Local newspaper, Monaco Matin, reports today that several Monaco trade unions are hoping to turn casinos into no smoking areas.

There's a report on caterersearch.com that Andrew Davis of luxury hotel group Von Essen is interested in buying a hotel in Monaco.

The Consulate General of Monaco in the UK now has a website where you'll find contact details, a profile of the Consul General, and background information on Monaco. Prince Albert II was in London in October to launch the new consular service, which aims to change the image of the Principality in the UK and attract young, entrepreneurial British millionaires.

Most of us start thinking about our summer holidays when Christmas and New Year finish and the January blues kick in. Here in Monaco, we plan for a little luxury with the Monte Carlo Travel Market (MCTM), now in its 4th year. The exhibition will take place in the Grimaldi Forum from 11 to 13 January and is a high class networking event. Luxury lifestyles and prestigious travel are on show for the specially invited elite individuals and buyers.

This week the official Monaco Government website reported that Prince Albert II visited one of the new housing construction sites in the Condamine area of Monaco. The building is being carried out on reclaimed railway track and the most recent project is scheduled to provide 87 units for the local Monegasques. Due to the limited size of Monaco, land is at a premium, and so wherever buildings can be constructed, they are.

According to a report on the Express Travelworld website, representatives from Monaco Government Tourist Office and Convention Authority and the Societe des Bains de Mer have visited India to promote the Principality as a luxury destination, especially for what's called MICE tourism (meetings, incentives, conferences and events).

The first CleanEquity conference will be held in Le Sporting d'Hiver congress centre, right in the heart of Monte Carlo, on February 20 and 21 in 2008. The conference is being organized by Innovator Capital and aims to present new environmental technologies to potential investors.

The Hotel Metropole in Monte Carlo has won an award for Commitment to Quality from the Leading Hotels of the World organization. Hotels are visited anonymously and the Metropole scored the highest marks for a European hotel. This is a great achievement for one of our Monaco businesses, and well deserved. I occasionally meet friends in the hotel bar and the service is always attentive and professional.

The BBC news website has just published its updated profile of Monaco.

Today sees the opening of the Motorsport Business Forum at the Grimaldi Forum here in Monaco. Over two days attendees will be able to network, visit the exhibition and attend conference presentations related to business management, marketing and investment in motor sport and Formula 1.