BCD Travel has expanded its operations in Brazil by acquiring a stake in current partner Avipam, an independent travel management company with five offices and more than 400 employees around the country. Avipam serves some 900 corporate customers, with annual sales nearing $200 million.

Helping consumers to reduce the financial stress of planning a vacation, today Visa USA introduced an online Summer Travel Budgeting Center which features a free, web-based budget calculator called the “Travel Wizard.”

First Choice Holidays posted underlying loss before tax of £82.5 million (it peaked £76.5 million in 2006) due to higher financing cost resulting from increased spend on acquisitions in the six months to April 30.

In advance of Carnival Corp.’s second quarter 2007 earnings call on June 19, Bank of America analyst Michael Savner said that Carnival’s results would “reflect current weakness in the Caribbean”.

Ryanair has posted a 33 percent jump in annual net profits, pushed up by higher ticket prices. However, profit growth is predicted to slow as higher UK interest rates prompt travelers to seek cheaper deals.

Summer travelers might be wary of planning trips to the Caribbean in the off chance that a tropical storm or hurricane might affect their stay.