South Carolina ending daily welcome
Following in the footsteps of its northern neighbor, South Carolina has decided to close its official state welcome centers two days a week, starting Tuesday, to save money. The nine welcome centers, which provide visitors with information about nearby attractions and hotels, will be closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, according to Marion Edmonds, spokesman for the S.C. Department of Parks, ...

Grand Canyon, Loch Ness compete as nature wonders
GENEVA - The Grand Canyon, Mount Everest and Loch Ness will vie with more than 200 other spectacular places in the next phase of the global competition for the New 7 Wonders of Nature, organizers said Wednesday. The 261 nominees from 222 countries include some of the most famous mountain peaks, lakes, and other attractions, such as the Great Barrier Reef and Niagara Falls.

Discover the real Malmo
First trip to Malmo? Here's some insider advice to help you get the most out of your visit.

Kyoto Attractions
Kyoto celebrates "The Tale of Genji," one of the most influential works in Japanese literature. Lantern-lit alleyways, grand temples and ancient shrines make the city one of Japan's prettiest.

Thousands Of Bowlers To Boost Local Economy
With an estimated 10,000 bowlers visiting Green Bay from now until early May, the USBC Bowling Association Tournament will be a welcome sight for local hotels, attractions, restaurants and retail...

"Fun Cities" Bring in More Money
Most cities are looking for ways to bounce back from the sting of the economy. New research shows how "fun" a city is could be the key to how much money it will bring in. Having attractions like museums and parks deem a city "fun."

Navigon Teams with Rand McNally for Scenic Routes
A partnership with the atlas manufacturer will allow Navigon GPS users to get out and explore the countryside, with new routes designed especially for their scenic value.

City centre bans bouncy castles
Bouncy castles and large inflatable slides are banned from Preston's Flag Market in a bid to improve the area's image.

Boxing spotlight: Young fighters on cusp of breakthrough in 2009
A new year hopefully will bring new boxing attractions ready to make an impact. Fighters over 30 -- and in Bernard Hopkins' case, someone who will turn 44 on Jan. 15 -- dominate the sport's current power structure.

Play up entertainment, design consultant says
A design consultant on Monday recommended revitalizing San Bernardino's tattered core by supporting the entertainment attractions of downtown theaters.

Wolfe takes reins at Missouri State Fair
The 2009 Missouri State Fair will include many of the attractions that made it successful last year, with some added bonuses, said the new director. Mark Wolfe, 46, of Marshall, took over for former fair director Marion Lucas Friday, after about a five month transition.

1,800 Germans dug up from 1945 mass grave in Poland
WARSAW - The remains of 1,800 German civilians who perished in 1945, towards the end of the World War II, have been exhumed from a mass grave in Malbork, northern Poland, officials said Wednesday.

Dubai Customs organizes 'Carpets and Arts Oasis' during Dubai Shopping Festival
The Carpets and Arts Oasis, one of the most popular attractions at the Dubai Shopping Festival, will be held this year from January 15th to February 6th, 2009.

Grand Canyon in running for 'New 7 Wonders'
GENEVA - The Grand Canyon, Mount Everest and Loch Ness will vie with more than 200 other spectacular places in the next phase of the global competition for the New 7 Wonders of Nature, organizers said Wednesday.

Ads take their spot at airport
Indianapolis Clear Channel Interspace Airports, a subsidiary of Clear Channel Outdoor, Monday announced that it has finished installation of advertising signs in the terminal at Indianapolis International Airport. CCIA has a 10-year contract and is promoting clients such as Eli Lilly and Co., law firm Ice Miller and local arts and cultural attractions like the Madame Walker Theater and The ...

Bloomberg Wants NYC As World's Wedding Capital
Watch out Las Vegas: New York City wants to become the new No. 1 place to tie the knot. Mayor Michael Bloomberg has given City Hall's famously gritty marriage bureau a gleaming makeover, with fewer lines, more space to take photographs, video screens to monitor wait times and wedding chapels with gauzy curtains and walls painted in muted tones.

NYC aims to compete with Vegas as wedding hot spot
Bloomberg gave City Hall's famously gritty marriage bureau a gleaming makeover Watch out Las Vegas: New York City wants to become the new No. 1 place to tie the knot.

A budding revival in the land of Obama's roots
The beleaguered tourism industry of Kenya is hoping that Obamamania will result in a resurgence of visitors to the ancestral homeland of the president-elect.

Grand Canyon, Loch Ness Vie for 'Wonder' Status
Two hundred spectacular sites compete for the new 7 Wonders of Nature.

What You Get for ... $600,000
A four-bedroom home on Great Diamond Island in Maine, a four-bedroom compound on the eastern coast of Hawaii?s Big Island and a cottage two blocks from the beach in Encinitas, Calif.