Sixty European tourists, mainly British nationals, fell ill with gastroenteritis at a hotel in Tobago and health authorities are considering closing its kitchen, a senior medical official said last week.

Marriott International, with a $100,000 grant, has become a founding partner of the Hispanic Hotel Owners Association.

The head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) offered Chile assistance in repairing damage caused by the fire that destroyed part of the historical centre of the port city of Valparaiso last week, killing several people.

The Jamaica Tourist Board has appointed travel and tourism specialists McCluskey International to handle its public relations in the UK and Ireland, effective from March 1.

The U.S. Travel Industry Association has teamed with the Department of Commence to develop a series of multi-lingual Web sites designed to encourage inbound visits to the U.S.

Online Caribbean vacation packager CheapCaribbean.com, increased its commission level to as much as 15 percent on all bookings, including the air portion of packages, for retailers who register online with the firm by April 1. Agents who register after that date will be eligible for 10 percent pay on bookings.