The EU's decision to award duty-free access to imports from Pakistan's textiles industry has had the added bonus of stoking the interest of Chinese companies when it comes to the south Asian country's garments sector. 

Scotland's already impressive tourist numbers will rise further still in 2014 as the country hosts the Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup. Its hotel industry is well prepared to cope with this influx of visitors.

With annual global spend on tourism in the gay community set to exceed an estimated $200bn in 2014, service providers and agencies are waking up to the potential of the pink dollar. 

Tourism is one of the largest industries in the world, attracting high levels of investment and creating millions of jobs. But what does it take to become a tourist hub, and is big investment alone enough to attract a mass influx of visitors?

The rise of smart cities in sub-Saharan Africa is causing ripples of excitement in technology circles, but while so much of the region remains cut off from power supplies and the most basic of infrastructure, just who will benefit from this smartening up?

Targeting sectors is widely considered good practice among investment promotion agencies, but a World Bank study shows that many claims of sector prioritisation in the tourism sector are hollow, as a worrying number of IPAs lack any real expertise in the sector.

Kenya suffered a setback in the latter half of 2013, when two major incidents in quick succession dealt a blow to its international reputation. But cabinet secretary for transport and infrastructure Michael Kamau tells Barbara Njau that he is confident that the government's effective response to these events, and its commitment to developing the country's infrastructure, will help cement Kenya's position as a leading investment destination in east Africa.

Vast business parks with leisure and residential areas attached to airports are becoming increasingly prominent throughout Europe, driven by companies wanting fast access to international markets, and cities keen to attract these multinational firms.