Hurricane Wilma not only hamstrung the powerhouse of Mexican tourism in October, bringing hefty losses while Cancun´s hotels, restaurants and nightclubs were out of action, but it also took a jab on something much harder to replace: Cancun´s beach. After suffering mass cancellations, hotels are quickly picking up the pieces, with about half of Cancun´s hotel capacity likely to be ready by January.

Quatro Rodas, one of Brazil´s leading tourism guides, recognized the Crowne Plaza brand as the best in “Service Innovation” in its 2006 guide. The guide recognized the brand for the type of innovative programs and distinctive services that it provides guests such as its Sleep Advantage Program, all of which are unique concepts to Brazil.

Three veteran journalists from the Bahamas, St. Kitts and Nevis and the Caribbean Diaspora in New York took the spotlight at the grand finale of the 2005 CMEx Caribbean Media Awards at the 7th Caribbean Media Exchange on Sustainable Tourism (CMEx VII), held in Nassau, Bahamas, from December 8 to 12. Bahamian Yolanda Deleveaux of the Nassau Tribune, Guyanese Clive Bacchus, general manager of WINN FM in St. Kitts and Nevis and Brooklyn-based Trinidadian Glenda Cadogan who freelances for outlets such as Caribbean Life and the New York Daily News took top honors during the awards presentation.

Christoph R. Müller, 44, has been appointed the new chairman of Hapag-Lloyd Flug gesellschaft mbH (Hapagfly). The supervisory board of the airline made this decision in its meeting today. At the same time Müller will join the board of TUI Deutschland GmbH, where he will be responsible for the Flight sector. It is intended to propose to the TUI AG supervisory board that Christoph Müller moreover be appointed as head of the Flight division at Group level.

Las Vegas, NV | The International School of Hospitality (TISOH), a subsidiary of Hospitality Experts Consortium, LLC, has announced the graduation of the inaugural classes in the Meeting Planning and the Event Management Certificate programs. A Certificate Ceremony and Reception was held on December 6 at the Ballroom of the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas to honor the graduates and to commemorate the event.

Readers of Condé Nast Traveler have voted Pink Sands on Harbor Island in The Bahamas the number four Top Atlantic Ocean Resort with a rating of 83.3 percent. Results of the “2005 Readers´ Choice Awards” were published in the November issue. For the Condé Nast Traveler award, resorts were rated in the categories of rooms, service, food/dining, location, overall design and activities/facilities.