Boom time for Croatia

Croatia recorded its best year for UK arrivals in 2002, boasting 120,000 visitors from this country, up 28 per cent on the previous year. Meanwhile Israel suffered a 20-year low; the total 862,300 tourists of all nationalities who visited was down 29 per cent on 2001. The number of international tourist arrivals worldwide went up by 22 million last year compared with 2001. When compared with 2000, which experts claim is a more useful reference point, there were 19 million more.

Fewer frills for Go

EasyJet (0870 600 0000) has dropped Go's allocated seating system and simplified its in-flight menu, six months after buying the low-cost carrier. Seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

Trinidad off limits
P&O Cruises has dropped four stops to Trinidad scheduled for its ships Arcadia and Oceana this season, after an announcement allegedly by an extreme Islamic group based on the island that it is making biological and chemical weapons and is prepared to use them against tourists. The cruises will stop at St Lucia or Barbados instead.

Proceed with caution
The FCO advice against travel to Venezuela has been relaxed. Political tension, a national strike and violent demonstrations caused the government in December to warn against travel. The advice now states: 'Violent incidents can erupt any time. Many Venezuelans carry guns. Most demonstrations are announced in advance in the local media, including the English language newspaper The Daily Journal.'