How to visit Chiang Mai on a budget

I first arrived in Chiang Mai in May of 1992. I came to visit a high school buddy who had married a local – a professor at Chiang Mai University. They introduced me to the local cuisine, and to their friends and family members who took me under their collective wing. 

Jamaica has recorded an impressive 1.7 million visitors as of May 7 of this year. Based on preliminary data, the island recorded 1,016,185 stopover arrivals and over 700,000 cruise passengers, earning roughly US$1.8 billion in revenue. This represents a 4.6% increase in stopover arrivals and a 23% increase in cruise passengers compared to the same period in 2023.

Some 12 international and regional airlines, including carriers flying from over 200 gateways out of the US alone into Jamaica, have contributed to “impressive growth” in activities at the Sangster and Norman Manley International airports. Collectively they generated US$200.28 million or J$30 billion in revenue from a record-breaking 6.96 million passengers traversing them in 2023.

Visit Qatar will be participating in the 31st edition of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) conference this year in Dubai, UAE from May 6 to 9 to showcase upcoming destinations Qatar offers to the travel and tourism industry. Exhibitors will have the opportunity to explore new areas in the tourism market, highlight the benefits of cooperation, and attract additional investment in the tourism sector.

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett departed the island today for Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), to participate in the highly anticipated Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2024 trade show.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) led 64 Thai tourism entrepreneurs and associations to showcase Thailand’s tourism attractions, products and services at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2024 currently taking place in Dubai. Running until Thursday at Dubai World Trade Centre, the ATM 2024 is claimed by the organiser to be world’s third largest tourism promotion event this year.

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett is urging Jamaicans to seize the multitude of opportunities available within the tourism sector, emphasising the industry’s potential to generate significant economic benefits for the entire nation.

Many American tourism marketers are well-paid. Visit California CEO Caroline Beteta recently collected more than $1.5 million in compensation. Brand USA CEO Chris Thompson recently took home over $700,000.

Theresa Marryshow is an organic farmer on an unlikely mission.

Napa Valley has long been a mecca for wine lovers. Who doesn’t fantasize about sipping wine while overlooking a vineyard? But wine country vacations are getting expensive: tasting room fees have risen sharply since 2019, according to Silicon Valley Bank’s 2023 Direct to Consumer report. With premium tasting experiences often costing an average of $128 per person per winery, a weekend getaway can quickly add up. And long gone are the days of traversing Highway 29 and popping into places on a whim; reservations, a practice that gained traction during the pandemic, remain firmly in place.

Launched in London more than 20 years ago, the World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards has become one of the most important ratings in the rarefied world of top tier fine dining (though not without some criticism and controversy). But regardless what people think of the process behind selection, there’s no doubt that some of the big winners over the years have in fact been some of the world’s very best, places like Spain’s El Bulli, England’s The Fate Duck, Italy’s Osteria Francescana, Denmark’s Noma and in the U.S. notables have included Napa Valley’s French Laundry and New York City’s Eleven Madison Park.

An amazing part of traveling is discovering a new place, but there’s something special about returning to a beloved destination—which also speaks volumes about what makes a place stand out as one of the best.