Some tourist destinations thrown into the media glare by political turmoil or natural disasters are starting to incorporate these events into their marketing campaigns. Take, for instance, Chile's re-branded campaign slogan ‘Chile is good for you’.

With a ban on individual Chinese tourists soon to be lifted, the Taipei City Government yesterday issued travel brochures to attract that growing segment of the industry. The brochures…include introductions to the city’s major attractions, maps and coupons for 32 stores and restaurants.

It would be the biggest boon to Romanian tourism since Dracula. The impoverished Transylvanian village Viscri has made a surprise appearance on the media's short list of possible honeymoon destinations for Britain's Prince William and his bride, Kate Middleton.

The local government, though, is keen to promote Jeju’s other charms, from its lava caves to its beaches to its seafood, as it spearheads South Korea’s campaign to transform itself into a major tourist destination. “Visit Korea” is a two-year, government-sponsored promotion currently under way to push another side of the country...

Anyone attempting to visit the United States as a student, businessman or tourist knows that getting a visa can take weeks or months, and involve several visits to a U.S. embassy or consulate. U.S. officials say they are aware of the need to improve visa and other services for visitors, and that they are making concerted efforts toward that end.

Taiwan's private sector is trying to involve more industries in its effort to promote medical tourism, with the latest trial balloon drawing interest from a local airline, according to a local travel agency.

When the protests started in the center of Tunisia in early December and made their way up north, thousands of tourists were evacuated from the resort towns. After the fall of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the country saw a drop of 40 percent in the number of tourists in January.Things haven't improved since then either.

Egypt's uprising emptied the hotels, casinos and bars of a tourist trade that employs one in eight Egyptians, but staff expect the recovery to be quick and the revolution to boost business in the long run.