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.

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.

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.

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.

Iran will soon be offering larger incentives to travel agencies that bring western tourists to the country. They will be paying a higher premium for American and European tourists.

The deputy head of Iran’s tourism department, Mohammed Sharif Malakzadeh, said, “Iran’s tourism department will pay $20 US per person to those who attract European or American tourists to the country.”

Chiang Mai, Thailand has become known as a backpacker’s destination. Developers in Chiang Mai are trying to change that by building upscale hotels and resorts in the area.

The Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi was recently upgraded in effort to help change the image of Chiang Mai.

Nationwide News in Australia released a “Wildest destinations for 2007″ list Sunday. The destinations they choose are for tourists looking for a special “off the beaten track” type of vacation.

Their list of 2007 destinations was gleamed from the soon-to-be released travel book, Lonely Planet Bluelist: The Best in Travel 2007.

The concept behind the list provided by Nationwide News is to get out there and explore a little. By visiting these outside of the norm destinations, you help by “spreading some wealth where it can help most.”