“We are very excited about the launch of this European-wide campaign and I feel confident about its potential impact on consumers. Initial feedback is promising and encouraging,” says Wahida Jaiet, TNTO Director for the UK and Ireland.

“Since tourism started in Tunisia in the early 1960s, the destination has managed to overcome all sorts of crises. Tourism figures for 2013 are looking strong and we hope that with the aid of our campaign and our partners’ commitment, we can look forward to welcoming more visitors from the UK and the rest of Europe,” continues Jaiet.

Nir Barkat, Mayor of Jerusalem, noted that “Jerusalem is proud to continue the tradition of hosting the annual Jerusalem Innovative Tourism Summit, and 2013 will be the third. As a world leader in innovation and tourism, Jerusalem has broken numerous records for the number of foreign and domestic tourists arriving to the city. It is therefore most befitting for Jerusalem to host key figures in the tourism industry from around the globe and locally, as well as to present the next game-changing technological advancements that will impact the travel industry.”

Speakers will include a powerful and diverse cross section of industry leaders including Sheldon Adelson, world renowned hotelier and business magnate, and CEO of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation; Michael Leven, President of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation; Dr. Dirk Glaesser, Director of the Sustainable Development Program, The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO); and key government tourism officials from leading tourism destinations such as Thailand, Korea, Spain as well as Urban tourism experts, architects and technology innovators, including leading pioneers in the digital travel space, Expedia and TripAdvisor.

Summit 2013 panel topics will include: Planning Models for Urban Tourism, Tourism as a Tool for Urban Economic Development, The Smartphone Revolution and the Impact on Users and Managers of Urban Tourism, New Transportation Paradigms and the Future of Urban Tourism, Follow the Asian Success Story, Intangible Heritage and Urban Tourism Development, Sport and Urban Tourism and Hotel Development in Historic Cities.

The Summit will also offer an exciting glimpse into the world of application technologies, their importance and use in expanding urban tourism. Global leaders, academics and experts in the field of hospitality will conduct panels discussing a wide range of subjects within the tourism industry in addition to a special panel focusing on technology in tourism including tourism-related ‘apps’.

Competition for Best Tourism “App”
Additionally, the summit will conduct a competition for the best tourism application, initiative or venture and invites innovators to submit their ‘apps’. The first three winners will be given two free passes to the event, the chance to present their technologies in a panel dedicated to this purpose and the opportunity to meet and network with all the key players in the industry! Even more, all participants who submitted their innovation have a unique opportunity to present them during the JITS 2013 exhibition in a start up booth for a special price.

It will also give visitors an overall impression of what to expect in Bhutan, from trekking in the Himalayas, to festivals, bird watching, meditation, cycling, rocking climbing and fishing.

Practical travel advice from the tourism council, such as visa applications, money, customs and languages is offered and all visitors are encouraged to check the website before travelling.

Tourism is one of Bhutan’s largest economies and a priority for the Bhutanese government.

Founded on the principle of sustainability, tourism within the country is environmentally and ecologically friendly, socially and culturally acceptable and economically viable.

In 2009, researchers from Cornell University mined the nearly 35 million images posted by 300K users of photo-sharing site Flickr, and came up with the same result. A few years later in 2011, the listing changed, with the Empire State Building in New York knocking the Eiffel Tower into fourth spot.

According to a study released last year, the 324-meter structure is also worth 435 billion euros, a sum deduced after factoring in everything from the monument’s image, branding, esthetic quality, and monetary value.

Launched in 2011, and backed by several leading private equity partners including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Institutional Venture Partners, Inspirato is the first luxury destination club to lease rather than own its properties. Inspirato says that the leasing model allows members to avoid the six-figure, up-front fees common in the industry.

“Our club is specifically designed for people who want the spaciousness and privacy of a multimillion-dollar villa while on vacation but are not willing to sacrifice the five-star service received at the finest hotels,” explains Brent Handler, Inspirato’s co-founder and CEO. “Our members are not scouring the Internet looking for the least expensive online rental. They place high value on the peace of mind that comes from vacationing with a private club.”

Inspirato has attracted more than 3,000 members since its inception, including some of the most affluent travelers in the U.S. “We are excited to partner with American Express, a company with world-class marketing capabilities and brand expertise, as we look to grow the club’s membership options and enhance our vacation experiences,” said Brent Handler.

Inspirato offers private vacation homes, luxury hotel partners and adventure travel experiences in such world-class destinations as Aspen, St. Barts, Nantucket, Sonoma, Los Cabos, Maldives, Tuscany, Maui and Provence. To celebrate the new partnership, starting today, American Express Cardmembers can join Inspirato and receive $2,500 off the club’s one-time initiation fee for any membership type, and $400 off the club’s annual membership fee when paying with their American Express®Card.

For women who love to be pampered or spend a day at the spa, Goway’s Bali Beach Escape packages include a 70 minute massage, or women can upgrade to an all inclusive package if they prefer a hassle-free holiday with all meals and drinks included.

For women who are planning to tie the knot, Goway can also help arrange destination weddings, and also has an online honeymoon registry. Many resorts that Goway offers have added bonuses exclusive to honeymooners such as free massages, spa treatments, private dinners and special flower bouquets. Goway’s 7-12 days Thai Beach Escapes in Samui or Phuket offer many stay/pay specials, giving great value to those who spend one week or more in Thailand.

For solo women travellers who prefer the comforts of a group, Goway has a range of small group journeys in Asia. The specially branded Holidays of a Lifetime, the Splendours of China & Tibet and The Splendours of India even have a twin-share guarantee and will match a woman up with another female traveller

Goway can also always custom design an itinerary to suit a specific clients needs! Enquire for more details.

Two countries written off in recent years—Zambia and the Philippines—are safe to visit once again, and thriving with cool new safari camps and island thatched-roof villas. The archipelago of Palawan, a UNESCO biosphere reserve in the Philippines, just added a resort with a scuba center; hop a two-hour flight from Hong Kong, and you’ll soon be diving with the sea turtles.

In Amsterdam, reachable by nonstop flights from many U.S. cities, the Rijksmuseum emerges from a 10-year renovation in April 2013, with a wing devoted to Vermeer and Rembrandt, steps from the recently redone Stedelijk Museum. And a 7,000-year-old historic region in the arch of Italy’s boot may finally see its moment in the sun thanks to the debut of a Hollywood legend’s family home as a hotel.

Even in our backyard, we’ve found places that offer compelling new reasons to visit this year. In San Juan, Puerto Rico, two chefs are shaking up the food scene, while Minneapolis has embraced the foraging-and-farming ethos of Scandinavia—Bachelor Farmer has the city’s first-ever rooftop garden, and an alum of Noma restaurant has set up shop at Union.

So get out your map, block out some vacation time on your calendar and make 2013 a year of travel discoveries. We promise at least a few of these places to go next will surprise you.