ASTA (American Society of Travel Agents) held its first Board of Directors meeting of 2011 last week (April 13-14) as part of the Society’s International Destination Expo in San Juan, P.R. In addition to making critical decisions that shape the Society’s future, the Board heard from ASTA CEO Tony Gonchar and staff on the strategic development plans being put in place for 2011 and beyond.

A surge in exhibitor demand over the last few weeks has resulted in over 97 percent of booth space sold at AIBTM 2011 as meeting and event industry professionals aim to attend the first large scale U.S. exhibition incorporating a Hosted Buyer Program, AIBTM Education day and America Meetings Week.

At a time when the OECS Secretariat is redirecting its work programs, with a view to bringing the OECS Economic Union into effect, OECS Tourism Ministers have focused their agenda on the strategic analysis of the single OECS tourism space.

Investing in the Caribbean region’s tourism sector will be the focus of a power breakfast this June, presented by the Caribbean Tourism Organization and Hard Beat Communications, Inc., in collaboration with the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The thousands of tour operators, journalists and travel suppliers attending the U.S. Travel Association’s International Pow Wow in San Francisco on May 21-25, 2011, will discover a very different city from the one they experienced when International Pow Wow was last held here in 1992.

Bucuti & Tara Beach Resorts owner and Chief Environmental Officer (CEO), Ewald Biemans, will be a featured speaker and panelist during the Green Globe Summit taking place May 27-30, 2011 in Paris, France. This global event brings together the world’s most important thinkers, industry leaders and activists to present their ideas, innovations and best practices for a more sustainable tourism industry.