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Vienna’s tourism industry can look back on an all-time best year in 2011: growth of 5% meant a new record level of 11.4 million visitor overnights for the Austrian capital.

Speaking at the Tourism Investment Forum for Africa (INVESTOUR), UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai encouraged companies to continue investing in Africa and its growing tourism markets (Madrid, Spain, 19 January).

International tourist arrivals grew by over 4% in 2011 to 980 million, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. With growth expected to continue in 2012, at a somewhat slower rate, international tourist arrivals are on track to reach the milestone one billion mark later this year.

The travel and tourism industry could do more for responsible and sustainable tourism, reveals a survey that took place at World Travel Market 2011 - the leading global event for the travel industry - by exhibitor SustainIt. As the travel and tourism industry continues to grow there is an increased emphasis on responsible travel. During WTM 2011 Technology and Online Travel exhibitor SustainIt, the leading software and data consultancy that specialise in sustainability performance, surveyed more than 200 WTM participants. This was to understand the industry’s experiences of sustainability and responsible tourism and work out whether the industry really is engaging in the principles of sustainability.

Budapest Airport registered an amazing 8.9% traffic increase last year and recorded an all-time high of 8,920,653 passengers. Thus the 2007 record of 8.6 million has been surpassed by 320,000 passengers arriving and departing from the terminals of Budapest Airport. 2011 was a crucial year for the capital airport of Hungary in many ways; with the opening of SkyCourt, the new Terminal 2 building, the arrival of a series of new airlines and the opening of new destinations, the airport has made every effort to become a leading gateway in Central and Eastern Europe.

A new monkey, a self-cloning skink, five carnivorous plants, and a unique leaf warbler are among the 208 species newly described by science in the Greater Mekong region in 2010 and highlighted in a new WWF report, Wild Mekong.

On International Volunteer Day (5 December), celebrated in 2011 under the theme ‘Volunteering Matters’, UNWTO is highlighting how tourism and volunteer work can make a difference through its UNWTO Volunteers. UNWTO Volunteers work on tourism projects around the world, contributing to development through tourism. On International Volunteer Day, UNWTO Volunteers have been sharing their experiences and showing how their support to tourism projects in the world’s developing regions is helping to change lives.

Corruption continues to plague too many countries around the world, according to Transparency International’s 2011 Corruption Perceptions Index released today. It shows some governments failing to protect citizens from corruption, be it abuse of public resources, bribery or secretive decision-making.

Travel media alert to the unpaid promotion campaign ordered by Oman’s Tourism Ministry. A collective lawsuit is likely to follow.

Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE), the leading provider of events in the global travel and tourism industry, is delighted to announce the launch of World Travel Market Latin America – the first global event for this increasingly important region for travel and tourism. The first World Travel Market Latin America will take place in São Paulo in April 2013. RTE is working with the Brazilian tourist board EMBRATUR over a hosted buyers programme for WTM Latin America.