Bangladesh needs to take steps to grab a slice of the fast-growing halal tourism pie, travel experts said. Halal tourism is a subcategory of tourism that is geared towards Muslim families who abide by rules of Islam. [...] In recent times, this sub-sector of tourism is on the rise on the back of the growing worldwide Muslim population, the increasing purchasing power of population of Muslim countries and rising tendency to consume foods and use services that adhere to Islamic principles.

Myanmar's hope of becoming a travel hub in Asia would be far from a reality if the nation fails to rebrand itself as a destination for international visitors, according to a panel discussion held on Friday. Tint Thwin, director-general of the Directorate of Hotels and Tourism, said now is time to focus on rebranding so that foreigners choose Myanmar as a place for leisure.

The Gambian, Namibian, Tanzanian, Zambian, and Zimbabwean ministers joined senior representatives from the Africa Development Bank, African Union, Global Partnerships Forum, and UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) to speak about the benefits of tourism in relation to the economy, environment and people.

And now that she’s plugging a new program co-sponsored by our nation’s travel and tourism industry and the U.S. government, I’ll just go ahead and say it right out: “I love the way Rosanne Carter sings “Land of Dreams,” both for the pure joy she conveys in her music and the power of the message contained in the song.

The 60-second launch spot is heavy with imagery of cities such as San Francisco, New Orleans, New York and Miami, as well as vistas of beaches and forests, and is careful to include actors representing the various multicultural communities that make up the U.S. population.