European Cities Marketing has announced the finalists for the European Cities Tourism Awards 2007 - new ward that aim to provide a benchmark for best practice among Europe’s tourist cities and tourism organisations.

Gothenburg, York and Valencia are nominated as European Tourism City of the Year.
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The Estonian government has announced plans to invest in a three-year tourism development plan in Tallinn.

The state will invest €155 million in boosting the city’s tourist attractions, transport and events along with promoting Tallinn as a holiday destination.
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New rules will mean that people applying for passports will be obliged to attend a compulsory 20 minute interview to prove their identity in order to receive a passport and travel abroad.

From May 2007 new applicants will have to answer up to 200 questions about their personal and financial history and each application will be checked against a personal dossier drawn from Government databases.
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Andorra is taking steps to boost tourism to the country with the expansion of and improvements to a number of ski resorts.

The popular resort Pal will have artificial snow throughout the winter, supplied by a lake that is being built. This work is in reaction to disappointing snowfalls at the start of the 2006-7 season.
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Vail Resorts have announced plans to develop a new ambitious green resort - the largest of its kind in North America.

The $1 billion “Ever Vail” project will transform a 9.5 acre site, currently West Lions Head, into an environmentally friendly tourist and residential village.

The multi-use resort will consist of houses, offices, hotels, shops, restaurants, mountain operations facilities and a new gondola.

This is the largest Leadership In Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) project in North America.

“Ever Vail represents the future of environmentally resourceful, sustainable communities that enhance the quality of life while protecting and preserving our natural resources.” Said Steve Harmon of LEED.

Vail, one of the most famous and well regarded ski resorts in America, has undertaken a number of ecology friendly projects in recent years. In August 2006 Vail Resorts purchased 152,000 wind energy credits to offset against electricity used at its five ski resorts.

A partnership with the National Forest Association matches 50 cents for each dollar spent to be used in conservation projects in Colorado and Nevada.

Vail covers the largest ski area in North America, stretching across seven miles. It is one of the world’s top ski resorts, noted for an impressive apres-ski atmosphere that is a favourite with celebrities.

British Airways is expanding its operations at London Airport by 70 per cent with the launch of a new subsidiary, BA CityFlyer.

BA CityFlyer will operate 250 flights a week to destinations across the UK and Europe from the airport in London’s Docklands.
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The Boeing Company is to supply 410 new aeroplanes to Spanish airlines over the next twenty years, worth $36 billion.

The vast majority (70 per cent) will be in the 737 size range for use in commercial international flights to Spain. Approximately 15 per cent will be twin-aisle 777 and 787s, the rest will be smaller jets for use in Spanish internal flights.
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Sheraton Hotels have opened their second luxury hotel in Tenerife and there are plans to open three more Canary Islands hotels over the next two years.

Tenerife is one of the most popular year-round holiday locations for UK holidaymakers as the island offers a full range of luxury and budget holiday accommodation.

The Sheraton hotels are aimed at the luxury holiday market. Marc Lennoy who is in charge of the Canaries Sheraton hotel project says: “The Sheraton brand will not appeal to those people looking for a cheap holiday in Spain or the Canary Islands. However we are looking forward to being able to offer Starwood hotels inventory to our high spending customers and business travellers”.

The new five star Sheraton Hotel in La Caleta officially opened at the start of the year and all the rooms boast sea views. Caleta is one of the smartest resorts in Tenerife and it is hoped that the new hotel with further increase La Caleta’s popularity and lustre, leading to it becoming not just one of the top resorts in Tenerife, but one of the top resorts in Europe.

Paris has been voted the all-time favourite European city break destination in a survey of over 2000 travellers by TripAdvisor.

Paris was also deemed the most romantic European city and the best European city for Arts and Culture.
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A fifth of holidaymakers over the age of fifty have tried adventure holiday activities, such as abseiling, bungee jumping and skydiving and snowboarding.

The increased popularity of adventure holiday activities among the over-fifties was discovered by the Foreign Office when they conducted an investigation into the number of people asking for advice from consulates in foreign countries.
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Red sea resort hotel specialists, Sol Y Mar, resorts have announced a refresh of their brand, including the development of twenty-two new resorts by the end of 2007.

The Egyptian company currently runs fourteen resorts across Europe, overlooking Red Sea and Mediterranean beaches. They also have resorts in less developed areas in Safaga, the Western Desert and plan more for Almaza Bau on Egypt’s northern coast.
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Almost a million people in the UK are in long-distance relationships with people based in foreign countries, according to a new survey.
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A new trend has been identified for people booking three and four week holidays, especially when they book holiday villa accommodation.

Villa holidays are especially popular people travelling in large groups as they offer a good option for self-catering holidays.
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Canadian no-frills airline Zoom has announced an expansion to their services between Belfast International Airport and Halifax, Nova Scotia and Toronto, Ontario.

A direct flight from Belfast to Halifax will run on a weekly basis throughout the summer and there will be twice weekly flights to Toronto.
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Carnival Cruise Lines has named its two new huge passenger “super-liners” that will be added to its service.

The two 3,650 cruise ships are to be called Carnival Dream and Carnival Magic and they will be the largest in Carnival’s fleet.
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The World Travel and Tourism Council has forecast sustained growth in the travel industry over the next decade.

Speaking at a German Trade Show in Berlin, the President of the World Travel and Tourism Council, Jean-Claude Baumgarten predicted that turnover throughout the industry would almost double over the next ten years, going from $7,000 to $13,000 in 2017.
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Disney and Four Seasons are to develop a luxury hotel next to the Florida Walt Disney World Resort.

The hotel is expected to open in 2010 and will form part of a new 900-acre development on two Disney golf courses (Eagle Pines and Osprey Ridge) along the north-east border of Disney World.
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