Georgia has been ranked in the top three countries in the region for being a tourism-friendly country. Georgia placed 71st out of 141 countries in the latest Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Reportreleased by the World Economic Forum. Spain topped the list of the most tourist-friendly countries, followed by France and Germany while Guinea and Chad were at the bottom …

    Tourism from Russia to Europe fell by an average of 30 percent in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period in 2014, as a Russian economic slump, a weakened ruble and international tensions over the Ukraine crisis dented demand for European vacations, according to a report issued this week by the European Travel Commission …

    Japan logged a travel account surplus in fiscal 2014 for the first time in 55 years, according to a Finance Ministry report released Wednesday that highlighted the impact of increased Chinese tourism. The ¥209.9 billion surplus — money Japanese spend traveling abroad minus money foreign travelers spent in Japan — is said to be benefiting local retailers struggling …

    Santa Monica Mayor Pro Tempore Tony Vazquez shook hands and snapped photos with tourists as well as residents with visiting friends and family at the Santa Monica Convention & Visitors Bureau’s (SMCVB) Information Kiosk on Wednesday morning. He was at the kiosk located at Palisades Park (1400 block) to help celebrate the start of the 32nd annual National …

      Costa Rica ranks among the top tourism economies in Latin America, according to theresults of a report released this week by the World Economic Forum (WEF). The country ranked 42 among 141 countries evaluated by the WEF in its Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2015. That’s five steps higher than the country ranked in the WEF’s previous report. The ranking took into …

    Pearland community partners, hospitality professionals, and business leaders celebrated National Travel and Tourism week at a Travel Rally Picnic to honor industry professionals on Friday (May 8). The event, sponsored by The Ivy District, was held at the Pearland Town Center pavilion. “Travel and tourism is one of America’s largest industries and this especially holds true in Texas,” …

For the first time, Spain ranks as the world’s most tourism-friendly country in the World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index, according to rankings recently released in a biennial report. Spain’s leading status is “thanks to its cultural resources, infrastructure and adaptation to digital consumption habits,” a news release accompanying the report said. Traditionally strong contenders including France, Germany, …

    The countdown has begun for the implementation of South Africa’s new visa rules for children, which from 1 June 2015 requires an unabridged birth certificate for all travelling children travelling to, through or out of SA. While Tourism minister Derek Hanekom has expressed concern about the effect of new visa regulations on the tourism industry he felt it …

      As many as 1.62 million fewer tourism jobs will be created in Thailand over the next 10 years unless the government and the private sector address the problem of talent shortages, a study suggests. The travel and tourism industry contributed Bt2.35 trillion to the Thai economy last year, accounting for 19.3 percent of gross domestic product. Almost …

    Twenty Middle East tourism ministers and industry leaders met in Dubai at ATM’s UN World Tourism Organisation Ministerial Forum to discuss an intra-Arab strategy. Among the ideas floated were: A single Gulf visa, similar to the European Schengen visa, to allow easy cross-border access for the region’s nationals and residents of any nationality. An open skies agreement to …