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☆ Indian travelers' boycott of the Maldives is helping Sri Lanka
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via Email'Absolutely yes' — Indian travelers' boycott of the Maldives is helping Sri Lanka, says tourism ministerIndian travelers' boycott of the Maldives is benefiting Sri Lanka, says Sri Lanka's Tourism Minister Harin Fernando, citing the countries tight relationship.

Persons: Harin Fernando Organizations: Sri Lanka's Tourism Locations: Maldives, Sri Lanka, Sri

☆ Sri Lanka travel visa costs doubled to $100 last month. The reason for the hike is disputed
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | Erica Lamberg | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The cost to obtain a short-term visa to visit Sri Lanka rose from $50 to $100 in April. In response, VFS Global said, "Visa categories were introduced as per the directives of [Sri Lanka's] Department of Immigration and Emigration (DI&E)." Both parties agreed that 30-day travel visas priced at $50 had been reinstated as of May 7. But VFS Global's fees angered many in Sri Lanka's travel industry and led to allegations of corruption by Sri Lankan opposition leaders. "The government of Sri Lanka won't be charging, but the platform … will," he said.

Persons: Harin Fernando, VFS, scammers, Fernando, — Organizations: VFS, Sri, Harin, CNBC, of Immigration, E, Sri Lanka's Ministry of Public Security, VFS Global Locations: Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka's, Sri Lankan, India, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Russia, Thailand

☆ Sri Lanka visa problem caused by a 'technical issue,' says tourism minister
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailSri Lanka visa problem caused by a 'technical issue,' says tourism ministerSri Lankan Tourism Minister Harin Fernando said 30-day visas, priced at $50. He said the visa was "missed" on VFS Global's website, after the company began processing e-visas for Sri Lanka on April 17, reports CNBC's Monica Pitrelli.

Persons: Tourism Minister Harin Fernando, CNBC's Monica Pitrelli Organizations: Sri, Tourism Minister Locations: Sri Lanka, Sri

☆ Why more companies are using AI to respond to negative online reviews
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWhy more companies are using AI to respond to negative online reviewsTravel companies are turning to generative AI to respond to complaints and negative reviews. But it's controversial in an industry that prides itself on personalized service, reports CNBC's Travel Editor Monica Pitrelli.

Persons: Monica Pitrelli

☆ Your vacation was ruined, and the company apologized — with a heartfelt note written by ChatGPT
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | Poonam Binayak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

'A pretty good job'For all its faults, ChatGPT "does a pretty good job" responding to customer complaints, Natasha said. A screenshot of a discussion about using ChatGPT to write reviews on Airhosts Forum, a website for Airbnb hosts. His company, which counts Priceline, Hopper and AvantStay as customers, uses AI to help customer service agents sound more professional, he said. More discovering itMichael Friedman, CEO of the family-run vacation rental company Simple Life Hospitality, said his company does not use AI to respond to customers. But after learning that other travel companies are, she decided to test ChatGPT with a real-life problem she recently faced.

Persons: Natasha, Reddit, Luca Zambello, Brad Birnbaum, Hopper, Birnbaum, Michael Friedman, …, Aw, Tokudaw, ChatGPT Organizations: CNBC, Airhosts, Airbnb, Mt Fuji Locations: TripAdvisor, Yelp

☆ Covid caused a ‘massive spike’ in yacht sales — now some of those boats are back on the market
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | Poonam Binayak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The pandemic spurred a "massive spike" in yacht sales, said Richard Allen, chief operating officer of the Hong Kong-based yachting company Simpson Marine. "We've seen a lot of those people, that had their boats for two years, sort of now wanting to travel," he told CNBC. Prices in the pre-owned marketEnthusiasm for yachting remains high, even if sales have fallen since 2021, said Casani. Casani and Allen, who spoke to CNBC on April 26 while attending the second annual Singapore Yachting Festival, agreed that the continent's yachting market is growing. "We need to do a lot of lobbying with governments to make it easier to import boats," said Allen.

Persons: Richard Allen, we've, Paolo Casani, Allen —, Allen, Casani Organizations: Simpson, CNBC, Singapore Yachting Festival, International Council of Marine Industry Associations Locations: Hong Kong, Monaco, Asia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam

☆ Demand for yachts 'still quite high' says Camper & Nicholsons CEO
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailDemand for yachts 'still quite high' says Camper & Nicholsons CEOSales in the yachting industry are slowing down, mainly for brokerage firms, while the demand for new yachts remains high, Paolo Casani, CEO of Camper & Nicholsons tells CNBC's Monica Pitrelli.

Persons: Paolo Casani, Nicholsons, CNBC's Monica Pitrelli Organizations: Nicholsons, Camper

☆ Asia is beautiful and warm, but here's what's its yachting industry back
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailAsia is beautiful and warm, but here's what's its yachting industry back"Red tape," high taxes and difficulty moving yachts between countries are some of the impediments facing Asia's growing yachting industry, Simpson Marine COO Richard Allen told CNBC's Monica Pitrelli.

Persons: Richard Allen, CNBC's Monica Pitrelli Organizations: Simpson

☆ 'We are different, we are unique:' Owner of Singapore's One°15 Marina is expanding the brand overseas
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via Email'We are different, we are unique:' Owner of Singapore's One°15 Marina is expanding the brand overseasArthur Tay, chairman and CEO of SUTL Group, talks about expanding his ONE°15 brand overseas so others can "understand the Asian ways of indulging in marine and yachting tourism."

Persons: Arthur Tay Organizations: SUTL

☆ Lost your luggage? A website sells items found in unclaimed bags at steep discounts
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailLost your luggage? A website sells items found in unclaimed bags at steep discountsUnclaimed Baggage buys lost luggage from airlines, hotels and rental car companies, and sells the best of what it finds — from tech devices to luxury goods — in its retail and online stores, reports CNBC's Travel Editor Monica Pitrelli.

Persons: Monica Pitrelli

Those are some of the most fascinating items found in lost luggage in 2023, according to a new report by Unclaimed Baggage, a store that buys lost items from airlines, sight unseen. The company has long-term contracts to buy unclaimed items from airlines, as well as hotels, trains and rental car companies. Unclaimed Baggage opened a "Found Treasures" museum in Scottsboro, Alabama, in 2023 to showcase the oddest items acquired through the years. Then he found them at Unclaimed Baggage and brought them back to her." Source: Unclaimed Baggage

Persons: Richard Nixon, Louis, Bryan Owens, Cartier, Owens, Owen's, Doyle Owens, Doyle, There's, … we're, Owen, Louis Vuitton, —, …, Jimmy Choo, Yves Saint Laurent —, it's, they've, David Bowie Organizations: Louis Vuitton Nike Air Force, CNBC Travel, Rolex Locations: Scottsboro , Alabama, Scottsboro, America, West Coast, Atlanta

☆ Lost something on a plane? It may end up helping someone in need
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailLost something on a plane? It may end up helping someone in needUnclaimed Baggage CEO Bryan Owens tells CNBC Travel that some items people lose while traveling, such as eyeglasses and wheelchairs, are donated to people all over the world.

Persons: Bryan Owens Organizations: CNBC Travel

☆ The 'golden rule' of traveling for introverts
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThe 'golden rule' of traveling for introvertsIntroverts can manage vacations better by taking private time every day, traveling in small groups and booking their own room at night, reports CNBC's Travel Editor Monica Pitrelli.

Persons: Monica Pitrelli

The thought of round-the-clock "togetherness" — with friends, family or strangers bound together in a tour group — can be overwhelming to the estimated 57% of people who lean toward introversion. Dori Nix, a marketing and communications director for the Colorado-based women-led tour company Adventures in Good Company, also recommends staying alone, even if means paying a single supplement. 2: Don't get trapped by talkersIn Psychology Today, author Sophia Dembling cautions introverts to research group trips well. "As an introvert, I definitely need small groups," she said. "As an introvert, I definitely need small groups.

Persons: introverts, Jenny Olsen, Olsen, Dori Nix, Sophia Dembling, John Hackston, The Myers, Carl Jung, Hackston, Kelly Kimple, Patty Civalleri, Jonathan Feniak, Myers, Briggs Company's Hackston Organizations: Company, talkers, The, Briggs Company, CNBC, CNBC Travel, Good Locations: Los Angeles, Colorado, Europe, Swiss, Mazatlán, Mexico, New Hampshire, Rocky

☆ Why higher luxury travel costs are likely here to stay
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWhy higher luxury travel costs are likely here to stayPrices for luxury travel are higher than before the pandemic. But travelers are willing to pay the new rates, reports CNBC's Travel Editor Monica Pitrelli.

Persons: Monica Pitrelli

☆ Luxury travel prices are high because 'the demand is there'
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailLuxury travel prices are high because 'the demand is there'Luxury travel prices are increasing because wealthy travelers are willing to pay the rates. 'Money is almost no object for some of these guests,' said Henry Harteveldt, president of the travel market research company, Atmosphere Research Group.

Persons: Henry Harteveldt Organizations: Atmosphere Research

☆ The reason luxury travel is so expensive these days
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | Helen Iatrou | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Luxury hotel rates reached "peak levels" this year, with average daily rates up 70% compared to 2019, according to the luxury travel company Virtuoso. The price for luxury train travel is also soaring, with rates for Accor's yet-to-be-opened La Dolce Vita Orient-Express climbing 75% in 16 months. When money is 'no object'As inflation and rising costs abate, luxury travel prices are holding firm. Wealthy travelers also value new and different experiences, such as luxury train travel, he said. Booking early can save money on airfares, but hotel pricing works differently, he said.

Persons: aren't, Belmond, Accor, Henry Harteveldt, Harteveldt Organizations: CNBC Travel, Dolce Vita Orient, Orient, Express, Atmosphere Research Group Locations: Italy, Venice

☆ Italy's new 'Orient Express' isn't running yet — but rates are already soaring
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | Helen Iatrou | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Reservations for Italy's new "La Dolce Vita Orient Express" train open Tuesday. Starting rates for a one-night journey on the luxury train increased from 2,000 euros ($2,168) per person in December 2022 to 2,500 euros per person in November 2023. Both rates were set during a pre-sales reservation period, which required a refundable deposit. But starting rates have now jumped to 3,500 euros per person per night, according to a press release published in March. The train is set to start running in the spring of 2025, according to Accor, the French multinational hospitality company that operates the train.

Persons: That's Organizations: Vita

Tokyo's Sézanne is the newly crowned winner of "Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2024" list. The two Michelin-starred neo-classical French restaurant, located on the 7th floor of the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi, climbed from No. Japan had nine restaurants make this year's list, as did the small city-state of Singapore. Odette, which has been in the top 10 list since 2017, is still the highest-ranking restaurant in Singapore (No. Restaurants on the top 50 list are dispersed among 19 cities in Asia.

Persons: Singapore —, Seroja, Les Amis, Gaggan Anand, Le Du Organizations: Michelin Locations: Marunouchi, Japan, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Macao, Asia, Bangkok

☆ 'Passport-free' travel begins in Singapore at one of world's busiest border crossings
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via Email'Passport-free' travel begins in Singapore at one of world's busiest border crossingsPeople traveling via car between Singapore and Malaysia can show self-generated QR codes rather than handing over their passports at two checkpoints.

Locations: Singapore, Malaysia

Singapore made global headlines last year when the government announced that biometric processing will replace travel document verifications at Changi Airport in the first half of 2024. But the city-state is going "passport-free" in another area: its land border with Malaysia. From Tuesday, people traveling by car between Singapore and Malaysia can show self-generated QR codes rather than handing over their passports at two checkpoints. The new rule, which applies to those traveling via the country's Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints, will expedite immigration clearance "without compromising on security," according to Singapore's Immigration & Checkpoints Authority.

Organizations: Changi Airport Locations: Singapore, Malaysia, Woodlands

If the idea of drinking civet cat coffee, which is made from feces from the Asian palm civet, is a turn-off, there may be yet another reason to rethink the drink. This week, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) issued a warning aimed at tourists in Bali after an investigator showed undercover footage of how the civet cat excrement, containing partially digested coffee beans, is obtained. Tourists be warned: stay away from civet coffee." Plus, "there's a misconception that civet coffee ... has a unique taste, and this is often perpetuated by businesses to attract consumers and justify higher prices for their products," Baker said. A young civet cat in a cage in Bali.

Persons: Jason Baker, Baker Organizations: Animals, PETA, Bali ., Getty Locations: Bali, Catur, Bahasa Indonesia, Indonesia

☆ Here are the most powerful passports for 2024 — Switzerland tops the list
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | Marylou Costa | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The 2024 Nomad Passport Index states: "Citizens of different countries deal with very different requirements to pay tax, live freely, comply with regulations, and avoid scrutiny when traveling. In that regard, the number of countries a passport holder may visit does not tell the whole story." A slight corporate tax adjustment in Ireland was more than offset by its top scores for travel and global perception, according to Nomad Capitalist's research team. The drop was caused by a change in UAE tax policy that affected domestic and overseas company owners, including residents with foreign company ownership, it said. Many people are curious to know how their passports compare to their global peers, but that's not why Nomad Capitalist produces the annual ranking, it said.

Persons: Hong Kong, Andrew Henderson Organizations: Nomad, Ireland, United, United Arab Emirates, The UAE, Macao Locations: Ireland, Portugal, Finland, United Arab, Netherlands, Germany, New Zealand, Bulgaria, Hong, China

☆ Debate heats up as Singapore prime minister says exclusive Taylor Swift deal isn't 'unfriendly'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | Marylou Costa | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

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 tour. The statement is the first confirmation from the city-state that the agreement for Swift to perform in Singapore contained exclusivity terms preventing her from performing in other countries. He also did not reveal the size of the grant to Swift, but stated the amount is "not anywhere as high as speculated." During her first three concerts in Singapore, Swift asked her audience to applaud — first the locals, then those who had traveled from overseas to come to the show. Edwin Tong Singapore Minister for Culture, Community and YouthSome liken the deal to how cities vie to host major sports events, such as the Olympics, the Super Bowl and the World Cup.

Persons: Lee Hsien Loong, Taylor Swift, Swift, Edwin Tong, Srettha Thavisin, Joey Salceda, Lee, Ashok Kumar, —, Selena Oh, de Boer, Irene Hoe, — haven't Organizations: Singapore, Reuters, Thai, Swift's, Philippine, Getty, Edwin Tong Singapore Minister, Culture ,, Super Bowl Locations: Singapore, Southeast Asia, Melbourne, Bangkok, ASEAN, Tokyo, Asia, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Asia — Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Philippines, Cambodia, what's, Edwin Tong Singapore

☆ Singapore paid a grant for Taylor Swift concerts. Is this the future?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailIs Singapore's 'grant' to secure Taylor Swift concerts good business or unfair to other countries? Singapore's payment of a "grant" to secure Taylor Swift's concerts in the city-state prompts questions about the future of competition for musical acts and tourism dollars, reports CNBC's Monica Pitrelli.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Taylor, CNBC's Monica Pitrelli

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