If Europe was popular last year -and it definitely was among the hottest cruise destinations in the world- 2008 promises to be even more sizzling.

Antigua and Barbuda’s tourism industry has recorded growth exceeding projections of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO). The CTO forecasted the growth rate for last year at between one and two percent, but the destination has recorded a 3.2 percent increase in the number of stay over visitors.

For the sixth year running, Orlando (17.5 percent) and Las Vegas (15.4 percent) were named the most popular domestic summer travel destinations booked by travel agents, according to ASTA’s 2008 Hot Spots for Summer survey.

Expedia Corporate Travel has seen no evidence of a reduction in client travel, despite recent economic concerns, but rising airfares spurred by capacity cuts and consolidation could trigger such cutbacks, said Dara Khosrowshahi, president and CEO of ECT parent Expedia Inc. in today’s fourth-quarter investor call.

Each January, PhoCusWright analysts assess the global travel marketplace to produce a list of predictions about anticipated changes in market dynamics, technology innovation and traveler behavior worldwide. The most frequently cited trends this year: travel metasearch and the development of mobile travel applications.

Chile expects 700.000 foreign and overseas Chileans tourists this summer, up 10 percent over the same period a year ago, which are expected to inject $400 million to the economy, according to estimates from the National Tourism Office, Sernatur.