Vienna  - Overnight stays in the Austrian capital Vienna plunged 9.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2009, official data showed Friday.

The tourism industry plays a vital part in the Austrian economy, but has been severely hit by the global economic downturn.

In March, numbers fell by 15.1 per cent year-on-year, with 37 per cent less tourist stays from Italy and 28 per cent less from the United States, according to the latest figures from the Vienna Tourism Board.

Galileo, the leading Global Distribution System in India, had signed a preferred GDS agreement with Akbar Travel of India Pvt. Ltd., the firm which offers all travel related services under one umbrella, to distribute, manage and book travel management services for its customers in India.

This tie-up will enable Akbar travels to use Galileo as its preferred technology partner for booking and servicing all its customers.

Emphasizing that “Firming up a visa strategy is of utmost importance,” the industry body FICCI has said that in order to achieve the 10-million foreign tourists’ target prior to the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the Indian tourism sector needs to focus on an easy visa strategy, tourists’ security and infrastructural improvements.

New York  - Carnival Corp, the world's largest cruise-line operator, Tuesday reported first-quarter profits after cutting costs and offering heavy discounts.

The Miami-based Carnival said its net income was 260 million dollars, up from 236 million dollars a year earlier. Sales dropped 9.1 per cent to 2.86 billion dollars in the three months ending February 28.

"Considering the economic climate, achieving higher quarterly net income is quite remarkable," Carnival CEO Micky Arison said in a statement.

Taipei - Taiwanese interpreter Clare Wang became the top contender for the dream job as caretaker of an unmanned island off the coast of Australia Thursday after the No 2 candidate was disqualified.

The Queensland tourism board removed Russian candidate Julia Yalovitsyna from the top-50 shortlist because she featured in an "inappropriate video." The judging panel was also probing claims that she worked as a porn star.

Karbala, Iraq  - In a sign of improved security, a European tour group visited antiquities and monuments near the southern Iraqi city of Karbala, the city's tourism authority said on Tuesday.

The group, which included British, Russian and other European tourists, visited archaeological sites near Karbala, was the first of its kind to visit Karbala in "many long years," according to Karbala's tourism authority.