Turkey's oldest and leading trade show ranks high in its long list of exciting festivals and events to entice holidaymakers on city breaks.

İzmir International Fair is being staged in the city's giant Kültürpark park from August 30-September 8.

Egypt is one of the most colourful countries on the planet to celebrate Ramadan this summer.

The north African country is already much loved by holidaymakers on specialist tours for its rich mixture of cultural sites and natural and man-made wonders such as the Pyramids.

Jordan is rich of money and heritage, but perhaps its most valuable treasure and greatest tourist attraction of all is Petra, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

It is among the Middle-East's great cultural sites; a huge, distinctive city carved into the sheer rock face by the Nabataeans, who settled here over 2,000 years ago.

European tourists have voted Costa Rica their favourite Central American destination … with their feet.

A total of 248,996 Europeans visited the republic last year, with a further 172,160 visitors passing through second-placed Guatemala.

Brazil may have found its very own "Atlantis".

Geologists believe that rocks unearthed off the coast of Rio could be part of a hidden ancient continent.

Chile, the exciting unsung jewel in South America's tourism crown, might not be so unassuming for much longer.

Squeezed between the Andes and the Pacific, the nation's stunning natural features make it a must for lovers of trekking holidays.

It's the sort of place with an old English feel that you would think tourists would flock to.

It boasts mock Tudor buildings, red telephone boxes, traditional British pubs, cobbled streets, a Gothic church, what look like members of the Queen's guard patrolling and even statues of Winston Churchill and Harry Potter.

An amazing 20,000 camels, cattle and horses are descending on the Rajasthan district of Ajmer this autumn - for a travel experience that is weird and wonderful even by India's eclectic standards.

The annual Pushkar Camel Fair, held each November at the time of the KartikPurnima holy festival full moon, is a spectacle on an epic scale.

When you boast a country as incredible as India, statistics seem almost superfluous to support its charms.

Its rich and diverse culture and stunning scenery has made it a "must-see" country on the tick-list of any global traveller on private journeys.

Hundreds of mysterious gold-coloured spheres have been found in a previously unexplored ancient chamber in Central America.

The 2,000-year-old tunnel beneath Mexico's Temple of Feathered Serpent looks set to add to Mexico's many fascinating cultural sites which make the country such a favourite among holidaymakers on specialist tours.

Nepal is to mark the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of Mount Everest with a series of special programmes.

Running from May 26 to May 29, renowned Everest summiteers will be invited to take part in the festivities as the country rejoices in the highest mountain on Earth.

Egypt, South Africa, Peru, Panama, Guatemala… globetrotting Frenchman Jeremy Marie has seen them all during a series of trekking holidays with a difference.

He clocked up more than 100,000 miles around the world - without paying a penny towards his transport.

South Africa's Mountain Zebra National Park is now home to three lions - for the first time in over 130 years.

Tourists with a penchant for trekking holidays can already enjoy cheetah tracking and guided walks here.

Holidaymakers on group tours throughout the globe will never look at the world's leading landmarks in the same way again, thanks to the work of a globetrotting photographer.

Professional photographer Richard Silver has been on a fascinating seven-year round-the-world adventure taking mind-bending miniaturising pictures which leave you wondering: "Is that real or is it a model?"

Belize's burgeoning reputation for magnificent Caribbean beaches and friendly, laid-back and accommodating locals has been reflected in record tourism figures just published.

The number of people visiting the Central American paradise between January and March hit an all-time best 92,991.

Honduras has become the first country to launch specialist tours teaching about chocolate production that take holidaymakers up into the forest's shade.

The Central American republic gives tourists the chance to share the full food journey experience from cocoa bean to chocolate.

Central America rules the waves when it comes to surfing - with El Salvador a particular world-class joy for holidaymakers seeking specialist tours offering challenging tides.

That's why the country's tourist board has highlighted the best surfing locations on its Pacific coast in a new visitors' route guide.

Africa has unearthed fossils giving new insights into life on Earth 250 million years ago.

The treasure trove of information on expeditions to Tanzania and Zambia shines a light on how the predecessors of dinosaurs developed 10 million years after the planet's largest extinction.

The Indian state of Goa is trying to top up its international allure by redeveloping key sites in the region.

The state has selected 18 places of interest for beautification in the hope of attracting more international visitors to its shores.

Large crowds are expected to attend this year's Boat Race Festival in Laos, as the country pays homage to water divinities and the Nagas.

Known locally as 'Boun Suang Hua', the festival will take place in Luang Prabang on 19 August and in Vientiane the day after the End of Buddhist Lent.