Vincent Vanderpool, Bahamas´s tourism director, has been appointed the main candidate to take over the presidency of the CTO. Caribbean News Digital has learned about some of his ideas and projects from an exclusive interview with him that was posted recently. Now our newsletter is publishing, from this issue onward (right column) a poll on this particular issue. In search of interesting opinions, CND made a preliminary survey with some of the boldface names in the Caribbean travel industry. That´s the case of Luis Simo, Dominican deputy minister of tourism. This is what he had to say:

Designed to promote the small port city and its surrounding region as The Other Side of Jamaica, the resort area of Port Antonio has launched its long-expected official destination Web site at www.portantoniotravel.com. The site includes information on history and culture; accommodations, activities and attractions; travel tips, and dining options; as well as facts about the destination, and general information about Jamaica, according to officials.

The headquarters of the Canadian Tourism Commission will be moved from Ottawa to Vancouver at a cost of more than $12 million, said Prime Minister Paul Martin, who has met strong opposition from tourism officials in Ontario and some members of Parliament. Tourism is a big source of revenue in Canada´s westernmost province, which was chosen to host the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and this mountain ski-resort town.

Former Aer Lingus CEO Willie Walsh will become British Airways´ new CEO later this year, replacing Rod Eddington. AA insisted Walsh won´t be replicating his work at Aer Lingus, which he successfully transformed into a low-fare carrier, in part by slashing costs and eliminating services such as the short-haul business class.

Brazil´s beaches were the most sought-after travel spots for Chilean vacationers this summer with an incredible 187 percent spike from 2003. However, that volume accounted for barely one percent of the entire airlift, according to the Civil Aviation Board. Northern Brazil is all the rage now in Argentina and the sale of travel packages was really hot all summer long. But other travel destinations across South America are also catching on among Chilean trippers, including Uruguay´s Punta del Este, Cancun and Lima.

Peru is offering a new choice for tourists visiting the province of Huarochiri, in the department of Lima. It´s called the Tutayquiri Route, some 67 miles east of Lima and covering mountains as tall as 3,600 meters high in the districts of Cieneguilla, Antioquia, Ampugasa, Lahuaytambo, San Damian, Tupicocha, San Tupicocha, Santiago de Tuna and Cocachacra. Some of the must-sees along the route are the former Inca Path where, as the legend goes, pre-Hispanic god Pariacaca once walked. The archeological ruins and cultural areas of Llaquistambo and Llacsatambo are also attracting visitors by the hundreds.