Divi Resorts, the North Carolina-based company which operates nine Caribbean resorts, has appointed Marco Galaverna as Vice President of Operations. As VP of Operations for Divi Resorts, Mr. Galaverna will be responsible for working with Divi´s seasoned property managers to enhance vacation experiences for all Divi Resorts guests.

Travel Trade Gazette Asia (TTG Asia) named Accor ´Best Global Hotel Chain´ in its 2005 reader´s poll, the second year in a row the group has received this prestigious award. Accor Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing for Asia Pacific, Ray Stone, said the company was delighted to receive the award again, and that it reflected the group´s consistent commitment to work closely with all sectors of the travel trade industry.

Hurricane Beta pounded Nicaragua´s Caribbean coast with heavy rains and powerful winds Sunday as thousands of people rode out the storm in boarded-up homes or government shelters. The storm came ashore near the remote town of La Barra as a category 2 hurricane with 105 mph winds. But it weakened to a category 1 with 90 mph winds as it moved inland, dumping up to 15 inches of rain.

Tour operators will not resume holidays to storm-battered Cancun until at least November 6, as inspections revealed widespread damage to dozens of properties. The Federation of Tour Operators confirmed the destruction caused by hurricane Wilma had been much worse than anticipated and advised holidaymakers to contact operators.

Continental Airlines is providing extra capacity at Merida, Mexico, to assist in evacuating tourists from the Yucatan Peninsula in the aftermath of Hurricane Wilma. Continental is currently the only U.S. carrier operating out of the Yucatan. The Cancun and Cozumel airports are currently closed. Many evacuees are traveling by land from Cancun and Cozumel to Merida to seek flights. The U.S. State Department has arranged ground transportation to help some evacuees reach Merida.

Preparation not panic and education rather than speculation was the piece of advise given by Association of Corporate Travel Executives´ (ACTE) President Greeley Koch regarding the threat of an avian influence pandemic. Speaking to over 975 travel management executives and corporate leaders gathered in London last week for the association´s global education conference, Mr. Koch urged the business travel industry to work with government authorities, national and international health organizations, and corporations in planning and preparing to minimize the impact of an avian influenza pandemic.