U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta and Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Kantathi Suphamongkhon signed an Open-Skies Aviation Agreement that will strengthen ties between the two countries by enabling U.S. and Thai airlines to offer more flights at lower fares. With this agreement, Thailand becomes the 71st U.S. Open-Skies partner.
The agreement follows an April 2005 meeting between U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta and Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in Bangkok. The Secretary and Prime Minister expressed the desire at that time to conclude a comprehensive Open-Skies agreement within six months of their meeting. Prime Minister Thaksin also attended today`s signing ceremony.
The Government of the Dominican Republic reinforced its commitment to boost tourism by signing an agreement with travel health and safety experts Check Safety First.
Check Safety First will work with the Ministry of Tourism to improve standards of hygiene across 100 small businesses including hotels, restaurants and excursions. Those involved will work toward achieving the Crystal Mark, Check Safety First´s hygiene program developed in accordance with standards from the World Health Organization.
TUI AG may raise the price of package holidays anytime soon in an effort to offset soaring oil prices in the world market that have been hitting the global travel industry quite hard lately, Tagesspiegel am Sonntag reported last week, citing a company spokeswoman.
"We cannot rule out that customers may have to pay higher prices due to extremely high kerosene prices," the spokeswoman said. "If the airlines charge higher prices, we will have to pass the price hikes on to our customers."
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) decided last week to nominate Koichiro Matsuura of Japan once again to be its director general for a second, shortened four-year term.
Fifty-five of the 58 member states on UNESCO´s Executive Board voted for his reappointment and Mr. Matsuura will be formally reappointed during UNESCO´s General Conference slated for October 12 this year.
Hurricane Rita smacked central and western Cuba on Tuesday, including Havana and Varadero, with intense wind and rain, and prompting the evacuation of 230,000 persons.
The category two cyclone made landfall at 2200 GMT 55 miles northeast of Havana, with 100 mile an hour winds, after it struck the Florida Keys, which US authorities had ordered evacuated.
Condé Nast Traveler magazine released earlier this week the names of the 23 school children finalists in the 14th Annual “My Caribbean Essay Contest.” This contest, the first of its kind for Caribbean school children, has become a symbol of Condé Nast Traveler´s commitment to the development in the Caribbean.
The 23 student finalists and their chaperones will fly courtesy of American Airlines to the Caribbean Tourism Organization´s annual conference (CTC) in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, to be held this year from October 23 to 26.