With a final tally of 27 countries from the Americas, Europe and Asia, the 21st edition of the El Salvador International Fair (FIES is the Spanish acronym) came to a successful close after gathering some 380 companies that showcased their products and embarked on numerous negotiations. Attendants to the fair that ended last Sunday could take part in three business rounds aimed at making promotions and forging trade alliances.

Havana, the Cuban capital, celebrated its 485th anniversary on November 16 with a varied program that included history retelling, social functions, cultural events and recreational activities. A faithful advocate of colonial architecture in both Cuba and Latin America, the city of Havana was founded in 1519 as the village of San Cristobal de La Habana.

Gorgeous Acapulco will be home to next year’s Mexico Travel Market, a highly specialized business powwow that gather buyers and providers of tourist services through prearranged contacts and meetings for two and a half days. The 30th edition of the Mexico Travel Market will bring together 450 companies and over a thousand buyers hailing from different countries around the globe.

Some 500 folkloric parades for tourists take place in Bolivia’s La Paz every year. That’s also the name of a luring proposal the South American nation is unveiling this week at the World Travel Market in London. Teresa Chavez, tourism director of La Paz Mayor’s Office, explained the nation’s capital holds some 500 of these colorful and music-laden folkloric parades every year, including the Carnival, the University Pageant and the Great Power Party.

The London World Travel Market (WTM 2005) is marking its 25th anniversary with a bang. The event that closed on Thursday 11th in the British capital- has logged a new record of attendants, many of them from the Caribbean region, at the roomy ExCel Fairgrounds. Organizers said the world’s largest fair of the travel and tourism industry has this time around provided 39,000 square yards of exhibition space for over 5,000 companies from some 190 countries.

The Third Vallarta Golf Cup will take place from November 12 to 14 at the golf courses of the Mayan Palace and Vista Vallarta resorts in Mexico. The latter –designed by Jack Nicklaus- was home to the World Golf EMC2 Cup on December 2002. Organizers have invited the top 128 golfers of the world ranking to join the 32 teams that will take part in this prestigious event.