Debate heats up as Singapore PM says Taylor Swift deal isn’t ‘unfriendly’

Debate heats up as Singapore PM says Taylor Swift deal isn’t ‘unfriendly’

Singapore defends a deal that ensured Taylor Swift wouldn’t perform in neighboring countries.  Ashok Kumar/tas24 | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Tuesday that a closed-door deal for Taylor Swift to perform in the city-state ensured she would not perform in other Southeast Asian countries during her Eras … Read more

US economy grew at a surprisingly strong 3.3% pace last quarter

US economy grew at a surprisingly strong 3.3% pace last quarter

WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s economy grew at an unexpectedly brisk 3.3% annual pace from October through December as Americans showed a continued willingness to spend freely despite high interest rates and price levels that have frustrated many households. Thursday’s report from the Commerce Department said the gross domestic product — the economy’s total output … Read more

US economy grew at a surprisingly strong 3.3% pace last quarter, pointing to continued resilience

US economy grew at a surprisingly strong 3.3% pace last quarter, pointing to continued resilience

WASHINGTON — The nation’s economy grew at an unexpectedly brisk 3.3% annual pace from October through December as Americans showed a continued willingness to spend freely despite high interest rates and price levels that have frustrated many households. Thursday’s report from the Commerce Department said the gross domestic product — the economy’s total output of … Read more

India boycott of Maldives may cost country millions in tourism dollars

India boycott of Maldives may cost country millions in tourism dollars

“Most people book on weekends, and therefore the drop seems more significant because ideally [bookings] should have gone up,” he told CNBC Travel. Travel bookings to the Maldives tumbled following a diplomatic row that erupted last week after a series of posts appeared on X, formerly known as Twitter, on India Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s … Read more

Mexico’s army-run airline takes to the skies, with first flight to the resort of Tulum

Mexico’s army-run airline takes to the skies, with first flight to the resort of Tulum

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico launched its army-run airline Tuesday, when the first Mexicana airlines flight took off from Mexico City bound for the Caribbean resort of Tulum. It was another sign of the outsized role that President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has given to Mexico’s armed forces. The airline’s military-run holding company now also … Read more

Pack your jerseys. The era of ‘sports tourism’ is here

Pack your jerseys. The era of ‘sports tourism’ is here

Sports tourism is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the travel industry, according to the UNWTO. Alexlmx | Istock | Getty Images Start your engines. From Formula One races to the Summer Olympic Games, traveling to attend major sporting events is on the rise. Sports tourism, as it’s called, is one of the fastest-growing sectors … Read more

Mandarin Oriental, Oetker and Auberge

Mandarin Oriental, Oetker and Auberge

Mandarin Oriental was named the best luxury hotel brand in the world. Source: LTI — Luxury Travel Intelligence There are rankings of the best hotels in the world. But a new list, released by the members-only group LTI – Luxury Travel Intelligence, ranks hotel brands rather than individual properties. The ranking analyzes many hotels within … Read more

The best places — and best times — to take a safari

The best places — and best times — to take a safari

Kenyan travel writer Harriet Akinyi breaks down the top 10 African countries for game drives. Source: Harriet Akinyi In some African cultures, the combination of rain and sunshine means that a leopard and a lioness have given birth to a cub.   I was hoping that this was the case as we traversed Kenya’s Maasai … Read more