World News

One of Taiwan's hotly awaited annual festivals is fast approaching. The Sun Moon Lake International Fireworks-Music and Come!Bikeday Festival will be held from 23 October to 22 November 2015. Held annually every October and attracting visitors from all over the globe, the event takes place on the shores of Taiwan's largest freshwater lake and one of the country's 13 national scenic areas, Sun Moon Lake.

2016 will be an important year for pilgrims to Rome and also Santiago de Compostela, as the year has been declared a 'Holy Year of Mercy' by Pope Francis; and special events will be taking place in both cities. Santiago Cathedral officials have also confirmed the Holy Door of the cathedral (Porta Santa) will be open for the Year of Mercy.

Nigerians have been congratulating countryman Wellington Jighere, who has become the first African to win the English-language World Scrabble Championship. The 32-year-old beat Englishman Lewis MacKay 4-0 in the final in Australia. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari was among those to congratulate him, saying he has "done the country proud".

Qatar Airways showcased the best of its ultra-modern fleet, with three of the airline’s latest generation aircraft on display on the opening day of the Dubai Airshow. A senior delegation of Dubai Government officials accompanied His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on the VIP tour of the state-of-the-art A380.

Destination NSW has prepared a list of 11 of the most recognisable film destinations made famous by classic and new Australian films to celebrate two of Sydney's biggest film events Tropfest Australia (6 December) and the 5th AACTA Awards (9 December).

The Caribbean Tourism Organization has announced that its newly redesigned website (www.caribbean.co.uk) for the UK is now online for consumers and trade. This dynamic website, designed by Experience Engine, a full-service digital agency, will provide users with a wealth of information about the Caribbean region. 

A very large number of participants including delegations from Seychelles, La Reunion, Mauritius, and Rodrigues paraded together as they danced their way into the People's Stadium in Victoria, the capital of the Seychelles.

The Martinique Promotion Bureau is making a strong push to attract U.S. travelers this winter by hosting its annual Martinique Magnifique Travel Show in five key markets – New York, Boston, Baltimore, Washington, DC, and Miami – October 22–29, 2015. The special events tout the latest developments in air service, hotel development, cruise options, and attractions.

This debate surrounding the climate has polarized the world into two different groups for a long time; some theorists maintain that an intrinsic characteristic of climate is that it changes while a large percent of others support the theory that global warming is anthropogenic or caused by human action.

Always a highlight of the State of the Industry Conference, the Youth Tourism Congress took place on the final afternoon of this years conference, bringing Junior Ministers and Commissioners of Tourism from 14 Caribbean destinations together to present on a prepared topic, as well as on a mystery topic. This years congress was presided over by last years winner Rol-J Williams  from Nevis.

Thank you, Mr Riley. Your excellencies, dignitaries, ladies and gentlemen, all protocols observed… It’s a pleasure to be here. And thank you for the warm welcome and the invitation to speak here today in Curaçao. I’m delighted to be here with all of you in this beautiful destination. Before I begin, I want to also recognize the JetBlue team in attendance – please stand!

In the presence of Ministers of Travel and Tourism from the CTO member countries, alongside members of the invited press, speakers, and delegates, the #SOTIC2015 got underway last night on the beautiful island of Curacao. Look out for more information on our Twitter and Facebook during the event where we will be live tweeting out interesting points from the talks.

Comfort Suites Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman has captured four of this year's five Caribbean Star Awards which are given out by Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH), one of the world's leading hotel companies and franchisor of 10 hotel brands and the Ascend Hotel Collection membership program, a global portfolio of unique independent hotels and resorts.

Expanded waistlines are often the biggest souvenir travellers bring home after their holiday – but help is at hand! The Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba, long-renowned for its culinary variety, is increasingly putting healthy eating on the menu. A growing number of restaurants are specialising in healthy food to help visitors stay in their preferred shape.

Yesterday saw the Destination Briefings from some of the CTO members, including Trinidad & Tobago, Curacao, Anguilla and more! Make sure that you keep your eyes peeled for our roundup of the State of the Industry Conference 2015 in the November edition of The Phoenix Newspaper!