Holidays
Mongolia’s ‘ambitious’ plan could boost tourism to 10% of GDP by 2030, says minister
Tourism could comprise 10% of Mongolia’s gross domestic product if the country can attract 2 million annual tourists by 2030, the country’s tourism minister told CNBC Wednesday. “We have a big, ambitious kind of goal, which is about 2 million tourists by 2030, which will be around a $4 billion contribution towards our GDP,” […]
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Indian airlines can’t fly over Pakistan. Here’s how that is affecting flights
Pakistan’s closure of its airspace to Indian airlines Thursday is forcing carriers to alter some routes that link India to Europe, North America, Central Asia and the Middle East. Indian carriers — including Air India, IndiGo, Akasa Air and SpiceJet — must now fly longer, and thus costlier, flights on some westbound routes. The detour […]
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Fewer Americans are planning summer vacations. Travel costs aren’t the top reason
Fewer Americans are planning to travel this summer, according to a survey by the consumer finance company Bankrate. Some 46% of respondents said they are planning a summer vacation this year — down from 53% in 2024. Of those who don’t intend to travel, nearly two-thirds (65%) said money was the main reason. However, it’s […]
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More travelers are using ‘buy now, pay later’ plans to pay for trips. Here’s when it may make sense
Kristin Herman said using a “buy now, pay later” service to pay for a last-minute trip to Miami felt like a lifesaver. She said the approval was quick, and there were no upfront costs — but she accidentally skipped a scheduled payment. “One missed reminder turned into fees,” she told CNBC Travel. Rane Teo, however, […]
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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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People are selling Singapore Airlines miles online. Here’s what the airline says about that
When Tracy Ren decided to go to the 2024 Summer Olympics, she booked her flight to Paris on Singapore Airlines using miles. But she didn’t earn them — she bought them. Rather than purchasing miles directly from the airline, which sells 1,000 miles for around $40, Ren turned to Carousell, a popular online marketplace in […]
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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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