With thousands of people from the region and the rest of the world expected to attend the 7th Edition of the Pan African Dance Festival, FESPAD 2010, Rwanda says will market its rich cultural heritage.

Syrian Minister of Tourism, Saadallah Agha al-Qalaa has discussed with his Venezuelan counterpart Alejandro Fleming means of bolstering the tourist relations between Syria and Venezuela. Talks also dealt with the possibility of exchanging tourist delegations and expertise in a way that contributes to the formation of an integrated tourist system between the two countries.

Some 1.6 million people visited Israel between January and July, according to figures released by the Tourism Ministry on Monday – an increase of 39 percent over the same period in 2009, and 10% more than in 2008, the country’s previous record year.

Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov said, “The increase in incoming tourism... is the result of massive investment in marketing activities around the world with significant budgets, especially against the background of the public diplomacy challenges that Israel is facing."

As Cape Town and South Africa are playing an increasingly bigger role in hosting major events, it is important to assess the socio-economic impact of these mega-sporting events.

China’s tourism to Taiwan, once banned, is now growing fast as bilateral ties improve. But with the influx of visitors comes a culture clash.

With tourism revenues hit by the economic crisis and the disruption to air travel caused by the Icelandic ash cloud, the EU will on Wednesday propose more than a dozen initiatives to encourage member states to work together rather than just promoting their own tourist haunts.

Can breakdancing bring more tourists to South Korea? The Korea Tourism Organization seems to think so. And to prove its faith, it will be holding the annual R-16 KOREA 2010 event this weekend, which will this year, according to the Korea Herald, bring together ‘emerging DJs and hip-hop artists from 16 countries’ at the Olympic Park in Jamsil, Seoul.