On October 31, I reported that an airline rate hike was canceled. Two of the four airlines mentioned in that report have raised rates on many routes by $10 per round trip this week, which is higher than the failed raise of last week.

Traveling to a foreign country when you don’t know the language can be frustrating—or even frightening.

The Korean Tourism Organization has created a 24/7 hotline to aid travelers. The hotline number is (02) 1330.

The Bulgaria Tourism Agency said the number of tourists visiting the country in the first the quarters of 2006 rose 5% from the same period last year.

Tourists from Germany and Britain were the two largest groups. Of the 3.7 million tourists, just over 800,000 were from these two areas.

At a cocktail party with over 300 guests, which included many journalists, Thailand Airways International Executive Vice President Narongsak Sangapong announced the airline would be flying to three new destinations in India.

The three new destinations in India are Hyderabad, Bodhgaya and Varanasi, Sangapong said.

The Philippines has always been a destination enjoyed by many tourists, but now even more travelers are choosing the country, and the tourism numbers are swelling.

According to a report in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the Philippines is approaching the 3 million foreign tourist mark, which would be an all-time high.

In 2005, a couple of twenty-something entrepreneurs created a company, in CitiStay, to build what they believed would be a new line of hotels that will better serve travelers in the 18-39 age group.

The New York based CitiStay Hotels LLC is finishing up their first hotel, which will be opened early 2007 in Miami’s South Beach.

Political unrest and violence is causing Mexico to lose some tourists, according to tourism experts. Travel to Mexico is down 4% this year and tourists are avoiding some areas.

Mexico is a popular destination for American travelers and they account for most of the loss. Those loses could be widened if the situations in Mexico are not resolved.

Australia has issued a travel alert for Fiji, a popular winter getaway, due to political instability.

The military is at odds with the government and the situation could flair up without warning at any time.

According to study conducted by Google Israel, 80% of searches by Israelis are for tourism-related topics. It’s a trend that’s growing around the world.

The second most searched topic by Israelis is for electrical products.

Malaysia will be starting a new extensive tourism campaign that will promote the country as a destination for fine dining, said Tourism Ministry Secretary General Dr. Victor Wee.

The new move is an effort to court the coveted luxury traveler who has more disposable income and readily spends on the finer points of travel.