Accommodations
How does an island with high prices and few beaches attract tourists? Singapore lays out a plan
Inexpensive hotels and swaying palm trees have long attracted travelers to Southeast Asia, but Singapore is doubling down on a different strategy — focusing on increasing tourism receipts instead of traveler arrivals. Officials on Friday outlined a plan to increase tourism revenue in the city-state from a record-breaking $29.8 million in 2024 to $47 million-$50 […]
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Is it safe to travel to Thailand right now? Thai officials say yes
The Tourism Authority of Thailand is expecting that country’s upcoming Songkran festival will generate more tourism revenue than it did last year, despite projections that the March 28 earthquake has dampened tourist arrivals to the kingdom. The 7.7-magnitude earthquake, which epicentered in neighboring Myanmar, caused a building under construction near Bangkok’s famous Chatuchak market to […]
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The most powerful passports of 2025 — a new country tops the list
Ireland has the strongest passport in the world, according to the Nomad Passport Index 2025. It’s the first time that the northern European country has held the solo No. 1 spot in the annual ranking from Nomad Capitalist, a tax and immigration consultancy. Ireland did, however, come close in 2020, when it tied for the […]
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International visitors pour into Japan — to the delight and dismay of its ski towns
In spring, they come for the cherry blossoms. In fall, for the foliage tours. Now, more travelers are booking winter trips to Japan, as the country’s reputation as a world-class skiing destination continues to lure visitors from Asia-Pacific and beyond. Foreign visitors to Japan rose 33% this past winter from pre-pandemic levels. Some 10.5 million […]
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Singapore is more expensive than regional peers. So it’s using a different playbook to attract visitors
British national Tony Cross first set foot in Singapore in 1992, when the city-state’s main draws were its glitzy malls, the pulsating Zouk nightclub and the renowned Singapore Zoo. Today, shopping has taken a backseat, as prices for goods have climbed alongside commercial rents in a city where space is scarce. And, Singapore’s once-thriving clubbing […]
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Social media chatter about Thailand pops 60% following ‘White Lotus’ premiere
Social media conversations about traveling in Thailand rose 60% after the premiere of the third season of “The White Lotus” on Feb. 16. The data measured social media chatter during the three days before and after the show’s airing, according to social media analytics company Sprout Social. The Emmy-winning HBO series is expected to draw […]
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‘The best experience’: He’s been on 30 trips with a company that links travelers who can see with those who can’t
Glyn Evans has been on 30 trips with the same travel company, but he can still pinpoint the moment that stands out as his favorite. During a trip to Las Vegas, he served as best man for a couple on the same tour who got married on a whim. Yet unlike most weddings, the bride […]
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‘The Sound of Music’ turns 60 this year. Salzburg has plenty in store for fans
In Salzburg, Austria last spring, I skipped around the fountain outside Mirabell Palace. Others did too. Some 60 years earlier, Maria and the von Trapp children danced around the palace’s Pegasus Fountain, singing “Do-Re-Mi,” one of most famous songs from “The Sound of Music.” The movie recounts the story of the von Trapp family, and […]
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Rome’s Jubilee is expected to attract 32 million people. Here’s why — and how to avoid the crowds
Vatican City is the world’s smallest country by size and population. That’s not stopping an estimated 32 million travelers from visiting this year for Jubilee 2025, a year-long global celebration among those of the Catholic faith. The Jubilee is a time of pilgrimage, prayer, reflection and a renewal of faith, said Jubilee spokesperson Caterina Rigoni. […]
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The world’s most powerful passport has a clear winner this year — in 2024 it was a six-way tie
Singapore has the world’s most powerful passport, according to the 2025 Henley Passport Index. The nation-state was one of six countries which tied for the top spot in 2024 in the list produced by the migration consultancy Henley & Partners, which ranks passports by the number of destinations that holders can access without needing a […]
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