The Monte Carlo Travel Market (MCTM) has announced two major partners for its 2006 edition to maximize the trade and public parts of the event. Leading Hotels of the World has selected for MCTM 2006 the best travel agencies operating in Europe. The Groupe Nice Matin, the largest press corps in the region, is providing MCTM 2006 with an unprecedented communication campaign.

Multiple Grammy-award winning singer James Ingram will play the Air Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival on January 28, 2006. Mr. Ingram said that playing to the audience in Jamaica is an “honor” and gives him a sense of coming “back home.” Especially, he said, since he hasn´t been back since playing in Kingston five years ago. “I´ll be singing my heart out,” added the multi- talented musician, with smash hits like Just Once, Baby Come To Me, One Hundred Ways and I Don´t Have The Heart.

The 13th edition of MITT, scheduled to take place from March 22 to 25 at the Moscow Expo Center, is exceeding all sales expectations. The leading travel and tourism event on the Russian market, MITT 2006, is experiencing a surge in interest. The event is poised for new levels of success with many established exhibitors increasing their space as well as new companies and destinations coming on board.

Preparations are underway for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Tourism Forum (ATF) slated from January 13 to 21, 2006, local newspaper SunStar reported. Organized by the Philippine Department of Tourism-Office of Tourism Standards, a four-day seminar for liaison officers was held last week at the Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCO) “to take a crack on protocols, social graces, culture, and security.”

Bonaire´s diving and eco-adventure event Dive Into Adventure Bonaire 2006 will take place from June 17 to 24 next year and will be organized by the Tourism Corporation Bonaire (TCB), its stakeholders and Scuba Diving magazine, the top sponsor. Formerly known as the Bonaire Dive Festival, Dive Into Adventure Bonaire 2006 will focus on scuba diving and the adventure of the sport while also incorporating eco-adventure activities like kayaking, windsurfing and mountain biking into the event program.

The annual LaSource Grenada Sailing Festival will celebrate its 13th edition from January 27 to 31. The festival, which since its inception in 1994 has been instrumental in placing Grenada on the world map for international sailing in the Caribbean, will feature a mix of international yachts and traditional wooden, bamboo-rigged workboats competing together in four days of racing Spice Island Style. The LaSource Grenada Sailing Festival is also well known for its provision of special entertainment for the entire family. This includes everything from fun dinghy races for the youngsters to hard fought competition within the fleet of ocean-going international yachts.