Luxury travel
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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Britain’s Heathrow Airport closes Friday after large fire causes ‘significant power outage’
A plane taking off from Heathrow Airport in the United Kingdom. Tim Ireland | Xinhua | Getty Images Britain’s Heathrow Airport closed on Friday after a fire at a nearby electrical substation caused a power outage, airport officials said. “Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage across the airport due to a large fire at […]
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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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From sneakers to luxury handbags, hotels are providing more so you can pack less
Many people love to travel. But few like to pack. But travelers are getting help from an unlikely source — hotels. “Hotels [are] making it easier for guests to jump into their favorite activities without packing or planning in advance,” said Henley Vazquez, founder of the New York-based travel agency Fora. Some hotels have been […]
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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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