The Genesis Travel Distribution System said it has ended operations, agency hosting and fulfillment services effective August 1. All subscribers in all countries have been notified and have made alternative arrangements. Genesis’ USTAR and CSTAR registries have been closed.

Initiatives that give Tobago an opportunity to grow and prosper within the cruise industry are moving full steam ahead with the support and guidance of the Tobago House of Assembly.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) will develop its first Crowne Plaza hotel in Kiev, the Ukraine capital. The 225 Crowne Plaza Kiev, planned to open the year Ukraine jointly hosts Euro 2012, will be the third IHG hotel in Kiev.

Parisian airports are offering free dance lessons in their terminals this summer to help passengers get into the holiday spirit, the company that runs the airports said on Thursday.

Travel Bound has added to its lineup of 18 sightseeing tours in Brazil, which include tours in Iguazu Falls and Salvador. They include a Jeep Tour (six hours) which visits Tijuca Forest from $55 per person; Lapa Star House (four hours); Rio’s Carnival (four hours); Tropical Island (eight hours), and Maracana Football/Soccer Match (four hours).

So far this year, Hawaii’s peak tourism season of June through August has been anything but, as there was a stunning drop in visitor arrivals and spending in June. Visitors to Hawaii in June dropped 14.2 percent, nearly matching what occurred after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. “This is as scary as it’s ever been, and it’s going to get scarier,” said Mary Charles, founder of MC&A Inc., a destination management company. Some hotels will experience a 10 percent to 30 percent drop in bookings this fall, she said. If the drop in visitors wasn’t bad enough, air arrivals spent 13.5 percent less in June. Air arrivals from Canada, a growing Hawaii market because of the soft U.S. dollar, jumped 18.6 percent compared with June 2007. June’s visitor and spending drops reflects the loss of two Norwegian Cruise Line ships, increased fuel costs and a continued soft travel market, especially from the U.S. mainland, said Marsha Wienert, Hawaii tourism liaison. Industry officials have discussed ways to alleviate the crisis, including tax credits, waiving landing fees, reducing prices for transportation and hotel rooms for air crews and even fuel hedging by the state.