From next March transatlantic flights will cheaper, thanks to a new deal allowing easier air travel between Europe and the US.

The ‘open skies’ agreement signals a revolution in air travel, easing restrictions on travel between Europe and the US.

At present, only BA, Virgin, American and United airlines are allowed to fly from Heathrow to US airports.

However under the new arrangement, European airlines will now have the chance to compete for routes to the USA from any European country.

Speaking to the BBC, US Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said the deal would help to boost "economic, political, and personal relationships between our two continents for years to come".

The Heathrow-US route represents about a third of all flights between Europe and America.

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Travel helps to shape people’s perceptions of other countries, it has been revealed.

Visitors to the US are 74 per cent more likely to have a favourable opinion of America and Americans, according to the Discover America Partnership.

This has been seized upon by leaders of America’s travel industry, who told a House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee that tourism offered America the chance to capture the "hearts and minds" of visitors to the US.

Charles L Merin, president of the Travel Business Roundtable, and Geoff Freeman, executive director of the Discover America Partnership, both urged the government to ensure that while border control remained stringent, travellers should be made to feel welcome.

"International travellers represent the opportunity to win the hearts and minds of people around the world. When travellers don’t come here, they learn about America and Americans through headlines rather than personal experiences," said Merin.

"As a nation, we must recognise that the people-to-people communication generated through travel is our greatest public diplomacy tool."

Nearly 60 million fewer travellers have visited the US than expected since 9/11 - causing the loss of 194,000 jobs.

However, the news might also encourage Americans to travel abroad to discover for themselves whether national stereotypes are deserved or not.

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• The Pearl Tower
The Oriental Pearl Tower is Shanghai’s most distinctive landmark. At 468 metres it is the highest TV tower in Asia and the third tallest in the world. Situated in the Lujiazui district on the banks of the Huangpu river, and overlooking the historic Bund, it has a sight-seeing floor on the upper sphere which offers panoramic views of Shanghai. The upper sphere also houses a revolving restaurant, a disco hall, a piano bar.

• Cloud Nine
Equally spectacular views of the city can be found at Cloud Nine, a bar located on floor 87 of the Jin Mao tower. Although it takes three lifts to get to the top, the trek is worth the effort - even if the drinks at the top are rather over-priced.

• Urban Planning Museum
The urban planning museum is a must for all tourists. Its five floors detail architects’ future plans for Shanghai, and also charts the astonishing transformation the city has undergone over the last few decades.

• The Maglev
The Shanghai Maglev is the fastest railway system in commercial operation in the world. It has a "normal" service speed of 431 km/h (267 mph), and provides a rapid connection from the metro station at Longyang Lu to Pudong Shanghai International Airport. Perversely, it is not only much faster and infinitely more enjoyable than a taxi ride through Shanghai’s traffic-jammed streets, but it also happens to be significantly cheaper. An ideal, stress-free way to end the trip.

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The Middle East’s hospitality sector is set for sustained expansion as the World Trade Organisation (WTO) predicts that the region can expect 68.5 million visitors in the next 15 years - an annual growth of 6.7 per cent.

The Middle East already draws five per cent of total tourists every year, making it the world’s fourth most popular destination.

Tourism in the area is growing at the fastest rate in the world according to the WTO, and governments in the region are keen to build on this success story.

"With massive budget surpluses many economies in the region are diversifying and investing heavily in tourism and attracting key hotel operators. This accounts to a certain degree for the unprecedented level of regional hotel development and presents industry suppliers with unique market opportunities unrivalled anywhere else in the world," said Maggie Moore, exhibition director of The Hotel Show, the leading hospitality exhibition in the Middle East.

The region’s biggest winner is Dubai, where visitor numbers doubled between 1999 and 2005 to six million, and the Dubai government - armed with a 2005 budget surplus of US$1.58 billion - has set its own target of attracting 15 million visitors by 2010.

In anticipation of this tourist explosion, Intercontinental Hotels has announced plans for 20 new Holiday Inns, while Easy Group is committed to opening 38 hotels in the region by 2011.

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Singapore’s status as a burgeoning tourism destination has been given a boost by the news that the nine millionth customer passed through Terminal Two of its famous Changi Airport earlier today.

Elena Vladykina, from Moscow, was greeted by a colourful scene of drums, costumed dancers and petals as the celebrations got into full swing – and also received a blinding array of free gifts to mark her stay.

Total tourist spending in the Asian peninsula state could hit S$12 billion this year – and Dr Chan Tat Hon, assistant chief executive (leisure) at the Singapore Tourism Board, pointed to a growth in visitor numbers overall.

He said: "In 1995, we received more than seven million visitors for the first time in a year but it took us almost ten years before we hit the eight million mark in 2004. Now it’s taken us only two years for us to hit the nine million mark."

Singapore is emerging as a destination in its own right for travelers from the US and further afield after previously being known primarily for its usefulness as a stopover en route to places such as Australia and New Zealand.

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