Hospitality and leisure industry
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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Chinese travelers cancel Lunar New Year trips to Thailand over safety concerns
Chinese travelers are canceling plans to visit Thailand during the Lunar New Year holiday, as concerns over the kidnapping of actor Wang Xing continue to reverberate through the country. Net booking volume for trips to Thailand fell 15.6% from Jan. 13 to Jan. 20 from the previous week, after news of the rescue of Wang […]
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He bought an abandoned tin mine in Phuket in 1984. Now, his hotel chain is worth over $200 million
Ho Kwon Ping is the co-founder and executive chairman of Banyan Group. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Growing up, Ho Kwon Ping didn’t think he’d become a businessman, let alone a hotel tycoon. “I had not always wanted to be an entrepreneur,” he told CNBC Make It. “It’s just that the few times where […]
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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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Travelers can soon fly from Singapore to the ‘gateway’ to Komodo National Park
Jetstar Asia will launch direct flights linking Singapore to Labuan Bajo, the Indonesian town considered the “gateway” to Komodo National Park, the company said. The park, a UNESCO Heritage Site inscribed in 1991, is home to several thousand Komodo dragons, the largest species of lizard in the world, according to UNESCO. Komodo National Park is […]
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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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Aviation industry faces a slew of challenges — ‘problems that will take years’ to resolve
The aviation industry is bracing for another year of difficulties, as delivery delays at Boeing and supply chain problems are set to continue into 2025, say aviation consultants. Sunday marked one year since a door panel blew off a Boeing 737 Max 9 operated by Alaska Airlines, an event that reignited a firestorm of questions […]
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‘Unprecedented’: The most punctual global airline last year was ‘absolutely’ a surprise, analytics firm CEO says
Aeromexico was the most punctual global airline in 2024, according to a report published by aviation analytics company Cirium. Some 86.7% of its tracked flights arrived “on-time,” defined as arriving within 15 minutes of scheduled arrival times. This result was “absolutely” a surprise, Cirium CEO Jeremy Bowen told “Squawk Box Asia” Friday. “They’ve had a […]
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