At least 35,000 children fall prey of prostitution in Colombia, chiefly in the country´s major sightseeing locations, and the picture could get even blurrier as the social scourge threatens to sneak up on every nook and cranny of the South American nation, official sources indicated.

Orlando Escopeta, head of research at Colombia´s Institute of Family Wellbeing, told NOTIMEX news agency that over 35,000 infants are victims of prostitution, though he hinted at the possibility that those figures could be much higher.

A hotel compound hubbed in the heart of Brazil´s Amazonian jungle has set up Tarzan-like cabins on the tree tops. But don´t get fooled by the looks. The huts are equipped with everything required to meet the demands of modern life, including Internet hookup, air conditioning systems, pay-TV and other conveniences.

The Ariau compound, perched on a piece of the jungle about a 15-minute drive from the city of Manaos -capital of the northern state of Amazonas- has soon become a travel destination of choice for foreigners in search of ecotourism at its best.

The arrival of teen students who like spending their spring vacations in Cancun -known locally as springbreakers- dropped 50 percent this year regardless of heightened measures taken by Mexican authorities in this Caribbean beach circuit to keep their naughty behavior at bay.

"The arrival (of springbreakers) dipped 50 percent this year. Back in 2001, some 100,000 students swarmed over Cancun, yet this time around we´ve only counted some 45,000. Higher hotel fares are mostly to blame for this plunge," Tourism Undersecretary Dario Flores explained.

The newly-founded Ethics Committee of the World Tourism Organization (WTO) held its first working session last March 3 in Italy’s Rome and elected Diego Cordovez as chairman.

The Occidental Royal Hideaway Resort & Spa in Mexico’s Playa del Carmen snared the prestigious AAA Four Diamond Award, named after the world-class travel publisher and company linked to travelers’ services. Founded in 1902, the AAA Organization gauges and ranks over 35,700 lodging facilities from all around the world.

At least four gangs specialized in mugging and robbing tourists are currently operating in Guatemala, a situation that has driven local authorities to launch out a nationwide plan aimed at thwarting their criminal activities and safeguarding foreign travelers. Guatemala’s leisure industry has turned out to be a major source of income money for the country with as many as $600 million in 2003 alone.