An interim assessment of ITB Berlin, the world’s leading trade fair for the international travel industry, reveals an extremely positive situation. David Ruetz, Senior Manager ITB Berlin said that “during the first two days the number of trade visitors was at the same level as in 2009.”

The Westin Aruba Resort will host its Sixth Annual Aruba Wine, Food & Art Festival from Thursday, June 3 – Saturday, June 5, 2010. This three-day festival will include live musical entertainment, art exhibitions, exceptionally elegant cuisine offered by renowned chefs, local and international liquor purveyors and wineries represented by six different countries.

The U.S.-Cuba Travel Summit, scheduled for March 24 to 26 in Cancun, will offer an opportunity for travel professionals to connect with Cuban officials and travel specialists. U.S. travel professionals and others interested in being at the front of the opportunity when travel opens to Cuba may want to attend the conference.

The Dominican Republic has been handpicked by The Competitiveness Institute to hold its first global thematic conference, an event devoted to travel clusters slated for April 7 thru 10 in Punta Cana.

This year’s ITB Berlin Convention, March 10 to 12, is presenting a program with more than 200 speakers from science, politics and the travel industry. At the Africa Forum, at a discussion round with Najib Mohamed Balala, minister of tourism of Kenya, and Martina Kohl of the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF), Chief Mukuni of Zambia will be discussing how important tourism is among the measures for combating poverty, as well as the role of development aid.

The second annual Tobago Jazz Experience will be held April 22 to 25. This year, the four-day festival features headline performances from Chaka Khan and Erykah Badu as well as the island’s jazz musicians as they perform and show their skills on a range of instruments that include the steelpan, drums, saxophone and the guitar.