Category Archives for Destinations.
Days after the CDC updated its Covid-19 vaccination requirement for visitors traveling to the U.S. by air, the Biden administration announced that its vaccine requirements – including for airline passengers – will end at the ‘end of the day’ on May 11.
The New York Times runs a trend piece on women traveling abroad to find romance. They say that dating in the United States is awful, and meeting men abroad is much better – that people marry later so the dating pool isn’t limited over 30; that men are more serious; that potential mates are more adventurous (while in the U.S. all men are the same archetypes).
The first thing to know about any trend piece is that there isn’t really a trend, although the pieces themselves might create one. All you need is a little anecdata.
Places are only touristy if you spend your time in touristy places. But I’m a big fan of popular attractions during shoulder season. There are fewer people – fewer tourists – but the same great things to do and see much of the time.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency is proposing to require that all passengers on flights in and out of the United States provide a U.S. address; two phone numbers, and an email address – or be denied boarding.
For the average person the risk is low, but it’s a new area of uncertainty. Congressman James McGovern (D-MA) says “American citizens are too often being detained as de factoo hostages in business disputes or to coerce family members to return to China.”
Maybe you share things to social media from the Falun Gong’s Epoch Times? That alone could create risk.
India has a population equal in size to China. However it isn’t nearly as significant economically or geopolitically. It hasn’t experienced China’s growth. India’s economy is about one fifth the size. And even on a purchasing power parity basis the average Indian is about 60% poorer than the average resident of China.
They don’t think they need foreign flights to improve commerce and bring down costs. They’d rather protect their homegrown oligarchs.
Taiwan had early success containing Covid-19. Like much of Asia it was heavily locked down during the pandemic. And despite re-opening, pandemic restrictions haven’t been completely lifted. It’s not yet seen as a major tourism destination. Fewer than one million tourists entered Taiwan in 2022.
That’s a problem for Taiwan because cultural exchange and deepening ties with the rest of the world are its best path forward for securing support that will deter Chinese invasion. So they’re literally going to pay tourists to visit!
Former Love Island star Kaz Crossley was arrested in Abu Dhabi while connecting from London enroute to Thailand. She was wanted by authorities after viral video on social media showed her doing drugs two years earlier while in Dubai.
Many things are allowed in the U.A.E., and even more conservative Qatar, until they aren’t. Behaviors that are kept private, or outside of public view are generally tolerated. But engaging in these behaviors becomes far more risky once exposed.
The Michelin Guide was started by the Michelin tire company, initially to promote car sales and then to promote driving in order to sell more tires. The guide itself, though, doesn’t make money. But earning a Michelin star is huge for restaurants – a 20% bump in business for receiving a star, 40% for two stars, and a doubling in business on average for three stars.
Thailand was set to re-institute a vaccine requirement for passengers arriving into the country effective Monday, January 9. When this was first announced, I described it as “confusion reigns.” And in an update that can only be described as ‘very Thai’ this policy was rescinded on.. Monday, January 9.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
