For the first time since 2001, AAA has added more restaurants than lodgings to its list of Five Diamond Award winners. The 2006 list includes seven additional restaurants and six more lodgings, bringing the total number of Five Diamond properties to 150. The 2006 list also includes two new properties each in Florida and California, the only states to add more than one Five Diamond property to the list. AAA rates nearly 57,000 restaurants and lodgings throughout all 50 America states, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, providing the broadest coverage of any U.S. rating system, both geographically and by number of properties rated.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell met last week with tourism leaders and put in place plans to ensure the £75 billion industry fully exploits the opportunities presented by the 2012 Olympic Games. Top of the agenda were arrangements to ensure the entire British tourism industry is ready for the Games and ready to create a legacy that benefits the whole country.

The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, arrived in Oman amid reports the superstar intends to invest in a large tourism project in the Gulf state. Jackson was on Tuesday seen at the VIP lounge at Muscat airport where "many passengers were surprised at being able to see Michael Jackson from such a close distance.”

Celebrity Cruises today announced the promotion of veteran cruise executive Lisa Lutoff-Perlo to vice president of Onboard Revenue. In her new role, Mrs. Lutoff-Perlo will be responsible for enhancing and marketing Celebrity´s onboard revenue products, including casino operations, retail boutiques, art auctions, the AquaSpa and salon, in addition to shore excursion product development.

The Fund for Reconciliation and Development, a nonprofit devoted to opening the doors to travel worldwide, used the ASTA congress here as its backdrop for launching the Travel Industry Committee for Freedom of Access to Cuba. It sponsored a trade show booth and a networking reception, and it sought signatures on a petition to lift all restrictions on travel to Cuba.

The Bush Administration came under fire from federal officials concerned about airport runway near misses and the neglected state of security for domestic air cargo. The dual bad news that came at the same time included a call to find better ways to curb the runway jet problem, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).