For now, Washington is focusing on "people-to-people" exchanges under which academics, corporations, humanitarian groups and athletic teams could travel to Cuba as a way to promote cultural exchanges and programs with universities.

China will showcase its culture to the Turkish in October, China's State Council Information Office said Tuesday. The "Experience China in Turkey" program will include trade forums, ethnic songs and dances, film weeks and food festivals, said a statement from the office.

Chinese tourists aboard a flight to Vancouver Wednesday will get a warm welcome normally reserved for important government officials as China and Canada inaugurate a new era of tourism trade under the Approved Destination Status (ADS) conferred on Canada last December by Beijing.

India and Mexico today agreed to promote cooperation between the two countries in the tourism sector and look at renewing the agreement they signed in this regard in 1996.

The Canada-Africa Research and Learning Alliance hosted a group of international researchers this past weekend in Tofino as part of a cultural exchange focused on eco-tourism and community sustainability.

Gov. Linda Lingle says she'll likely travel to China in her final months of office to foster relations with tourism and government officials in the fast-developing Asian nation. In her final address as governor before the Hawaii Tourism Conference, Lingle said Tuesday she is committed to getting direct flights between Honolulu and China.

One of Israel's largest industries has always been tourism, and the nation has constantly been looking for ways to boost the number of annual visitors...Tel Aviv and the Ministry of Tourism have also embarked an a very different campaign: attracting the openly gay community.

During the most violent years of the Iraq war, American commanders believed that neighboring Iran was behind insurgent attacks, as a way to keep the country unstable. As U.S. forces slowly depart Iraq, officials say Iran is moving toward a more soft-power approach, trying to influence politics, social services and the economy.