Expobuceo 2004, an international event on scuba diving, is scheduled from June 29 to July 2 at the Plaza America Conference Center in Varadero. This will no doubt be a perfect setting for tour operators, travel agents, professional and retired divers, scuba aficionados, marine biologists, scientists, underwater shutterbugs, environmentalists and diving students from all around the globe to exchange views and experiences on the topic.

Around 90 percent of European tourists coming to Mexico swing by destinations in the state of Quintana Roo, in the Mexican Caribbean, thus making Italy “a very interesting market” that has been steadily on the rise in recent years, local tourist authorities stated.

Most European sunbathers stay in the Mayan Riviera, while a lower percentage goes to the Cancun hotel area, the same sources indicated.

The Berlin International Tourism Fair (ITB) –one of the world’s largest tradeshows in the industry- will draw in this year a staggering 9,000 exhibitors and somewhere between 60,000 and 70,000 specialized visitors, IPK International, the event’s organizer in Munich, estimates.

The Second Annual National Conference of U.S. Colored Travel Agents will take place from April 21 to 25 at the Denver International Airport’s Renaissance Hotel. Organizers expect the attendance of some 300 colored executives and travel agency owners.

The event will basically gather members of African-American, Indian, Hispanic and Asian communities whose citizens spend as many as $90 billion every year in tourism, the Travel Industry Association indicated in a recent study.

Dominican National Hotel & Restaurant Association (ASONAHORES) and Tourism Promotion Council (CPT) have announced the official dates and locations for Dominican Annual Tourism Exchange (DATE) 2004. This year´s event is scheduled for April 28-30, 2004 at the Playa Dorada, Plaza, 2nd floor Playa Dorada, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.

"We are pleased to have the opportunity to participate in this event, as it serves as a catalyst for successful business ventures among the trades," said Johnny Bernal, president of ASONAHORES.

The first World Conference on Tourism Communications (TOURCOM), organized by the World Tourism Organization (WTO) called on the media to play a responsible role in covering events which can impact heavily on the livelihood of travel destinations and their local populations.

The impressive participation figures for TOURCOM - some 830 delegates from 126 countries - emphasized the great interest in communications "following