The frequent confusion between the two WTOs - World Tourism Organization and the Geneva-based World Trade Organization - officially ended last week when the General Assembly approved to add the letters UN (for United Nations) to the start of acronym of the international tourism body in English and in Russian. The problem –especially for the media- came up when the name World Trade Organization was adopted and with it the acronym WTO in English, a problem that did not arise in other languages where “trade” translated as “commerce” and it became the OMC.

Almond Resorts are introducing a line of signature spas with nurturing, sense-enhancing, comforting treatments which go beyond the usual Caribbean spa services. The first Almond Spa will be at the Almond Beach Club in Barbados. Here, the Almond Spa, with its elegant, clubby feeling reflects the resort´s unique setting, exclusive yet relaxed.

The judges´ reports are in and six Caribbean journalists from Jamaica, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago will be honored during the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA Caribbean Media Awards at the Hilton Kingston in Jamaica on December 6. Organizers have confirmed two winners each in the three categories of print, radio and television for bodies of work published and broadcast between September 16, 2004 and October 20, 2005 under the theme “Gender Equality, Reproductive Health and the Millennium Development Goals.”

Carnival Corporation & PLC and its affiliated brands are donating more than $7 million to various disaster relief organizations. The funds, specifically earmarked for hurricane-affected areas in the Gulf Coast, Florida and Mexico, include a $6 million donation from Carnival Corporation & plc and an additional $1 million raised by the employees and guests of its operating companies.

An outbreak of gastrointestinal illness aboard a Royal Caribbean International cruise ship last week may signal the return of a seasonal virus that for the past several years has bedeviled the industry as well as other crowded places. About 8.5 percent of the passengers and 1.7 percent of the crew aboard the Splendor of the Seas fell ill during the course of a 14-day cruise from Barcelona, Spain. The ship finished its cruise in Galveston, Texas, on Saturday.

Which island should you head to if you love golf? Where´s the best shopping in the Caribbean? What destination do you pick if you´re looking for the most beautiful beaches? Fodor´s “Caribbean 2006” guide can answer these questions and many more. The book profiles 25 Caribbean destinations, from Anguilla to the Virgin Islands, with separate sections on destinations in countries comprised of more than one island, like St. Vincent and the Grenadines.