More than 6.3 million tourists visited this country in 2005, up from just under 6.1 million the previous year, the state-sponsored Czech Tourism agency said in a statement. Most of the tourists came from neighboring Germany (1.6 million) an increase of 2.4 percent compared to 2004. Britain was second, sending some 657,000 tourists, or 10.4 percent more than in 2004. Italians were third with some 405,000 visitors last year.

The Government of Antigua and Barbuda is appointing Miss Lorraine Headley as its new Director General of Tourism. Miss Headley who joined the Ministry of Tourism in 1999, has worked closely with the private sector and the Antigua Hotels and Tourist Association, as Project Manager of the three year Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Development Program.

Eurostars Hotels is taking a new step forward in their firm commitment to international expansion by incorporating the Eurostars Rome Congress Hotel & Conference Center in the Italian capital. After this integration, the chain will have 31 establishments operating and will thereby reaffirm its wish to grow within Europe by means of consolidating its portfolio both in traditional tourist destinations and new emerging markets on the Old Continent.

A woman describing herself as a U.S. embassy employee in Mexico City phoned Campbell Travel, a Dallas-based travel agency, saying she would be buying air tickets on behalf of embassy staff. It was a scam. The caller ordered $75,000 worth of airline tickets on nine carriers, for which Campbell Travel may end up liable.

The three major alliances in air transport, OneWorld, Skyteam and Star have been quietly continuing to integrate more carriers and strengthen their dominance in various markets. The main focus of all of them last year was service enhancement. OneWorld was the first to offer an e-ticket fully compatible for all its members. Star Alliance opened its first branded lounge at Nagoya airport and Skyteam already has over 20 ticket offices around the world for its passengers.

Lastminute.com has been reprimanded by the UK´s advertising watchdog for mentioning sex offender Gary Glitter in an advertisement for children´s theatre tickets. The 1970s British “glam rocker” was jailed two weeks ago in Vietnam for child sex acts. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in a statement said that the advert was likely to cause serious or widespread offence.