The 17th edition of Travel Mart, the tourism tradeshow organized by the Quintana Roo Hotel Association, came to a close Wednesday in Cancun after three days of intense debates and a significant international turnout. Tour operators from the Mexican Caribbean destination and purchasers hailing from the U.S., Canada, Latin America and the rest of the Caribbean, as well as from the Asia-Pacific Rim and Europe, huddled in Cancun to exchange views and experiences in the business.

Though the 25th edition of Spain´s International Tourism Fair is still five months away, its organizers are mapping out a hands-on promotional campaign in an effort to target unexplored markets. Scheduled for January 26 through 30, 2005 at the Juan Carlos I Fairgrounds in Madrid, FITUR planners have already cranked up a far-reaching promotional blitz in Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

Organizers of Havana’s Latin American Movie Festival are already trumpeting the beginning of the ten-day 26th edition for December 1. The event’s major goal is to play and award films whose artistic values contribute to highlight the cultural heritage of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Guatemala played host this week to the first Central American Travel Market (CATM) that from now onward will take place on a yearly basis in each and every country of the region. Tourism ministers from Belize, Panama and other Central American nations attended the two-day event designed to promote this nation as the region´s number-one travel destination.

The 27th edition of the Caribbean Tourism Conference will unfold from September 17 through 20 in Aruba under the sponsorship of the Caribbean Tourism Organization and the Aruba Tourism Authority. Sources close to the organizers told Caribbean News Digital that the main slogan of this year´s event will read Handling Businesses in a Global Economy. In the same breath, planners have arranged a number of business meetings between October 15 and 17.

Cultural tradition and the taste for the good smoke will be key players in this year´s festivities to mark the 485th anniversary of the foundation of the city of Havana. An array of imagination and gaudiness will highlight these celebrations that are intended to keep cultural heritage very much alive and remember the old part of a town that still captivates the hearts and souls of thousands of visitors every year.