It was great meeting so many of you at Travel South Showcase earlier this month in Biloxi. I was honored to be among the handful of media chosen to attend the five-day event. From my first big-time travel conference as a representative of Leisure Group Travel, I came away not only with valuable contacts but tons of brochures for my research files and updates on the latest developments in 12 Southern states. Sometimes my mind was spinning from information overload - and there were too many names to remember - but I'm ready to do it all again next year in Orlando.

Like other Travel South attendees, I was heartened to see the progress the Mississippi Gulf Coast has made in cleaning up after Hurricane Katrina. It's nothing short of miraculous. In a few years the coast will be better than ever. The elegant Beau Rivage, our host hotel, was rebuilt in less than a year, showing how quickly things can get back to normal. Jimmy Buffett's $700-million Margaritaville Resort & Casino, one of many new projects, opens in 2010. It will be a prime place to dine, shop, gamble and rest your head.

If sleeping and eating are favorite activities, you'll enjoy reading this issue of InSite. Cindy Bertam writes about the evolving cruise ship stateroom and how it's more than just a place to sleep. In her food-oriented Mid-Atlantic article, Kitty Cayo spotlights some of the East's best restaurants for group travelers.

Pleasant dreams and bon appétit!

ABA Expresses Disappointment at NTA "Exaggerations"

Scenic Tours to launch first of their European river "Space-ships"

Downtown St. Louis is fashion-able again

Learning Spanish for travel

The Mid-Atlantic region is appealing as a tourist destination, in part because of the cultural diversity and the variety of ethnic culinary delights that accompany it. Hearty bowls of pasta fagiole, traditional pub fare of sausage and ale and gooey, sweet shoofly pies are just a few of the fine dishes that you'll find in the Mid-Atlantic.

Add to the ethnic smorgasbord the regional specialties such as Philly's famous cheese steak and Baltimore's zesty crab cakes, and you've got yourself a recipe for a deliciously diverse menu to choose from. Join me for a quick tour of the Mid-Atlantic region to discover the exceptional dining venues available to visitors.

When the cruise industry began to take hold in the early 1980s, guests would stay in cabins, a space used simply for sleeping. Shipboard accommodations with private balconies were few, limited to those booking the top suites. But as new ships were introduced, a new interest in passenger accommodations began to take hold.

The simple cruise ship cabin has evolved into a grand stateroom, affordably priced balcony staterooms are now the norm (not the exception) and expansive suites have become private retreats at sea, especially appealing for multi-generational families or affinity groups. The cruising experience is now the epitome of pampering and service, available for everyone.

It's 11:35 a .m. on Monday and Chris Wilkerson is smiling. Having completed his second sales call of the day, he finds himself two-for-two; two appointments, two sales! As he strides toward his car, having hit his goal for the week, he dials his cell phone to reserve a 1:00 p.m. tee time for an unexpected but well-deserved round of golf. And in the blink of an eye, a great day begins to take a quick slide toward an average week, all because Chris started his process by setting the wrong goals.

Except for the airlines and their central reservations systems, the travel industry has never been accused of being on the leading edge of the technology curve. Computer automation in the offices of tour operators was particularly slow to catch on. In the past five years, however, many operators have taken automation seriously by acquiring software solutions that integrate the functions of separate programs into a single, comprehensive, multifeatured program.

These solutions can perform all of the critical tasks required to operate a business, and many solutions can be customized to better fit the needs of a particular business or product model. Your business may be considering stepping up to an integrated software solution, and the prospect of such a change may instill feelings ranging from exultation to stone cold fear. Here are five things to consider when selecting a software solution.

GroupTravelDirectory.com 4.0 places you in direct contact with over 6,000 group-friendly suppliers worldwide. Planning your Perfect Group Destination has just become easier because Group Travel Directory offers the ability to search by zip code proximity.

Do you know where you would like to visit and need a hotel stay? Simply type in the zip code and select a radius search and you can view every option available in the area. Maybe you have the hotel and destination planned but would like to see what attractions are located within 10 miles - Grouptraveldirectory.com provides this handy zip code search to make your planning easier.

This week, InSite E-Zine interviews Michele Cota.

Michele Cota is Marketing Specialist of the New Hampshire Division of Travel & Tourism Development.

A rising star within the industry, Michele has been with the New Hampshire Division of Travel & Tourism for two years. She is responsible for planning and coordinating program activities associated with domestic group marketing efforts.