Group items tagged

"Switzerland, Austria and Germany have the most attractive environments for developing the travel and tourism industry, according to the third annual Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report, published by the World Economic Forum. Among the top ten, France (4), Canada (5), Sweden (8) and Singapore (10) post improvements. The rankings are based on the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI), which measures the different regulatory and business-related issues that have been identified as levers for improving travel and tourism competitiveness in countries around the world."

Taking a summer vacation as a reward for working hard all year long is ingrained in our culture. The significance of these annual trips goes far beyond well-deserved relaxation. Local economies depend on tourism dollars to thrive, and, in some cases, just to function.

Mexico is undoubtedly a challenged brand. Drug cartels, violence, murder and kidnappings have been grabbing headlines, thus deterring tourists who typically flock to the country for its beaches, Mayan archaeological sites and tequila.