DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Spending in Shenzhen: Chinese used to escape to this former British colony. Now Hongkongers are heading in the opposite direction
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Chris Lau | Veronica Lin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Hong Kong CNN —With Hong Kong’s sky-high cost of living, residents like Andy Tsui have been looking for alternative ways to have more fun and spend less. Rather than spending his cash in his hometown of Hong Kong, he’s been crossing the border into mainland China to splurge instead. Such trips are noteworthy because, for much of Hong Kong’s modern history, the traffic has been largely — conspicuously, even — in the other direction. Hong Kong used to be the place where Chinese would escape to, not from. In 2023, just 26 million mainlanders — about half of the 2018 crowd — visited Hong Kong.

Persons: Andy Tsui, he’s, boba, ” Tsui, Justin Robertson, Noemi Cassanelli, CNN Hong Kong’s, Hong Kong —, misbehaving, —, ”, Steve Tsang, Hong, Shenzhen’s, Hongkongers, Gilles Sabrie, Hongkonger Eddy Lam, Lam, Cherrie Leung, Qilai Shen, Hugo Sin, “, Gary Ng, John Lee, Tsang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, CNN, Shoppers, Yuen, Britain, Newspapers, Hong, Hong Kong Immigration Department, China Institute, SOAS University, Huawei, Tencent, Bloomberg, Getty, Sam’s Club, Costco, Sam’s, Walmart, Hong Kong, Shenzhen hasn’t, Xinhua, RTHK, SOAS University of London Locations: Hong Kong, China, splurge, Peking, Shenzhen, East, Hong, People’s Republic of China, British, Beijing, London, Bay Area, San Francisco , New York, Tokyo, Kowloon, Coco, Shanghai, “, Inner Mongolia, Taiwan, Japan, Mainland China, Hong Kong’s, Britain, Canada, Australia, Bay, ”

Becoming a resident of Puerto Rico isn't hard but involves strict rules to get the tax breaks. Sean Flynn, a semi-retired IT consultant, moved to Humacao, Puerto Rico, in 2021 from Austin. If you want to take advantage of the tax breaks in Puerto Rico, you can't leave your children back on the mainland. Ricky Santana, Founder and Managing Partner of Colectivo Group, a firm that helps mainlanders move to Puerto Rico. Moving to Puerto Rico can give some Americans the best of two great worlds — financial incentives in an island paradise.

Persons: Sean Pavone, Hurricane Maria, Sean Flynn, Flynn, Mark Rubens, Ricky Santana, mainlanders, Puerto Ricans Organizations: of Columbia, IRS, Puerto, Colectivo, Congress, Puerto Rico Locations: Puerto Rico, San Juan, Miami, Puerto Rican, San Juan , Puerto Rico, Humacao , Puerto Rico, Austin, Texas, Puerto, United States

☆ Moving to Puerto Rico comes with lifestyle perks and tax breaks. Trade-offs include healthcare, schools, and furniture.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Cork Gaines | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Americans are moving to Puerto Rico for the climate, adventure, and tax breaks. Newcomers to Puerto Rico told Business Insider they've had difficulty navigating the complexities of healthcare, education, and even buying goods like furniture. From 2021 through 2022, about 27,000 people moved to Puerto Rico from the US states, according to data collected by the US Census Bureau. Lindsey noted that if somebody expressed interest in moving to Puerto Rico, she would first ask them about their health. "You must understand that in Puerto Rico, it's going to be a little laid back," he said.

Persons: —, they've, it's, Ricky Santana, Santana, Jessica Peterson, Sarah Lindsey, Sean Flynn, Hurricane Maria, Lindsey, Flynn, Kimberly Sue Walker Organizations: Service, Puerto Rico, Colectivo, US Census Bureau, Puerto Ricans, Getty, Hurricane, Collectivo Locations: Puerto Rico, Puerto, Caribbean, Miami, Dorado, San Juan, San Juan ., Humacao , Puerto Rico, Austin, New York, American, Dorado , Puerto Rico

☆ A semi-retired couple moved to Puerto Rico for an adventure and some tax benefits, but a healthcare crisis may soon change their plans
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Cork Gaines | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

"We were looking for an adventure of some sort, a pirate adventure, and Puerto Rico was perfect." AdvertisementThe lure of Puerto Rico comes with some strict guidelinesFor Lindsey and Flynn, an incentive to move to Puerto Rico was the territory's tax incentive Act 60. AdvertisementThe catch is that to take advantage of these perks, you must be what Puerto Rico calls a "bonafide" resident. For example, if you are a mediocre golfer from outside Puerto Rico and are looking for similar people in Puerto Rico, there is a WhatsApp group for that. If you moved to Puerto Rico for tax incentives and want to share your experiences, contact this reporter at cgaines@businessinsider.com.

Persons: Puerto Rico, —, Sarah Lindsey, Sean Flynn, Flynn, Lindsey, Sarah Lindsey Additionally, Hurricane Maria, Sarah Lindsey Lindsey, Max Organizations: Service, Puerto Rico, AFI Technologies, Hurricane, AFP, Pillsbury, Supply Locations: Puerto, Texas, Austin, Puerto Rico, Humacoa , Puerto Rico

[1/5] China's and Hong Kong's flags are seen on the pedestrian footbridge as decorations for the celebration of National Day, at the financial central district in Hong Kong, China October 3, 2023. "The last few years have created a very negative image of Hong Kong," said Inaki Amate, chairman of the European chamber in Hong Kong, one of the speakers at the M+ event. Executives point to the changing fabric of Hong Kong with mainlanders making up more than nine-out-of-ten of all those approved to work under government talent schemes. "If we believe that Hong Kong will be able to recover its most international Asia city status by continuing on this trend, we are very wrong," said Amate. “You’ve got what happened with the national security law, the pandemic and now you’ve got a pretty big problem with China’s economy.

Persons: Tyrone Siu, Inaki Amate, Paul Chan, haven’t, ”, Tara Joseph, “ You’ve, you’ve, Hong, Robert Walters, Patrick Ip, David Baverez, Baverez, Dorothy Kam, Scott Murdoch, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, Tyrone, European Union, Hong, Monetary, American Chamber of Commerce, Colliers, Companies, National Bank Australia, ASEAN Investment Cooperation, COVID ., COVID . Asia Pacific, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, China, HONG KONG, Hong, British, Asia, Singapore, Dubai, COVID, COVID . Asia, Europe, “

☆ I tried canned kava, a beverage marketed as an alcohol alternative with a calming effect. It relaxed me, but I couldn't get past the sugary taste.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Kava is a beverage common in many Pacific island nations that can help numb and relax you. Several brands of kava beverages have popped up over the last several years, often marketing themselves as alternatives to alcohol. So, I decided to buy some of these canned versions of kava to try them. I picked Leilo and Mitra-9, two of the most widely-distributed kava brands that come in ready-to-drink forms. I also recruited my wife and a couple of friends, all of whom had also grown up in Hawaii and tried kava there, to provide their perspectives.

Persons: it's, It's, Piper methysticum, mainlanders, Leilo, Mitra Organizations: Service, National Institutes of Health Locations: Pacific, Wall, Silicon, Hawaii, Solomon Islands

But retailers in popular Asian destinations are desperate to take advantage of the return of a first wave of Chinese tourists as the country reopens borders after three long years of COVID-19 curbs. And robust demand for destinations like Macau, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand has boosted prospects for the battered travel industry, Ctrip booking data shows. Still, destinations elsewhere show that the return of Chinese tourists remains at a very early stage. Fresh COVID testing requirements for Chinese tourists in some locations may be acting as a barrier, while some countries also require visas that take time to process. Retailers in South Korea are also not seeing a huge influx in Chinese tourists yet, citing the suspension of short-term visas for travellers between both countries.

☆ Mainland Chinese citizens are eager to travel — for the West's mRNA Covid vaccines
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Passengers prepare to enter Shenzhen through the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point on the first day of the resumption of normal travel between Hong Kong and mainland China on Jan. 8, 2023 in Hong Kong. Analysts expect that the list of destinations for vaccine tourism will grow. 'Natural first destination': Hong Kong"I believe that the natural first destination of the Chinese vaccine tourism is Hong Kong. "It's been long since I went to Hong Kong. But Hong Kong won't provide free Covid vaccinations to short-term travelers.

☆ Hong Kong residents rush to get vaccinated ahead of China border reopening
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] People queue at a community vaccination centre, ahead of an expected border reopening with China, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Hong Kong, China, January 4, 2023. REUTERS/Tyrone SiuHONG KONG, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Hong Kong residents have swamped clinics to get vaccinated against COVID-19 ahead of the expected reopening of the city's border with mainland China, which some people fear will bring a surge of infections to the financial hub. The number of people getting a fourth shot jumped more than 100% this week from a week earlier. Many mainlanders have been asking on social media about how to get an mRNA vaccine in Hong Kong. A Hong Kong resident surnamed Tsoi said she was relieved to have made a booking for BioNTech's second-generation booster.

☆ 'I don't trust it:' Vaccine hesitancy lingers even as China COVID cases surge
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( David Kirton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"I don't trust it," she said, speaking on the condition that only her first name be used. It has also yet to introduce its own version of an mRNA vaccine. "At least a half of doctors and educated people wanted to get the mRNA ones and refused to get the Chinese ones," Lei said. "After a while, people see no hope and also they are kind of forced to get the Chinese ones, so they had to accept it. Lei said many of her friends are looking to visit the neighbouring Chinese territory of Macau, where mainlanders can receive mRNA vaccines.

☆ This 28-year-old spent $8,000 setting up an Airbnb tent near a Hawaiian volcano–now it earns her $28,000 per year
▼ + stars: | 2022-06-29 | by ( Megan Sauer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

When Kehau Hall set up her Airbnb glamping tent in 2014, she didn't think twice about it being roughly 10 minutes away from volcanos. She spent less than $300 on the tent and roughly $8,000 on amenities like a kitchen, an outdoor shower and a king-sized mattress. Those earnings represent a sliver of a highly competitive tourism industry: In 2019, visitor spending on all of Hawaii's islands amassed $17.75 billion, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority. The main island, where Hall's tent is located, brought in $22.4 million daily, on average. Hall's tent, by comparison is modest: It costs visitors about $70 per night.

Search resuls for: "mainlanders"

11 mentions found