India boycott of Maldives may cost country millions in tourism dollars

Social media posts by Maldivian officials may cost the country millions in tourism revenue, as calls by Indian travelers to boycott the island nation intensify.   “We are seeing a 40% drop in bookings over the last two days,” Ankit Chaturvedi, vice president and global head of marketing at the India-based travel software company Rategain, … Read more

Asia’s young and rich are fueling art demand — what are they collecting?

Auctioneer Victoire Gineste gestures as she adjudicates for 20 million euros ($21.9 million) a recently rediscovered drawing by Michelangelo, the artist’s first known nude, at the Christie’s auction house in Paris on May 18, 2022. Emmanuel Dunand | Afp | Getty Images Wealthy, young collectors in Asia have been fueling demand for art — particularly … Read more

Will airfares come down this year? Yes, but just slightly say reports

The airline industry’s dramatic climb from the depths of the pandemic may be ending soon. A review of multiple reports shows stabilization across several key metrics, as rapid growth ends and a new era of normalcy begins. “2024 is expected to mark the end of the dramatic year-on-year increases that have been characteristic of the … Read more

India’s Gautam Adani is once again Asia’s richest person 

Chairperson of Indian conglomerate Adani Group, Gautam Adani, speaking at the World Congress of Accountants in Mumbai on November 19, 2022. Indranil Mukherjee | Afp | Getty Images Gautam Adani is the richest person in Asia again, according to Bloomberg Billionaires Index’s updated figures Friday.  The founder and chairman of the Adani Group regained pole … Read more

‘Most of us don’t have wealth’

Members of Congress make $174,000 and haven’t gotten a raise in about 15 years Retiring Rep. Patrick McHenry is the latest one to argue that needs to change. “Most of us live on the salary,” he said. “Most of us don’t have wealth.” Rank-and-file members of both the House and Senate are paid $174,000 a year. … Read more

UK CEO pay exceeds average worker salary for the year

Skyscrapers in the Canary Wharf financial, business and shopping district in London, UK. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images The average FTSE 100 CEO will have earned more this year than the median full-time worker’s annual salary by 1 p.m. London time on Thursday, according to estimates from the High Pay Centre think tank. The … Read more

Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund overtakes Singapore’s GIC

Skyline of Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. Simon Dawson | Bloomberg | Getty Images Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) was the top spender among global sovereign wealth funds last year, accounting for about a quarter of the $124 billion splashed by state-owned investors, according to a preliminary report by research consultancy Global SWF. The Saudi … Read more

Why foreign workers are flocking to this 700-year-old European city

When Ricardo Schmitz’s brother was visiting him in Vilnius, Lithuania, the pair went for a wintertime walk at midnight — something he said they would never do back home in Brazil.   “My brother hadn’t seen snow since he was a kid, so he was super excited. We walked from midnight to 3 a.m.,” Schmitz … Read more

Cabbing in Italy can be a gnarly affair. Here’s how to navigate it

I knew something was amiss when the taxi meter read 10.50 euros as we pulled away from the Roma Termini train station. While negotiating the evening rush hour traffic and typing into a translation app on his cell phone, the cab driver suggested the starting fare included a surcharge for all rides from Rome’s main … Read more

How much does it cost to Aman’s new brand Janu hotels?

Few names exude “quiet luxury” like the ultra-luxe Aman Resorts. Its hotels bear its moniker: from Amanoi in Vietnam, to Aman Sveti Stefan in Montenegro and the hotel that started it all — Amanpuri in Phuket, Thailand. Fans of the brands — known as ‘Aman Junkies’ — are accustomed to paying its top-dollar rates, which … Read more