Not one experience in Asia made the latest Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards top 15 in the family-friendly category, despite eight of the top 25 ‘Overall experiences’ being in the continent.
Some Western media reports suggest holidaymakers visit Taiwan now before war breaks out, painting a picture of an island under threat. It’s a view which has received much derision on social media.
Potheads flocked to Thailand after it decriminalised marijuana for medicinal use, but these visitors’ enthusiasm contrasts with negative views in China of the drug’s widespread sale for recreational use.
An eighty-something avant-garde pianist from New York giving a recital aboard a ferry crossing a Norwegian fjord was our introduction to the 2021 Momentum arts festival, which returns this year.
The US government claimed that a US$19.5 million loan to the Habitation Jouissant hotel, in Haiti, was part of its pledge to help address climate change, but there’s little evidence of a greater good.
‘The Great Kalayaan Expedition’ to three of the Spratly Islands the Philippines controls is the latest example of tourism being used as a soft power weapon. Hong Kong has wielded it too – against Manila.
Thailand is benefiting from its Chinese Approved Destination Status, with tourists from China expected to hit pre-pandemic numbers by October 2023.
In this edition of the Global Impact newsletter, we take the temperature of the Asian travel sector as it continues to open up after years of closed borders and quarantine.
From beautiful spectacles to horrifying tales, Australia’s new tourism experiences tied to Aboriginal history stand out among the fresh ‘offerings’ awaiting visitors.
Mitigating climate change effects could mean curbing air travel, but that might be avoided if governments employ good environmental policies, such as Costa Rica and Tokyo have done.
Labuan Bajo, Lake Toba, Yogyakarta, Mandalika and Likupang make up the reduced list of new Bali alternatives Indonesia has announced. Here’s what each of them have to offer tourists.
Hong Kong-owned hotel brand Rosewood’s Vienna hotel is perfectly located on Petersplatz and includes the Neue Hoheit restaurant and Asaya Spa, with prices starting at US$765 per night.
Videos of customers interfering with sushi and licking plates and bowls in Japanese conveyor belt restaurants are going viral and the trend is forcing restaurants to upgrade security and change the way they serve and display food.
From November to March, air pollution from farmers burning crop stubble covers parts of Thailand in choking smog. This casts a shadow over not only the health of its people but of its all-important tourism industry.
Tourists and other foreigners have reacted in fury to news that Bali’s authorities plan to ban them from renting motorbikes, instead allowing them to only rent cars from travel agents.
The ‘Hello Hong Kong’ promotion dangled free flights to draw back tourists. Taiwan is trying to woo them with US$160 discount cards issued upon arrival.
Da Nang’s Nam O Beach and its litter-strewn sands became a hot topic this month, but the Vietnamese city’s refuse issues are far bigger, with some saying it is no wonder tourists never return.
Nas Daily travel vlogger Nuseir Yassin is under fire for his recent video on Bali, being called, among other things, ‘disgustingly ignorant’ on social media – but it’s hardly the first time.
South Korea’s ‘Feel the Rhythm of Korea’ videos – some featuring BTS – provide a masterclass in tourism video making that the ‘Hello Hong Kong’ campaign team would do well to learn from.
Big-city thrills, nighttime activities and adventure tourism are all ways to attract Chinese tourists in 2023 and beyond, experts say – or you could put pictures of pandas on all currency.
Cruise ships are terrible for the environment and Silversea Cruises, operator of the first cruise liner to sail from Hong Kong in almost three years, scores particularly badly.
High flight ticket costs, fears of being caught out by Covid, and restrictions from other countries are just some of the reasons why tourism travel to and from China is far from recovery.
Unlike Japan, Canada and more, Singapore hasn’t imposed any Covid restrictions on Chinese travellers following China’s plans to open up – something tourists may remember for a long time.
No plans for New Year’s? From eating out to staying in for some screen time to taking some ‘me time’, Post Lifestyle and Culture editors offer their top tips for the long weekend.
When the first resort opened in the Maldives, the island nation was a novel holiday destination. It took the Hilton’s arrival in 1997 for it to join travel’s big league.
A respected travel publisher has included Thailand on its annual ‘No List’ of destinations to reconsider visiting in 2023 as the country eyes its rapid tourism revival continuing.
Qatar’s intention has always been to become a tourist magnet and this month, Qatar Tourism and Trip.com Group signed an agreement to promote the country as a family-friendly destination.
The Kai Tak development is still a long way from that envisioned when the old airport shut 24 years ago. Greece’s own airport redevelopment site, The Ellinikon, is progressing more decisively.
Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia are courting medical tourists with new facilities and programmes as the global market is predicted to hit US$53 billion by 2028.
The Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid, has been restored to its original splendour, and its central location makes it an ideal base for exploring the Spanish capital.
