Ignacio Mendoza Valenzuela has joined the management team at Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit as managing director. Mr. Mendoza earned a degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Universidad La Salle in Cancun and immediately began his work as a professional in Amsterdam at the Le Meridien Apollo.

Mountain Travel Sobek has received a one-year license from the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control to operate people-to-people tours to Cuba.

Beaches Negril Resort and Spa was recently presented with the PADI Green Star Award, reaffirming its commitment to environmental preservation and its place as a leading green hotel. PADI is the world's largest scuba certifying/diver training organization.

The CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Christoph Franz, is stepping down with an operating profit of EUR 697m in the books for 2013. Adjusted for non-recurring items from the realignment of several corporate divisions, profit totals more than EUR 1bn.