ReleaseWire

Domestic tourism has increased by 3% from 2012, to a total of 8.5 million trips compared to 8.3 million trips in 2012.

Initial indications suggest that 2014 will be another positive year for the tourism industry in South Africa. With only two months of data (January and February) currently available, we currently see no need to change our forecast of a 6% rise in South African tourist arrivals over 2014, with a concomitant rise of 6.9% in tourism receipts (in US dollar terms). Indeed, the first two months of the year saw total arrivals growth of 8.2%, to 1,781,368. The South African Ministry of Tourism's preferred measure of 'overseas arrivals' - which strip out arrivals from elsewhere in the African continent - reflected growth of 6.4%, to 495,322.

2013 was generally a good year for inbound arrivals in Croatia. With the EU succession timed wonderfully in the high season (1 July), a lot of free publicity was given to Croatia, making it the biggest news of the year. An increase in number of trips of 5% as well as tourist receipts rising by a strong 17% had a positive effect showing good future prospects.

The Tonga Tourism Authority (TTA) was established in July 2013 and is expected to positively boost travel and tourism in Tonga. The TTA is responsible for designing and implementing the promotion of Tonga as a travel and tourism destination with the aim of raising awareness in key source markets. The formation of the TTA is part of the government's increased focus on building the country's tourism industry, which is now Tonga's largest revenue earner.

For 2015, we are forecasting a slight turnaround in the beleaguered Kenyan tourism sector's fortunes, with arrival numbers set to rise by 2.5%. However, this remains dependent on a lasting improvement in the domestic security situation. We are also expecting slight rises in international tourism receipts and the number of overnight stays in 2015.

Malaga is a beautiful, picturesque and vibrant place to visit for a holiday, but if the average tourist guide is to be believed, it’s simply a procession of overpriced nightclubs and thrill seeking experience companies crammed into a single strip of overcrowded land, saturated by binge-drinking lad culture. Malaga Travel Guide is a website that offers a different perspective, an insider’s view, which allows people to get away from the crazed hotspots and enjoy an authentic experience on the Costa Del Sol, including the top hidden Malaga hotels and Malaga wine that rivals the top vineyards in the world. In addition to these many best kept secrets, they have now posted a new editorial explaining how to get the very best rates on Malaga airport transfers.

According to the new Travel Flash Report by the New York Advertising firm Criteo, in the first half of 2014, 40% of Americans booked some form of travel – flight, car rental, hotel – on a mobile platform. Mobile bookings have increased by an upwards of 20% in just the first six months of 2014. This is much greater than desktop bookings, which only had an increase in bookings by 2%. This reveals that mobile is quickly becoming a person’s favorite way of booking their next trip and flight.

When looking for things to do while vacationing in Hawaii this winter, there is plenty of excitement to be found aboard a prominent fishing charter, from the views to the catch. Offering customized charters for fishing in Kauai and a one-of-a-kind experience, Ohana Fishing Charters has been overwhelmed by their high percentage of positive feedback on their TripAdvisor profile. The feedback has earned them a 2014 Certificate of Excellence through TripAdvisor thanks to a 4.5 star rating and 82 reviews.

The TourPal travel guide app is now featured by Apple on the iTunes homepage (main featured page) in over 15 countries. TourPal has previously been featured in the App-store several times, but only in the Travel category. This is the first time TourPal is getting featured on the iTunes homepage.

BMI forecasts all the major indicators for the Ukrainian tourism industry - inbound travel in particular - to be negatively affected by the deteriorating security situation and political crisis as well as the annexation of the Crimean peninsula by Russia. We expect to see a deep contraction in the Ukrainian economy in 2014, and investment in the tourism industry will suffer as a result.

Port Grimaud is one of Europe’s little known treasures.

To contribute to economic growth and combat poverty, the government has undertaken to equip the travel and tourism market with appropriate regulations and to engage in a programme of capacity development. The programme includes the development of tourist sites and strengthening hotel and leisure facilities, as well as human resources and promoting tourism and recreational activities.

Medical tourism in Spain increased in current value terms by 1%. Many inbound tourists travel to Spain for knee and back prosthesis from Germany and for dental surgery from the UK. Russian and Arabic patients normally look for beauty treatments. The global economic downturn had little negative effects on demand for health and wellness tourism in Spain in 2013. Treatments are also cheaper than in other European countries. Health and wellness services attempted to attract more consumers by keeping the prices on a comparable level to the previous year and by introducing promotional offers in 2013.

For those who are planning to visit Orlando, FL in 2015 there is a great opportunity to win a complimentary round-trip transfer from Orlando International Airport (MCO) to any hotel or resort in Orlando (family or group up to 6 people).

Panama Relocation Tours, Inc. has a reason to celebrate as the company announced today that its 2014 tours are all sold out, and that its 2015 Panama tours are filling up fast. The first tour to be conducted in 2015 will take place from Jan. 17 to 22. Presently, there are 4 remaining seats for this tour.

The consistent decline in the exchange value of the South African rand continued to have a negative impact on growth in the numbers of outbound trips in South Africa towards the end of the review period. It remains relatively expensive for South Africans to travel to destinations in Europe and North America as they require considerable amounts of local currency to cover their travel and accommodation expenses.

The makers of Guiddoo, a popular personal tour guide app, have launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo in order to introduce a new version of their personal tour guide app for people who want to travel the world with confidence. This campaign has a funding goal of $20,000, which needs to be raised by December 5th in order to officially launch the new and improved Guiddoo App. The original idea started when Guiddoo creator Nidhi Varma took a trip to the Eiffel Tower, a holiday she had wanted for a very long time. The trip did not go as planned because of a series of problems that could have been avoided if she had known important details, such as an unexpected closure due to a labor strike, or if she had been able to purchase tickets in advance. Varma was disappointed and frustrated, which led her to create an App that would shake up the tour and travel industry, while making a traveler’s life easier, and trips more enjoyable and hassle free.

According to the travel and tourism competitiveness report published by the World Economic Forum in 2013, Egypt dropped 10 places in the global assessment to 85th position. This drop was mainly because of the deterioration in the safety and security environment in the country.Both, number of tourist trips and tourism receipts recorded a significant drop in 2013.

Carlson remains a key player in the global hotel market thanks to its portfolio of Radisson, Park Inn and other brands. The company's competitive strategy includes rapid expansion into emerging markets. Carlson is now the holder of the largest pipeline in Africa. In 2014, Carlson launched two new brands, Radisson Red and the Quorvus Collection, in order to cater to the growing influence of the Millennial generation, as well as the evolution of technology in the accommodation market.

Nestled between the bright cities of Phoenix and Tucson, Oracle State Park Center for Environmental Education is a dark sky oasis in the desert. Now the park's impressive night skies will be protected for future generations. The International Dark-Sky Association is honored to name Oracle State Park an International Dark Sky Park. The prestigious designation is the result of exceptional efforts to protect the area's dark skies and raise public awareness about the issue. Designated at the "Silver" tier level, the park is the first in the Arizona State Park system to receive IDA recognition.

In general terms, BMI remains optimistic about the medium-term outlook for Saudi Arabian tourism as we approach the end of 2014, targeting 37.4% growth in tourist arrivals (to 25.8mn) and a 40.6% increase in tourism receipts (to USD14.2bn) over the forecast period to 2018. The Saudi Arabian authorities have stated that they want to diversify away from an economic overdependence on oil, with the tourism industry set to become increasingly important to the overall economy. Government expenditure has focused on developing the religious tourism and business travel sectors in particular, and we expect this support to continue over the forecast period to 2018.

Wedged between the two titans India and China, Nepal is a relatively small country with geographic icons, breathtaking mountain landscape and myriad treasures. With its ancient culture and the mighty Himalayas as a backdrop, this birth place of Lord Buddha has truly earned the title as the roof of the world.

Located in the heart of Jerusalem the New Year will bring the opening of a state-of-the art museum that heralds the historical contributions of those who support the State of Israel. Designed to bring attention to the devoted that have showed immense courage that, in some cases, cost them their lives the museum is an unmatched high-tech experience. Eliciting ongoing support for the Jewish people the museum’s exhibits also bring attention to the issues that face the much debated region.

2013 saw further growth and development in regards to the Kiribati travel and tourism industry. The number of inbound tourist arrivals increased, along with tourism expenditure. Strong promotions in key markets such as Australia contributed to growth as tourists became more aware of Kiribati as a viable tourist destination.

When walking through the galleries and hallways of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Egyptian collection one can grasp the all consuming obsession this ancient civilization had with the afterlife. Could their beliefs be more than just primitive superstition? Maybe, according to two of New York's seasoned paranormal investigators.