Sri Lanka's tourism leaders today pledged to bounce back aggressively to restore the industry that was growing at record levels before last Sunday's Tsunami. "First we saw amazing acts of human kindness from Sri Lankans from all walks of life. Amidst the most staggering grief, I heard so many stories of our people reaching out to touch the lives of our foreign visitors. In so many different ways,...

It will cost more than 20 billion baht to rebuild and repair hotels in southern Thailand damaged during Sunday’s Tsunamis.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will hold a California Travel and Tourism Outlook Forum, which will include an industry leadership summit, and will provide the keynote luncheon address to 1,800 hotel owners and investors at ALIS. The luncheon, part of the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS), is open to the media and scheduled for noon on Wednesday, January 19, 2005, at the Westin Century Pla...

BANGKOK -- The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) today announced the launch of its Tsunami Recovery Fund. PATA is inviting PATA members, chapters, governments, tourist authorities, travel professionals and individual travellers to pledge money. The funds will be dedicated to a recovery programme for the benefit of tourism employees in Asia Pacific resort destinations affected by the disaster...

SILVER SPRING, Md. -- Survivors of the worst natural disaster in recent history will be getting much needed assistance quickly, thanks in part to Choice Hotels International (NYSE:CHH - News). Worldwide lodging franchisor Choice Hotels in partnership with Phoenix based Connect-Worldwide, an international travel representation company, Swift Transportation, Asiana Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Nor...

MONTREAL -- CDP Capital - Real Estate Advisory and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) announced today the conclusion of an agreement whereby Starwood has acquired a 49% interest in SEC Square Victoria Limited Partnership, the owner of the W Montreal hotel located at 901 Square Victoria. For the purposes of the transaction, the hotel was valued at CA$34.8 million (approximately U...

WHITE PLAINS, NY -- The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) is accepting seminar proposals for educational programs at the 2005 International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show (IH/M&RS), to be held November 12-15, 2005, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. The deadline for submitting proposals is February 28, 2005.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Carol H. Williams Advertising announced today the addition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) to the agency's distinguished list of clients, further identifying the agency as one known for developing compelling campaigns targeting African American and urban consumers.

The tsunamis that swept across the Indian Ocean did more than take a heavy toll of lives and property in the Maldives -- they confronted the tiny island nation with a threat to its survival. The archipelago of 1,190 low-lying coral islands, dotted across hundreds of miles of ocean, has for years begged bigger, more powerful nations for action against global warming, fearing higher sea levels cou...

Huw Edwards and Jeremy Bowen present a special programme looking at the recent disaster in south and east Asia. Report show graphic images.