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Thailand is more than just a travel destination. Visiting is a true rite of passage. From hostel-hopping backpackers to well-heeled five-star hotel enthusiasts, the Land of Smiles has something for everyone. The last time I visited Thailand was in early 2022, when the country introduced strict entry requirements due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I was one of the hundreds of thousands of tourists allowed into the country at the time, but I felt like I had many of the usually crowded tourist spots all to myself. The beauty of Thailand is that no matter how many times you visit, it…

A hypnotizing mix of charming coastal cities, world-class cuisine, and lush landscapes hiding immense biodiversity have made the bicoastal country of Colombia one of the most sought-after destinations in the Americas. Spending a long weekend in Cartagena or a few days in Bogotá isn’t enough; even after spending months living in Medellín, I felt I barely scratched the surface of all Colombia offers. With the help of Medellín-based Travel + Leisure A-List advisor Boris Seckovic and locals who work at some of the country’s most incredible accommodations, like Bio Habitat Hotel and Casa Pestagua, we’ve assembled a list of the…

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appointed a new central bank governor early Saturday morning, hours after the sudden resignation of the previous appointee, who said he was resigning due to a “massive defamation campaign.”Outgoing central bank governor Hafizeh Gey Erkan is the fifth woman to hold the post in the past five years and the first woman to hold the post. Fatih Karahan, the bank’s deputy governor, was swiftly promoted to replace her.The surprise change comes about eight months after a shift in Turkey’s economic plan aimed at quelling a long-standing cost of living crisis that has been painful for…

Author: Sean Zach, Zephyr Melton, Jessica Marksbury February 3, 2024 Caddies, like professional golfer bosses, are traveling warriors. Getty Images It wasn’t that long ago that people thought golfers weren’t athletes. So is the outdated notion that all caddies are lazy, smokers, and scoffers. Be real. Today’s smocked men and women are more integral to the professional game than ever before. Part stats geek, part guru, part pack mule, part therapist, the typical looper is both the center of the action and a side player. This week’s continuation (and his January/February page in GOLF Magazine) is filled with snapshots of…

This year, international travel is expected to recover to its highest level since 2019. This is great news for the entire tourism industry, but many cities, destinations and entire regions are struggling with the strain of overtourism. Potential damage to historical sites, disorderly tourist behavior, and simply overcrowding are all common consequences of overtourism, which is why popular destinations are increasingly introducing tourist taxes in an effort to curb visitor numbers and improve local infrastructure to better accommodate the increased tourist capacity. Many countries and cities will introduce a tourism tax in 2023, and many more are due to do…

Unlock Editor’s Digest for freeFT editor Roula Khalaf has chosen her favorite stories in this weekly newsletter.Turkey’s central bank governor, Hafizeh Gey Erkan, who has overseen a campaign to raise massive interest rates, has resigned just months after taking office after decrying weeks of slander against him in local media.According to the Turkish Official Gazette, Erkan, who was appointed as the bank’s first female president in June, will be succeeded by Fatih Karahan, the bank’s deputy president. Karahan, a former Federal Reserve economist, will be President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s sixth central bank chief in five years. “Recently, a key assassination…

Reigning WNBA Finals MVP A’ja Wilson.NBA Photos/Getty Images The day of Forbes Travel Guide’s interview with A’ja Wilson, the Las Vegas Aces star is stressed. If you think her worries are about the upcoming WNBA season, no, the two-time league MVP and leader on the back-to-back champs isn’t concerned about what’s coming next on the court. Maybe she’s a little nervous about how the world will react to the early-February release of her straight-shooting book debut, Dear Black Girls: How to Be True to You? Nope, that’s not it, either. The work is a conversational, funny and deeply personal look…

At 9am, the buffet breakfast begins in earnest at Istanbul’s Valley Hotel. But instead of the typical sunburned tourist sitting in the seat was a limping customer with a bloody bandage.This four-star hotel in the Asian district of Turkey’s largest city has teamed up with a local cosmetics company to offer tourists plastic surgery as part of their vacation packages. The price is half the price of surgery in the UK and includes all subsequent accommodation costs.“Most of our customers are British,” says concierge Sinam. “As you can see, this is the only place. [eating] There are 10 people from…

Obese patients forced to wait up to five years for treatment are forced to travel to countries such as Turkey for treatment, despite “horror stories” about patients in Ireland.Despite 60% of adults currently being classified as overweight or obese, waiting lists have been growing for “years” due to historic funding shortages, says HSE national obesity clinician Don Don.・Professor O’Shea said.And clinic development plans, including in Cork, are currently stalled due to HSE budget constraints and a recruitment freeze.The scale of the crisis was revealed at the Oireachtas Health Committee, where its chair, Sinn Féin TD Sean Crowe, was left wondering…

Some places in Mexico, such as Cancun and Puerto Vallarta, are very popular destinations for Americans traveling during spring break and Easter. However, in recent weeks, the U.S. State Department has issued several advisories for U.S. citizens traveling to various Mexican states. Now, with rates of violent crime and kidnappings rising across Mexico, the State Department warns that Americans considering traveling to all but two Mexican states should heed new and enhanced warnings. “Violent crimes, including murder, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery, are widespread and commonplace in Mexico,” the State Department explains. “Due to travel bans or restrictions on U.S. government…