The votes have been counted and the trophies polished as the incredible nation of India prepares to host the most important night of the tourism calendar – World Travel Awards 2012 Grand Final Gala Ceremony. The VIP event, which is officially supported by the Indian ministry of tourism, will be hosted at The Oberoi, Gurgaon, New Delhi Capital Region, the new business and commercial district of the capital.

Christmas is typically the most stressful time of the year. The expense of buying gifts, the last-minute shopping scramble, and the heightened expectations of family togetherness can all combine to undermine our best intentions. There is however one guaranteed way to combat Christmas stress: travel.

The success of the F1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix over the weekend has led to a surge in interest in the rapidly emerging emirate.

Tourism in the Middle East is mining a rich vein of success thanks to an influx of Indian tourists buying gold, according to the new WTM Global Trends Report 2012. A recent surge of low-cost flights has opened up new travel opportunities for Indian tourists, many of whom head for gold souks across the Gulf, especially Dubai.

World Travel Market 2012, the global event for the travel industry, has got off to a flying start with exhibitor invitation visitors up five percent on last year’s event. Delegates included a host of travel celebrities who made guest appearances on the stands.

Abu Dhabi is strengthening its links with China with a special visit by the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) to Shanghai as part of an overall programme to increase the number of Chinese inbound guests to the UAE emirate.