Dive Destinations

Bikinis and Booze are Welcomed in Egypt.

(Dive Travel Business News - May 22, 2013) -- Earlier this month, Egypt's tourism minister claimed the Islamist-ruled country was open to bikini wearing, alcohol drinking tourists as part of his plan to boost Egypt's tourism numbers.

Hisgam Zaazou is looking to increase the country's tourism rate after it drastically declined when a popular uprising overthrew president Hosni Mubarak in 2011. The minister said the government had "optimistic goals" for the sector, and played down comments from radical Salafi Muslim groups who have called for a ban on alcohol and women wearing swimsuits.

In 2010, before the uprising, Egypt received $12.5 billion in earnings from 14.7 million visitors, but in 2011 arrivals slowed to 9.8 million producing a revenue of $8.8 billion.

Zaazou's strategy looks to promote the idea that Egypt is safe and open for all kinds of visitors. During his visit to the United Arab Emirates he disparaged comments from radical Salafi Muslim groups who have called for a ban on alcohol and women wearing bathing suits. read more »

New Thai Minister of Tourism puts Tourism Safety First

(Dive Travel Business News - April 10, 2013) -- Under the direction of the new Thai Minister of Tourism and Sports, Dive Travelers to Thailand will be better protected as visitor safety and security will be a primary focus of Tourism policy.

"Thailand will be a safer place under my watch," said career politician and former provincial governor Mr. Somsak Pureesrisak, who has been appointed Minister of Tourism and Sports, effective April 9. He replaces the late Mr. Chumpol Silpa-archa, who passed away last January 2013.

The policy emphasis was welcomed by TAT Governor Suraphon Svetasreni. "Safety and security for visitors is becoming an over-arching area of importance all through the global travel & tourism industry. We constantly get questions about this matter at international trade shows, and are very pleased that the minister has taken up this issue as a matter of priority." read more »

Costa Rica Experiences "Deep" Earthquake.

(Dive Travel Business News - September 5, 2012) -- Costa Rica experienced what experts are calling a "deep" earthquake on Wednesday September 5. The quake registered at 7.6 on the Richter scale. San Jose suffered some initial power outage and coastal towns near the quake epicenter were evacuated but power was restored in the city on Wednesday night and evacuated locals have since been allowed to return to their homes.

Prior to the quake, a tsunami warning (since canceled) was issued and there were fears that widespread death and destruction would ensue. But the quake's deep location (25 miles underground and 87 miles west of the capital, San Jose) resulted in few structural damages, no tsunami and only one reported death (by heart attack).

Costa Rica is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire. The Ring of Fire is a 25,000 mile (40,000 km) horseshoe shaped area in the Pacific where 90% of the world's earthquakes occur and where to 75% of the world's active and dormant volcanoes. read more »

Tropical Storm Isaac heads across Gulf of Mexico, Expected to grow into Hurricane.

(Dive Travel Business News - August 27, 2012) -- Tropical Storm Isaac rolled over the open Gulf of Mexico on Monday, where it was expected to grow into a hurricane before hitting land somewhere between Louisiana and Florida and close to the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane warnings have been issued along the northern Gulf Coast from Morgan City, La., to Destin, Fla., including New Orleans and coastal Mississippi. According to the National Hurricane Center, a storm surge between six and 12 feet could threaten the northern Gulf Coast if the storm makes landfall during high tide.

At 2 a.m. ET on Monday, the center of the storm was located about 110 miles west of Key West and 455 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, according to the National Hurricane Center. It was moving west-northwest at about 15 mph. The storm had maximum sustained winds of about 65 mph. Isaac is expected to strengthen as it moves out over the open, warm water of the Gulf of Mexico. read more »

Western Sumatra Quakes Produce Little Damage in Indonesia.

(Dive Travel Business News - April 11, 2012) -- Communities and resorts located along the Indian Ocean Rim breathed a collective sigh of relief earlier on April 11 when tsunami alerts were called off after a pair of deep-sea earthquakes off the coast of Indonesia. Those earthquakes, which had magnitudes 8.6 and 8.2, respectively, produced only scattered small tsunamis, according to AccuWeather.com.

The earthquakes were centered off the northern end of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, about 120 miles from the epicenter of the 9.1 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that killed some 230,000 people in the region, mostly in Sumatra, in 2004. When the quakes hit this time, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre was activated and there were reports of panicked crowds in the region moving to higher ground. Those fears also were fueled by the March 2011 Japan quake, tsunami and nuclear catastrophe. read more »

Record-breaking Year for Mexico Travel in 2011

(Dive Travel Business News - April 11, 2012) -- Mexico's Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR) recently announced that 2011 was a record-breaking year that saw 22.67 million international travelers. That's 2 percent higher than in 2010, which in turn was 5.7 percent higher than 2009. More important, 2011's international arrivals were 0.2 percent higher than 2008, Mexico's best year in history to that point. read more »

Curacao offers FAM Rates for Travel Professionals

(Dive Travel Business News - April 12, 2012) -- The Curacao Tourist Board is partnering with American Airlines, Insel Air, Dutch Antilles Express and selected island hotels to offer travel agents a variety of familiarization packages featuring hotel stays starting at $50 and 50 percent discounts off roundtrip airfare through June 2012. The packages feature 50 percent off roundtrip flights with American Airlines from anywhere in the continental U.S. or Canada; roundtrip Insel Air flights from Charlotte, N.C., for $180; and 50 percent off roundtrip flights aboard Dutch Antilles Express. read more »

Tourist Boom Continues in Cuba.

(Dive Travel Business News - January 27, 2012) -- Fueled by the Arab Spring, changes in US policy and economic reforms, Cuba is enjoying one of the best tourist seasons ever. Last year Cuba had it's best year ever with 2.7 million visitors but observers are predicting that this year should beat that number. The political stability and lack of crime in tightly controlled Cuba are strong lures for visitors. Clean Cuban beaches are also an attraction.

This high season has also seen a resurgence in visitors from Europe. Cuba has attracted many Europeans who would have gone to North Africa but balked because of the "Arab Spring" uprisings, tourism officials say.

Cuban Americans have been flooding into Cuba since U.S. President Barack Obama lifted restrictions for them to travel to their homeland in 2009. But now the number of other American visitors is climbing after Obama changed regulations in 2011, making it easier for non-Cuban Americans to enter a country the US trade embargo made off-limits for the past 50 years. read more »

Lack of Airline Competition, Taxes, Global Economic Downturn Choke Tourism in the Caribbean.

(Dive Travel Business News - January 25, 2012) -- At the 30th anniversary opening of Caribbean Marketplace 2012, held January 22-24 at Atlantis Paradise Resort Bahamas, President of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) Josef Forstmayr spoke to the dirth of competition in the regional airline industry that is stifling the tourism sector resulting in outrageous ticket prices and an ill-conceived network, lacking a true regional airline system.

Addressing hoteliers, travel agents, tour operators and buyers from the regional and international community at the official opening of CHTA Caribbean Marketplace 2012, Forstmayr remarked that the CHTA estimated that in 2010, the Caribbean governments collectively paid US$45 million to secure airlift, only to find that the situation is still inadequate and way too expensive for visitors. read more »

5 Dive Destinations on List of 7 New Wonders of Nature

Komodo National Park on the List of New 7 Wonders of Nature

(Dive Travel Business News - January 6, 2012) --The New 7 Wonders of Nature were recently announced at the N7W headquarters in Zurich on 11/11/11. Based on the first count of the worldwide vote, Komodo Island National Park (Indonesia) joins Table Mountain (South Africa), the Amazon Rainforest, Halong Bay (Vietnam), Iguazu Falls (Argentina/Brazil), Jeju Island (South Korea), and Puerto Princesa Underground River (Philippines). All hold provisional status (except Jeju Island) where the first step of the verification process is still underway.

Indonesia’s Komodo National Park is an astounding dive destination that includes the three larger islands Komodo, Rinca and Padar, as well as numerous smaller ones, for a total area of 1,817 square kilometers (603 square kilometers of it land). The national park was founded in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon. Later, it was also dedicated to protecting other species, including marine animals. The islands of the national park are of volcanic origin. read more »