John Vanderslice, Club Med´s former president and CEO of the Americas, has been named CEO of Miraval, Life in Balance. Mr. Vanderslice is relocating to Tucson to oversee the destination spa and the expansion of the wellness resort company. Miraval is spending $37 million to upgrade its 102 rooms and add 50 one- and two-bedroom villas.

Following restoration efforts the Caral-Supe Special Archeological Project, Peru´s sacred city of Caral is now open as a prime destination and archeological treasure for tourists who visit Lima, the Commission for the Promotion of Peru (PromPeru) announced Monday. Caral is the oldest city in the Americas and is regarded as an integral part in changing the history of Peru since its discovery in 1994. The city is built over 5,000 years ago, is not only the oldest city in the Americas but also third overall after Mesopotamia and Egypt, followed by China and India.

Walt Disney World reopened its Rock ´n´ Roller Coaster this week after determining that nothing mechanical caused the death of a 12-year-old rider one day earlier. An autopsy was planned Friday to try to determine what had caused Michael Russell to pass out on the ride shortly before he died. His father told authorities the boy was in good health.

A number of Caribbean hotels may soon be part of a region-wide hotel rating system thanks to a partnership between Mobil Travel Guide and the Texas-based FreemanGroup, a hospitality and tourism service evaluation and improvement firm. The partnership, which is part of FreemanGroup´s new FG Destinations´ launch –an initiative headed by Kedrick Malone, former director of tourism for the British Virgin Islands- marks Mobil Travel Guide´s plans to go worldwide with its Star rating system.

As part of its drive to work closely with the travel agent community, www.CheapCaribbean.com is offering agents an introductory 15 percent commission on every Caribbean and Mexico vacation package and land only reservation booked on www.CheapCaribbean.com and all COMM Group travel sites. As with all of its package and hotel only stays, prices are still up to 70 percent lower than its online and traditional wholesale competitors.

In the framework of the International Travel Expo of Hong Kong (ITE), one of the most important tourist fairs in China, Peru was recognized by the organizers of this event as the Best Adventure Destination 2006, stated Prom Peru. Two presentations for professionals were also carried out, for the first time in Cantonese, offering tourism alternatives of the Southern and Northern circuits.