Here’s a round-up of luxury travel stories that have caught the eye this week. To make sure you receive these new weekly alerts in your web browser, please click on the red bell icon in the bottom right hand corner of the page and click ‘subscribe’ (works on desktop only – for other ways to subscribe, please click here). This will also alert you to any other posts on the blog. Should you wish, you can unsubscribe at any time, by clicking on the icon again and selecting ‘unsubscribe’.
Best-selling luxury destinations for 2020 revealed
Tourism operator Kuoni has released its top 10 best-selling luxury destinations for 2020, and there are a few surprises on the list. There are no real shocks at the top of the countdown, with the paradise island nation of the Maldives retaining the top spot (which it has done for past 17 years) and Mauritius, Thailand and Sri Lanka following in positions two, three and four respectively. But in at number five is Bali… [read more]
Report: $23bn worth of hotels to be built in MENA by 2023
More than US$23 billion worth of hotel construction contracts are to be awarded throughout MENA by 2023. In a hotel investment forum from the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) 2020, it revealed the majority of hotel development will take place in Oman, Egypt, the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Leading in the region is Saudi Arabia, with projects planned close to a value of $9 billion. Currently the Kingdom has at least 21,500 rooms, 36 hotels, resorts and gigaprojects in the pipeline… [read more]
Video: ‘I live in a Gaudi building visited by a million tourists each year’
Tourists pay 22 euros ($24) to visit La Pedrera, Barcelona. But not Ana Viladomiu, who has lived in the building for more than 30 years. The writer used to live in the apartment with her husband and daughters but now lives alone. Antoni Gaudi’s La Pedrera opened in 1912 and took six years to complete… [read more]
First responders? Private jet charters are helping with coronavirus evacuations and supplies
Private jets may seem like unlikely first responders, but amid the deadly coronavirus outbreak, jet charters are playing a much-needed humanitarian role in the crisis. With America’s Big Three airlines––American, Delta and United––canceling all flights to China through April due to the virus, private jet companies have stepped up to offer alternatives for those seeking evacuation and to supply critical provisions for those staying in the region… [read more]
Now luxury boats can be environmentally friendly, too
From helidecks and jacuzzis to marble kitchen countertops, yachts at the Progressive Miami International Boat Show have turned up a notch in their luxury offerings for the more than 100,000 expected to attend. Serenity Yachts, which has pushed the green initiative with solar-panel roofs, is upping the game this year with style… [read more]
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