The Tourism-Insider Team wishes all readers and partners a happy holiday season and a healthy and successful New Year 2010.

The Tourism-Insider is heading into Christmas break and will return on January 4, 2010 to keep you posted on the latest news as usual.

The CEOs of 13 European capital cities met in Berlin to attend ‘The European Meeting of Chief Executives of Capital Cities’. Previously held in Dublin in 2007 and last year in Paris, this one-day meeting gathered together the brains behind the European capital city tourism and meetings industry. This time, Burkhard Kieker, CEO, Berlin Tourismus Marketing GmbH, welcomed colleagues to his city 20 years after the fall of the Berlin wall.

Bel-Aire Princess Sukhumvit hotel is a stylish boutique hotel nestled in a quiet corner of the Sukhumvit area, Bangkok’s most renowned restaurant, entertainment and shopping district. With the best of Bangkok merely steps away and cloxe proximity to the sky train station you have unequalled access to a myriad of leisure options.

The two global trade associations behind the Work Experience Travel Market and IAPA Annual Conference (WETM-IAC Conference) taking place in the USA next March, will present two special awards that highlight unique contributions to the global cultural exchange industry. The International Au Pair Association (IAPA) will present its 2010 Au Pair of the Year Award, while the WYSE Work Abroad Association will launch its inaugural Partnership of the Year Award at the industry’s annual conference.

Following last year’s largest gathering of meeting professionals in the Gulf Region, the next edition of The Gulf Incentive, Business Travel & Meetings Exhibition (GIBTM) 2010, taking place from 29 – 31 March has attracted major players in the industry recognising the expanding business opportunities in the Region.

Eco-tourism experts to share insight on sustainable tourism at ASEAN Tourism Conference

The 29th ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF), the region’s foremost tourism and travel event, to be hosted by member-nation, Brunei Darussalam, in Bandar Seri Begawan, from 21 to 28 January 2010, has registered overwhelming response. All 373 exhibiting booths at TRAVEX (Travel Exchange) have been snapped up and the ten member-nations are well represented at the annual event which showcases the best of travel products and services in ASEAN. Thailand and Malaysia lead the pack with the largest number of participating organisations.