Hong Kong has been named the most expensive location in Asia for business travelers — for the second year in a row, according to a new report.
ECA International’s latest Daily Rates research ranked countries based on costs for short trip expenses: four-star hotel rooms, meals, laundry, alcoholic and soft drinks, journeys by taxi and incidental costs.
The research aims to help organizations anticipate the cost of business trips and short-term assignments, the data company said.
A business trip now costs an average of $520 a day in Hong Kong, which is also ranked the 16th most expensive location for business travel in the world.
Most expensive locations for business travel in Asia
Destination
Daily costs
Hong Kong
$520
Singapore
$515
Tokyo, Japan
$424
Shanghai, China
$392
Seoul, South Korea
$380
Dhaka, Bangladesh
$376
Taipei, Taiwan
$372
Beijing, China
$371
Yokohama, Japan
$350
Hsinchu, Taiwan
$349
Source: ECA International
That’s despite low demand from business travelers, as Hong Kong closely followed mainland China’s tough zero-Covid policy. It was only in late 2022 that it began to relax some of its restrictions.
“Hotel costs continue to make up a majority of the overall cost of business travel, and in spite of lower occupancy levels in 2022, advertised room rates [in Hong Kong] did not fall significantly,” Lee Quane, ECA International’s regional director for Asia, told CNBC.
“This may have been due to demand from local residents, while hotel properties may also have needed to…
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Mexican travelers during this post-pandemic year traveled to national beaches such as Huatulco and international destinations such as Bogota. Mexican tourists increased their interest in a slew of places, but a dozen in particular, based on new research.
According to travelers’ searches and reservations through Despegar, beaches dominated.
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Here are the six domestic destinations and the increase in reservations generated by Mexicans:
—Huatulco with 45 percent more reservations
—Puerto Vallarta, 44 percent
—Mexico City, 22 percent
—Acapulco, 20 percent
—Playa del Carmen, 20 percent
—Mazatlan, 20 percent
Mexican travelers also increased their interest in traveling to international destinations. The six international destinations receiving the most interest were:
—Bogota is up 100 percent
—Paris, 100 percent
—Madrid, 100 percent
—Orlando, 29 percent
—Las Vegas 23 percent
—New York, 15 percent
Alejandro Calligaris, country manager of Despegar Mexico, said that in December, they detected a 15 percent growth in travel searches to international destinations compared to other low-season months. “So we see that international tourism is regaining strength, with a growth in bookings of over 100 percent in destinations such as Bogota, Paris, and Madrid. And increasingly catching up with the recovery of domestic travel,”…
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From Bharti Kher’s Ancestor collecting wishes at Central Park to Shivani Aggarwal spotlighting ‘societal traps’ in Dubai, going behind thought-provoking work by South Asian women artists on the international stage
From Bharti Kher’s Ancestor collecting wishes at Central Park to Shivani Aggarwal spotlighting ‘societal traps’ in Dubai, going behind thought-provoking work by South Asian women artists on the international stage
Gendered themes in art are important, especially in a country where the goddess is worshipped but misogyny is rampant. Until the early 20th century, the role of women in arts was ‘episodic’, due to their social status and the inequality between the sexes. But in the last few decades especially, their under-representation has been challenged. The sheer number of women in the arts has increased globally; in Kurt Beers’ publication, 100 Artists of the Future, 47 are women.
Last month, a suite of leading South Asian women artists, including Arpita Singh, Nalini Malani, Shilpa Gupta and Anju Dodiya, showcased their work at the debut Frieze Seoul exhibition. In London, at the Design Festival, Indian diasporic artists and textile designers, Zakee Shariff and Asha Vaidyanath, unveiled work that explored healing, spirituality, and nature. This month, three new solo exhibitions caught our attention — where memories and the environment are an overarching theme, and where the idea of the matrilineal home becomes a leitmotif in their history,…
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‘Just like Madiba, he’s been through a lot’: Prince Harry is mercilessly mocked by South African newspaper for preachy keynote speech honoring Nelson Mandela
South African newspaper The Sunday Times wrote a scathingly sarcastic column ahead of Harry’s speech
Editor-at-Large Aspasia Karras jokingly compared Harry’s plight to that of the late civil rights hero
‘He’s in exile. Just like Madiba,’ she wrote, jokingly comparing Harry’s Montecito mansion to Robben Island
Harry was invited to be the keynote speaker by the Nelson Mandela Foundation
He used his 15-minute speech to lecture a sparse crowd on climate change, disinformation, the war in Ukraine, COVID and Roe vs Wade
By Jennifer Smith, Chief Reporter For Dailymail.Com
Published: | Updated:
The choice of Prince Harry as the keynote speaker at the UN event honoring Nelson Mandela was mocked by many around the world, including a South African newspaper which sarcastically compared the prince’s plight to that of the civil rights hero.
Harry was invited to speak at the UN in New York City by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the charitable organization run by Mandela’s family.
He was joined by wife Meghan, who showed up in a glamorous designer outfit worth some $3,000.
Harry used his 15-minute speech to lecture the sparse crowd on climate change, disinformation, the war on Ukraine, COVID and the decision by SCOTUS to reverse Roe vs Wade.
He might have resisted the chance to compare himself to Mandela, but South African newspaper The Sunday Times jumped at the opportunity.
South African columnist Aspasia Karras pokes fun at Prince Harry in a column on Sunday, before Harry spoke. She compared Harry’s Montecito mansion to Robben Island and the icy treatment of Harry and Meghan by the royal family to the hardships of apartheid
‘He’s in exile. Just like Madiba. No, sorry, of course, he was imprisoned for 27 years on Robben Island. Same, same-ish. Harry is imprisoned in his gilded pleasure palace in Montecito with a podcast schedule and documentary team following him around,’ wrote Sunday Times columnist Aspasia Karras
In a column on Sunday, before Harry spoke, Editor-at-Large Aspasia Karras wrote: ‘He’s in exile. Just like Madiba.
‘No, sorry, of course, he was imprisoned for 27 years on Robben Island….
But for some, travel is at the heart of their jobs.
CNBC Travel spoke with people from four industries about occupations where working from home — or an office for that matter — isn’t an option.
A year of travel
Name: Sebastian Modak Job: Former New York Times “52 Places Traveler”
Modak was one of 13,000 people who applied for a role that sent one person to every destination on The New York Times’ “Places to Go” list in 2018 — the first year the newspaper hired for the position.
He didn’t get the job.
“A year later I figured, why not give it a shot again,” he said. “This time it worked out!”
As the “52 Places Traveler” for 2019, Modak traveled to a new destination every week — from Bulgaria to Qatar and Uzbekistan to Vietnam — in a year he described as both thrilling and grueling.
“I often say it was one of the greatest experiences of my life … but also the hardest,” he said. “I didn’t have a day off for a whole year, and the constant pressure of deadlines was hard to cope with.”
Modak, who is now the editor-at-large for travel publisher Lonely Planet, said his advice for aspiring travel writers is to admit you know nothing. “The first step to finding and telling compelling travel stories is asking questions and admitting that you have so much to learn.”
Source: Sebastian Modak
Modak said the job requires someone who can “do it all,” from writing articles and posting on social media to shooting photographs and videos, he said.
“It was a lot!” he said. “Besides storytelling skills, they were looking for someone with the stamina to get through the whole year.”
He mostly credits luck for getting the job, but he said he believes his upbringing and enthusiasm for travel helped. Modak’s father is from India, and his mother is…
Even if a shop looks closed, behind the scenes there are countless workers cleaning, restocking, and readying the next shift for when doors open to busy clients and curious customers.
They say that if you’re “tired of London, then you’re tired of life,” and as a female traveller I think this also applies to New York — a city in which there is always something to see or snack on when I’m travelling alone.
Here’s my take on solo travel for women in the Big Apple.
Best time to visit New York?
The best time to visit the Big Apple is probably during autumn or “fall” — specifically October. The end-of-year season appeals more than brutally hot summers and biting winters in New York.
New York is prettiest in autumn
/ Andy Orin
In autumn you will have fantastic weather for strolling around and exploring the city, better even than in spring. Rainy spells are less common than you think around late September to early November. Another reason to choose the hallowed season is to beat the buzzing crowds. Christmas in New York is absolutely magical, but you’d better be prepared for massive touristy crowds clogging up every cute alleyway.
Another bonus: prices will likely have dropped. A big fat New York price tag is expected, but peak season is between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. If those aren’t enough reasons, then let’s also throw in the most stunning seasonal colours. Seeing Central Park in glorious honey and burnt sienna is absolutely stunning. Other parks to catch in full beauty are Prospect Park, the Cloisters and Fort Tryon Park.
Which neighbourhood is best to stay in?
This is probably the most difficult (and personal) decision to make because there are so many options. Every area in New York is unique and will give you a very different experience. Your best bet is to research a few different areas in depth and then decide where you’d most like to get lost.
If you’re looking for the city’s most famous attractions, then Midtown Manhattan is the place to be. You will be surrounded by skyscrapers, beautiful museums like the iconic Moma and close to Central Park for a nice morning or evening stroll.
Manhattan bridge
/ Unsplash/nirmal-rajendharkumar
Meanwhile, if you prefer to stay slightly further away from the action, head towards downtown. In the East Village you will be on the doorstep of Lower Manhattan artistry — and you might even spot a celebrity or two. A short subway ride will get you right back to the city centre.
Brooklyn is one of the most populated areas and the slice-of-life nucleus of urban culture. It’s home to iconic attractions like Coney Island, the Brooklyn Bridge and Prospect Park.
Queens is by far the largest borough of the five — and probably most underrated. While Brooklyn is the “New Manhattan”, some are saying that Queens has become the “New Brooklyn”. Sport aficionados have a lot to see alongside a botanical garden, zoo, vintage fairgrounds and the “original Hollywood” studios where Goodfellas and Sesame were filmed. Another bonus is the exquisite Chinese food scene owing to the fastest growing Chinese community in New York residing in Queens – away from Manhattan’s Chinatown.
What to do?
A must do for solo travellers is a pub crawl — it’s one of the best ways to meet new people. Not only will you make new memories with fellow travellers, but also likely bump into plenty of locals.
Do get yourself over to the “Top of the Rock’’ perched at the peak of the Rockefeller Centre. Why not the Empire State Building? Because from the Top of the Rock you will actually be able to see the Empire State building with all its surroundings. Best if you book the tickets online in advance and, if you do go in the winter, then you’ll also find the most Instagrammable Christmas tree at the bottom.
If you love architecture and/or movies, then you should definitely visit Grand Central station. In the heart of Midtown, this spot has been featured in countless Hollywood classics. The structure is absolutely stunning even if you know absolutely nothing about architecture. Just sit at the Oyster Bar and enjoy some fantastic people watching — commuters, tourists, shoppers, and all.
New York New York: exploring the city that never sleeps
/ Unsplash/andre-benz_
Central Park is huge, so if you want to really explore every inch of it, rent a bike. Again, you can find online providers to book cheaper in advance. My favourite spot is the Balto statue of a real hero of a dog. To fully appreciate it, watch the documentary-style movie Togo beforehand — you can find it on Disney+.
Another one of my favourite spots, albeit touristy, is the High Line. It runs through the Meatpacking District and Chelsea and is the perfect spot for watching the sunset. It used to be an old railroad line from the 1930s intended for demolition — and thankfully avoided. Later it was converted into a leafy, beautifully designed elevated highway with lots of places to sit down, relax, have a drink and simply enjoy a New York sunset right in the middle of a busy street.
Is New York safe for solo female travellers?
For a newbie, the city might seem a bit overwhelming at first. But with careful planning and preparation it will be an experience you’ll never forget. When it comes to safety in New York, the best advice I would give is to always be aware and mindful of your surroundings. If you’re already living in a big city like London, then this will probably already be second nature to you.
As a solo female traveller, connecting with other women, whether locals or travellers, is a great idea. You can do this through apps like TravelSisters.co or simply by gathering with others from the hotel or hostel that you’re staying at. There are lots of NYC-focused Facebook groups where you can reach out to others, too.
Last but not least, a few don’ts based on my experience exploring the city that never sleeps…
Don’t…
…expect that you’ll manage to do everything on your bucket list in a day.
…think that you will avoid queues. Even when I say “beating the crowds” it is very likely that you will still have to wait in line. New York is just that popular.
…rent a car. Parking is expensive and traffic can be very confusing.
…leave your accommodation without a charger. Seems a no-brainer nowadays, but be sure to always have a power bank or cable (with the right plug!) with you. Because if you get lost, your phone might be your best friend to find your way home.
… walk around dodgy areas alone at night. Be mindful of your surroundings and keep an eye on your things at all times.
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