Plans for a "Coronation Street"-style development at Omaha are causing a stir.

Auckland City Mayor John Banks is telling rugby fans to steer clear of Prime Minister John Key's "party central" on Queens Wharf and party elsewhere in the city.

The idea of building a $300 million toll road through the pristine Hollyford Valley to pave the way for further tourism dollars has resurfaced.

SkyCity Entertainment has announced a 29.6 per cent or $16.2 million rise in its first half after-tax profit to $71.02m.

When you drive through the Awakino Gorge, you notice the sparkling stream down in the bed of the valley.

New accommodation stats show total guest nights for 2009 were down one per cent from the year before, but there was a 4 per cent rise in December.

Decapitated bodies dumped on the streets, drug-war shootings and regular attacks on police are all part and parcel of life in Mexico.

Even budget travellers in Italy can afford to factor in some luxury, writes Peter Bills.

The hotel industry is increasingly concerned at the power wielded by internet sites such as TripAdvisor, on which often excoriating - yet anonymous - notices are posted that can destroy an establishment's reputation.