Leaders in international business travel will meet at ITB Berlin next March, when the world´s largest tourism travel trade fair offers a dynamic new segment: the ITB Business Travel Days. The congress convention on March 9 under the title “Know Your Markets and Perspectives” will focus on the interest of department heads and directors.

The new Puerto Rico Convention Center is hosting this week the Caribbean Marketplace 2006, and event that´s slated to come to a close on January 17. Hosted by the Caribbean Hotel Association, this is the first international meeting being held at the Center and has already drawn 1,500 delegates to the new state-of-the-art facility which opened November 17 last year.

The Dominican Republic´s Tourism Desk in Spain and Portugal will roll out a heavy promotional blitz of the country during the upcoming 26th edition of the International Tourism Fair (FITUR) to be held at the Madrid´s IFEMA Fairgrounds from January 25 to 29. Authorities are planning to throw most of the limelight on the provinces of Samana and Puerto Plata, a couple of breathtaking locations perched on the north coast that Dominican officials are bent on making two of the Caribbean´s finest travel destinations.

Members of the Caribbean hotel and tourism industry have arrived in San Juan, Puerto Rico, for the 26th edition of Caribbean Marketplace 2006, which kicked off Sunday, January 15, through Tuesday, January 17th, at the newly-inaugurated Puerto Rico Convention Center. The event is presented by the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) and American Express, with the support of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company.

The MICE hall of the upcoming FITUR Congress 2006 will unfold its seventh edition on January 23 and 24 at the Madrid´s IFEMA Fairgrounds with the addition of a few newcomers, especially among buyers and exhibitors. IFEMA officials are confident to meet the expectations with a massive turnout in the neighborhood of 200 international buyers –specialized travel agencies and incentive purchasers- from 26 nations. Spanish sellers, for their part, are expected to reach 150, among hoteliers, convention bureaus, convention centers.

Philippines Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano on Tuesday assured that Davao City is ready to host the 25th ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) on January 13 to 21, and is poised to make a grand entrance in the global tourism stage as an international tourist destination able to compete with its counterparts in Asia, a report from Philippine paper Manila Bulletin said. The foremost travel trade show in the ASEAN region, ATF brings together industry players to discuss significant issues concerning tourism and to showcase ASEAN tourism products and services.