Major Brazilian airlines (VARIG, TAM, VASP and GOL) decided to jack up air ticket prices in the wake of a 24.4 percent increase tacked by PETROBRAS on the price of aircraft fuel. VARIG rose fares by 9.6 percent, while TAM, VASP and GOL followed suit with 9.3, 10.1 and 9.2 percent respectively.

As the travel industry is getting all shook up by the U.S. heavy shelling against Iraq, four Caribbean countries went out to the rescue of regional air carrier LIAT with a suitcase of credit lines and loans that could allow the rundown company to pay off its debts and avoid losing 5 of its 10 aircraft, the Star of Santa Lucia weekly newspaper reported.

The company –knocked together on a regional basis and headquartered in Antigua and Barbuda- is going through some serious problems sparked by the post-9/11 crisis and the resulting shrinkage of international travel.

The Ecuadorian Ministry of Tourism informed the beginning of a project dubbed “Ecuador: resources to the tourist product” that with the help of the World Tourism Organization will set out to grab new world markets.

The main objective behind this effort will be the making of seven products based on the actions of 60 tourist municipalities that took part in a decentralization process egged on by the nation’s ministry.

The Association of Caribbean States (ACS) is determined to develop a virtual market to ease trade among the region’s countries, a service that according to Luis Noriega, director of the ACS Trade Division, will allow corporate people in the Caribbean to offer their products and search for others willing to import them.

In Mr. Noriega’s opinion, the fact of the matter is to facilitate trade actions and announced the virtual market will soon be signed into an official tool in Havana within the framework of a much broader and comprehensive institutional cooperation agreement.

Montse Orduña has jumped on Gheisa Travels’ bandwagon to head the Special Operations Department. Her chief goal right now is to forge a relationship among providers to create products and knock together operative groups. On the other hand, Mrs. Orduña will also be charged with working on groups’ packages and scheduled programs for Gheisa Tours, as well as overseeing the product’s operative side.

In the face of the war unleashed by the United States against Iraq, Alitalia, Delta Airlines, KLM, Singapore Airlines and Taca Group have removed limitations and deadlines on travelers in return for nothing else but benefits and passengers’ peace of mind.