Madrid. The outcome is nothing new; however, it emphasises the seriousness of the situation once more: in 2009, managers from all over the world will take fewer, shorter and cheaper business trips than they have done up to now. They are looking for hotels with certain standards and good service - additional offers have no priority. This is the result of a study among 354 managers from Europe, Asia and North America.

Lucerne. The World Tourism Forum Lucerne is an international conference, the first of its kind and launched by the Lucerne School of Business. It will be held from 22-24 April 2009 and present an agenda that addresses the challenges for the global tourism industry. The main focus of this first conference will be on mobility. The event is aimed at CEOs and chairmen in the tourism industry who seek to share their experiences and learn more about current developments and trends in an informal setting. Participation is allowed "by invitation only".

Dubai. Here's the reality: no one is to escape this economic crisis. Not even Dubai. It doesn’t matter how fancy the city looks, how much money is being pumped into the economy or whatever counteractive propaganda is being spread around, there’s no way out. Tourist arrivals and hotel occupancy decline massively; Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing already recommends to reduce rates. Meanwhile, hotel rates in Dubai are like a roller coaster ride. Building cranes ceased to work, staff is released. The luxury fairy tale Dubai is over.

Vienna. 2008 was a record year for Austrian tourism. Room nights increased by 4.2 percent exceeding the ten-million mark for the first time. The Minister for Economic Affairs warned of too much euphoria.

Bern (December 12, 2008). The Swiss tourism year 2007/08 was a very positive one. With increase in overnight stays at 3.7%, Swiss hotels crossed the 37 million mark by quite a margin. Summer season 2008 closed up 1.8%

Hanover. The TUI Wolters tour operator will be renamed "TUI Ferienhaus" as of 2009. Apart from well known "TUI Schoene Ferien", "TUI Premium" and "TUI Weltentdecker" travel worlds, the catalogues of the "TUI Ferienhaus" travel world will combine offers of 18,000 holiday houses and apartments.