The Palms Hotel & Spa in Miami Beach, Fla., has appointed Patrick Kemmache as the new director of food and beverage. Kemmache oversees dining and bar operations, culinary and purchasing functions, staffing, quality control, and profitability of the property’s food and beverage venues including the signature “natural gourmet” restaurant, Essensia, and all other dining outlets, as well as corporate meetings execution and social catering/banquets.

A change by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration in the rating of Mexico’s civil aviation authority prohibits U.S. airlines from offering codeshare service on any Mexican airline. As required by this change, Delta will remove its code from AeroMexico flights, but will work proactively to re-accommodate any customers affected.

Japanese JTB tour operator’s maiden charter flight arrived in the Jose Marti International Airport in Havana, Cuba, reported the Cuban Ministry of Tourism (MINTUR). JTB general manager for Latin America Iuchi Takahashi greeted the passengers on the tarmac. He was accompanied by Cuban tour agency HAVANATUR and MINTUR officials.

Coming off the heels of a $50 million dollar renovation, the Loews Miami Beach Hotel, situated in the pulse of sizzling South Beach, has named Craig Schoninger as the new director of sales and marketing.

Costa Cruises’ newest ship, the Costa Favolosa, took to the sea for the first time on Friday, Aug. 6, at a ceremony held at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard. The 114,500-ton, 3,000-passenger Favolosa will sail on its first cruise in July 2011. It is the fourth of five ships delivered or set to be delivered between 2009 and 2012 for Costa. The total investment in the five new ships is worth 2.4 billion euros. In spring 2012, the Costa Fascinosa, a sister ship to Favolosa, will complete Costa’s fleet expansion program.

The Department of Homeland Security will start charging travelers from Visa Waiver countries a $14 fee that will fund a global marketing and promotion campaign aimed at increasing the number of international visitors to the United States. As of Sept. 8, travelers will be charged a $14 fee when applying for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization. A portion of the fee will go toward funding the Corporation for Travel Promotion, created by the 2009 Travel Promotion Act.