As many as 210 tourists from Europe have arrived in the Dominican Republic through the Samaná International Airport (AISA) that opened a week ago. A jetliner from the German airline Lufthansa landed on the 3,000-meter-long runway with 80 visitors from Frankfurt. This past Tuesday, 130 tourists arrived at the terminal constructed by the airport management firm, Aerodom, at a cost of $80 million.

Australia is keenly promoting the concept of breast implant together with a holiday Down Under, especially to the travelers from the U.S. Australia’s newly appointed breast enlargement ambassador is reportedly encouraging American women to consider traveling to Australia for breast enhancement surgery. The initiative comes at a stage when the nation is counting on exposure in the huge US market resulting on big bucks for Australian tourism. According to seven.com.au, Sydney cosmetic surgeon professor Peter Haerstch sees the potential but the risks as well.

Representatives from nine places designated as “creative cities” by the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) met in Santa Fe in late October to brainstorm about “creative tourism,” according to the Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper. Santa Fe, recognized as a folk art destination, is the only U.S. city on the UNESCO list.

UNWTO is committed to helping to protect children from sexual abuse. At the start of World Travel Market 2006 in London, the UNWTO Task Force to Protect Children from Sexual Exploitation in Tourism met to discuss the involvement of the tourism industry in the campaign to protect children from sexual exploitation. As a direct result of the meeting, Marriott International agreed to distribute the Internet link to the “The Responsible Tourist and Traveler” among its confirmed bookings - UNWTO`s practical travel advice, based on the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism.

Four French nationals were convicted Thursday of beating two gay tourists from New York on the Dutch Caribbean island of St. Maarten in a brutal attack that left one of the victims, an employee of the CBS News show “48 Hours,” with brain damage. Three citizens of the island’s French half, Glen Cockly, Micheline Delaney and Allan Daniel, and a man from the nearby French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, Michel Javois, were found guilty of public violence and grievous bodily harm.

Amadeus rolled out its new line of products and services to be available in the coming two months and that seek to ease work for travel agencies. Rita Betances, Amadeus general manager for the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, said this initiative is very much in sync with the wishes of her firm to revolutionize the tourism sector.