President Obama's executive order to broad­en travel to Cuba, including religious, aca­demic, cultural and "people to people" activ­ities is yet another important step toward the end goal: easing all travel restrictions, said Lisa Simon, NTA President. Until now only U.S. citizens with close relatives in Cuba or those holding very restricted licenses were able to travel there. Caribbean Airlines Re-Launches Air Ja­maica - Caribbean Airlines has re-launched the Air Jamaica brand. Air Jamaica will be dedicated to flying routes into and out of Montego Bay and Kingston, Jamaica to New York, Philadelphia, Toronto, Ft. Lauderdale and Miami in North America and Nassau, The Bahamas. Caribbean Airlines, with its hub in Port of Spain, Trinidad, flies to New York (JFK), Philadelphia, Toronto, Ft. Lauderdale and Miami in North America; St. Maarten, An­tigua, Barbados, Grenada, Tobago and Kings­ton in the Caribbean; Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela in South America. Jamaica Could Have Casino By Year End - Efforts by the Jamaica Government to have casino gambling introduced is becoming a reality with construction on the first local casino starting by year end. The Tourism Min­ister, the Hon. Edmund Bartlett stated "Jamai­ca will soon become a destination that offers casino gambling experience, rather than a ca­sino destination." Three licenses are expected to be issued for Montego Bay, Trelawny and the third in the Western end of the island. Caribbean Touts Tourism Surge - The Ca­ribbean Tourism Organization says more than 23 million people visited the region in 2010, a nearly 5 percent increase from the 22.1 million in the previous year. The Bahamas and Jamaica were among the top eight most requested countries last year, Tripology.com noted in a recent quarterly review. Josef Forstmayr, President of the Caribbe­an Hotel & Tourism Organization said he expects the numbers to grow this year but acknowledged that visitors were not spending as much. St.Lucia On a Roll - St Lucia has been quick to recover from the trail of destruction left be­hind recently by Hurricane Tomas. Despite a 30 percent drop in November arrivals, the Minister of Tourism Sen. Allen Chastanet stated that the island is working hard to ensure a bright future. In the next few years a seven Jetway terminal will be unveiled for completion in 2013. This will make St. Lucia a hub for nearby islands such as St. Vincent, Grenada, Martinique and Domi­nica, said Chestanet. In addition, the island just opened its first casino The Treasure Bay Casino in the Bay Walk Mall.Caribbean's Hottest New Country: Cu­racao - It's not every day that the world gets a new country. But 2011 marks Curacao's first year as an autonomous nation within the Kingdom of the Netherlands - the perfect occassion to ex­plore Curacao's vibrant mix of cultures, from the colonial architecture of the Dutch to the mouth-watering cuisine of the Creole. Be on the lookout for more flights and new luxury hotels, including the new Hyatt Regency set to open in April.HawaiitalkCaribbeantalkObama Applauded For Easing Cuban Travel Restrictions

A major new industry report, The Travel Gold Rush 2020, outlines how the travel sector can better ride the global economic rollercoaster and secure future growth and profitability. The report was developed by Oxford Eco-nomics and commissioned by Amadeus, a leading travel technology partner and trans-action processor for the global travel and tourism industry.Based on macroeconomic forecasts and ex-tensive input from key industry experts across airlines, travel agents, think-tanks and inter-national organizations, the report details new revenue opportunities, drivers of profitability, new models for delivering services and the changes in traveller tastes set to influence the future of the industry.Key findingsThe global picture: Asia set to dominate travel spend by 2020 Whilst 2010 has seen a return to global growth, Europe remains slug-gish and the outlook is uncertain. Looking for-ward to 2020, the study outlines how Asia will account for one third (32 percent) of global travel spending which is up from only 21 per-cent today, representing a dramatic realign-ment over the next ten years.Options for growth: delivering the 'to-tal travel experience' requires new models The key to unlocking growth and profitability in the travel sector is delivering a 'total travel experience' which has so far proved elusive. The report explores the potential for airlines to become high speed transport and commu-nications brands fulfilling their mission to con-nect people whether through the integration of high speed rail or even video conferencing. The study suggests a resurgence of face-to-face travel agents, spurred on by new technologies and a growing need for personalized advice and support as people seek greater adventure and as traveller demographics shift.Future tastes: death of traditional cabin classes, older travellers, rising demand for face-to- face agents and new travellers to trans-form travel By highlighting changes in travel-ler tastes and needs, the report identifies some of the main opportunities for travel companies in the next decade including: .The rise of 'virtual' personalized cabin classes are likely to replace traditional cabin classes.Face-to-face agents to evolve into 'lifestyle man-agers' meeting the total needs of travellers.'Richer, older and going somewhere' segment to provide new revenue opportunities.Business travel to recover but business class may witherTalk Travel - Special ReportAsia set to dominate travel spending by 2020