist arrivals fell by four percent in 2009 and earnings from international tourism dropped by six percent as the world econom...

Travel Trip Smokies Pancake House

2010-03-09T08:31:51Z

In this undated photo released by the Gatlinburg Department of Tourism, waitress Robin Plunkett taking orders at the Pancake Pantry in Gatlinburg, Tenn. (AP Photo/Gatlinburg Department of Tourism)

Marriott plans to double European properties: report

2010-03-08T17:45:09Z

<div><p>NEW YORK (Reuters) - Marriott International Inc <MAR.N> plans to more than double the number of its properties in Europe in the next few years, with an announcement from the hotel company expected Tuesday, according to the President Barack Obama signing a travel promotion bill, The Associated Press reported erroneously that the U.S. Travel Association said the Singapore expects jump in tourist arrivals this year as casino-resorts lure visitors</div><div><p>Singapore said it expects tourist arrivals to surge as much as 29 percent this year as two new casino-resorts lure visitors to the Southeast Asian city-state.</p><p>Arrivals will likely increase to between 11.5 million and 12.5 million this year from 9.7 million last year when they fell 4.3 perce...

U.S. tourism measure draws mixed industry reviews

2010-03-04T14:34:17Z

<div><p>ATLANTA (Reuters) - The U.S. travel industry is hoping that a new tourism law will reverse a decline in international travelers to the country in recent years and create jobs, but some say the measure could backfire.</p><p>President Barack Obama on Thursday signed into law the Travel Promotion Act, ...

S.Africa tourist arrivals hit new record in 2009

2010-03-04T06:16:13Z

<div><p>South African tourism defied global trends and posted a 3.6 percent increase in arrivals last year, with a record 9.9 million foreigners visiting the country, the tourism minister said on Thursday.</p><p>Globally, international arrivals fell by 4.0 percent last year, according to the UN Reuters) - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc <HOT.N> is raising the annual amount of stock and options that it gives board members who do not work for the company by 25 percent.</p><p>Those directors will get $125,000 in stock and stock options, ...

Carnival to raise prices as bookings strengthen

2010-02-24T09:45:59Z

<div id="subtitle">Carnival to raise prices starting March 22 for summer cruising as bookings strengthen</div><div><p>Carnival Cruise Lines said Wednesday it will raise prices by about 5 percent for summer bookings, effective March 22, after a strong showing during the busiest time of the year for cruise reservations.</p><p>The peak booking period typically runs from about mid-January thro...

S.African tourism minister probes World Cup prices

2010-02-23T10:30:35Z

<div id="subtitle">S.African tourism minister launches price probe, 2nd into possible World Cup profiteering</div><div><p>South Africa's tourism ministry has ordered an investigation into allegations that World Cup hotel prices are unreasonably high, one month after a similar government probe was launched to find out if local airlines were colluding to infla...

CLOSING PARKS: MORE HARM THAN GOOD?

2010-02-20T02:15:22Z

<div id="subtitle">Cost-cutting move could devastate rural areas, critics say</div><div><p> The Nevada Legislature is thinking of closing state parks as it considers how to patch an estimated $900 million budget gap, a move that would save a few million dollars while killing the economies of rural towns and stunting tourism efforts across the state, opponents of the idea say.</p><p>...