SBWire

During 2012, inbound tourism flows increased marginally in volume terms, reaching 44.9 million trips.

While it became the global leader in travel retail in 2012 on the back of the continued expansion of online travel, Expedia faces significant competitive challenges. This profile analyses the company's efforts to adapt its offer in light of changing consumer behaviour, the dynamic expansion of main rival, Priceline, and Google's entry into travel and tourism.

As more and more people regard personal wellbeing and relaxation as key factors in refreshing their daily lives, domestic tourism flows showed growth in 2012. The increasing popularity of camping or trekking in the mountains and at the seaside, various waterparks and resorts in many regions, and more convenient transport systems were other forces driving people to take some enjoyable time out with their family and friends.

Thomas Cook has seen an eventful year, with the implementation of a severe restructuring and turnaround programme after the financial difficulties faced in 2011. The company has reduced its brands from 85 to 30 and is now focused on sales in Western and Eastern Europe. While high street stores remain important to Thomas Cook, 195 have been closed in the UK and the company is aiming to increase its online revenue streams. The company recently unveiled a new brand logo and slogan, "Let's go!"

The successful strategy to make Slovenia a highly recognised tourist destination over the last decade resulted in a record number of inbound tourists in 2012, with the number of arrivals increasing by 14% to reach 2.3 million. The increase in inbound tourism flows was a result of several factors such as a successful marketing campaign "I feel Slovenia", Maribor's status as European Capital of Culture, improved infrastructure and visa liberalisation for some former Yugoslavian republics.

Amongst the main tourist attractions, casinos saw the highest growth in number of visitors in 2012, and this trend was the same as in 2011. There are a total of 17 casinos in operation, and one is for both South Korean and foreign visitors, Gangwon Land Casino, located in Gangwon province. According to statistics from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the number of foreign visitors to casinos increased by 16% in the third quarter of 2012 alone. In terms of nationality, Chinese...

Euromonitor International's Travel and Tourism in Morocco report offers a comprehensive guide to the size and shape of the market at a national level. It provides the latest market size data 2009-2013, allowing you to identify the sectors driving growth. It identifies the leading companies and offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market - be they new legislative, technology or pricing issues. Background information on disposable income, annual leave and holiday taking habits is also included. Forecasts to 2018 illustrate how the market is set to change.

Irish Dream Tours lives up to its name by now offering exclusive self-drive tours of Ireland, which is a feature that no other tour company has provided till now. Ensuring convenience for its clients, a representative from the company receives them at the airport, escorts them to the car collection point, and to familiarise them with the road system of Ireland travels with them to Dublin where the arrangements for first accommodation have been provided. Another distinctive facility is the GPS that Irish Dream Tours provides to the visitors for the entire duration of stay in the country, absolutely free of charge.

RetiringToThePhilippines.com released their latest book in January 2014 and it was an instant success. The books author, Gary McMurrain, has decided to offer a special promotion and will be making the book available for free for a limited period of 5 days.

According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, 8,028,744 visited the state of Hawaii in 2012, staying an average of 9.28 days. Visitors frequently chose Oahu as their main destination, thanks to the many attractions to be found on the island. "Sadly, many only see the tourist side of the island when there is a great deal more to see and do if you choose to make use of condos north shore Oahu or other Hawaii beachfront vacation rentals," David Moyer of Hale Koolau explains.

According to Hawaii Gaga, February holds the highest occupancy rate for vacation rentals, based on statistics collected from September 1, 2008 to August 31, 2009. January comes in second and March in third, with September having the lowest month of occupancy. "Visitors to the islands find information such as this to be helpful when planning their trip and choosing Oahu north shore house rentals as Hawaii is a beautiful place to visit any time of year, yet many wish to avoid crowds," David Moyer of Hale Koolau declares.

We believe that although Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will remain less successful than many of their Central and Eastern European peers, these Baltic countries will see a significant upswing in their tourism sectors over the next few years, largely owing to the development of inter-regional tourists who are benefiting from higher incomes. We believe that the Lithuanian accommodation sector will be a particular outperformer.

Deeply affected by the economic and political crises that have plagued the industry in recent years, Air France-KLM has suffered several years of losses. In 2013, the group announced its first profitable quarter as its "Transform 2015" strategy began to pay off. Numerous challenges still lie ahead in order to achieve sustainable growth. The group is reallocating capacity between KLM, Air France, Transavia and HOP!, and introducing a voluntary redundancy plan.

In 2012, outbound tourism flows in South Korea saw 5% growth in the number of trips, and there is expected to be a further increase in the number of trips over the forecast period.

Hurghada is gaining major importance as a tourist destination in Egypt and is fast becoming popular among tourists who love the beaches, watersports and the year round sunshine. Industry experts predict that 2014 will see the return of the peak tourism witnessed in 2010 with 13.5 million tourists visiting Egypt. Many of these tourists are certain to be visiting Hurghada, which is now unrecognizable as the small fishing village it once was and has now grown to be the most visited destination in the whole of Egypt.

In 2012, the number of tourist attractions visitors increased by 2% while current value sales increased by 4%. The most important area among different types of tourist attractions remained casinos, which accounted for 43% of the total number of visitors and 55% of total value sales. The fastest growing area was theatres, which recorded a 4% increase in visitor numbers as a result of a vast number of specially organised performances as part of the European Capital of Culture celebrations in...

Reunion experienced a new record in international arrivals in 2012, as a result of increasing marketing activities. The island has firmly established itself as an exotic destination for French and European holidaymakers. Furthermore, the island's geographical position and its status as an overseas French department make Reunion an ideal hub for investors wishing to develop their activities with Africa, Asia, Europe, the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East.

Overall tourist volumes decreased in Ireland during the review period (2008-2012), due to the declining disposable income of consumers. Inbound tourist volumes expanded at a CAGR of 4.45% during the review period, and is expected to increase over the forecast period (2013-2017) at a CAGR of 8.86%, supported by government initiatives to promote tourism across the European region.

Bergen County, New Jersey - Planning a Vacation is usually time consuming task especially when the vacation is with the kids. The vacation needs to appeal to all the members so everyone can come back home feeling recharged and connected. The problem is that right now many families come back from a vacation with a feeling that something was missing. There is now a better way to plan your family vacation - realfamilytrips.com is a travel itinerary site that acts as a quick planning guide helping travelers plan a true family style vacation, without the guesswork or compromises.

The Global Explorations for Educators Organization (GEEO) is ringing in the New Year by announcing their summer schedule of discounted teacher travel at www.geeo.org excursions. Dedicated to creating affordable opportunities for teacher travel at geeo.org , GEEO is pleased to offer more than twenty 2014 summer teacher tours.

Global Explorations for Educators Organization (GEEO) is celebrating the New Year with the announcement of their schedule of summer trips. Dedicated to providing travel opportunities for teachers at www.geeo.org , GEEO has announced more than twenty summer teacher tours.

Current value growth of 5% in 2012 was mainly fuelled by successful marketing and the offering of special offers for spa weekends and get away holidays for couples and families. Medical spa tourism revenue remained at approximately the same level as in 2012 due to well organised governmental funding.

Nautilus Watersports, an adventure water sports service provider now brings fun packed activities for family enjoyment in Vanuatu. Several fun things to do in Vanuatu for family include parasailing, fishing, jet boat rides and extreme tours.

Nautilus Watersports, the adventure water sports service provider in Vanuatu area, now adds several attractions for the kids. Kids along with their family can enjoy exciting activities such as fishing, parasailing, scuba diving and more.