Airbnb execs have used the phrase “expanding beyond the core” to mean launching new products and services for guests and hosts, and also their hope to lift growth beyond the company’s main five markets: The U.S., Canada, UK, Australia, and France.
21.04.2024 - 07:28 / insider.com
Welcome back and happy Taylor Swift album weekend! The singer's rollout strategy for "The Tortured Poets Department" — releasing zero singles and barely promoting — is a true power move.
Now, let's dive into this week's top stories.
On the agenda:
"The Tortured Poets Department" won't be Swift's biggest money-maker this year.
Sorry, but Alex Garland isn't going to dumb down "Civil War" for you.
Michael Pollan says to skip the supplements and grab this one vegetable instead.
Some things are really hard to get, even if you're really rich.
But first: Stay close to home this summer.
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Get into destination dupes
Are you sick of high prices to travel to your favorite destination across the pond? Well, you're not alone.
According to Expedia, one of the biggest trends of 2024 is destination dupes — places where you can travel for way less. With inflation still pinching consumers and airline ticket prices rising thanks to the Boeing controversy, travelers are looking for more cost-effective ways to see the world.
Want a taste of Scandinavia? Trek to Solvang, a quaint town in California founded by Danish-American settlers. That's reflected in the town's architecture, which includes a replica of the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen, among other things that make the town feel far from home.
If you'd rather traipse through the tulips in the Netherlands, try visiting Mount Vernon, Washington, instead. The northwestern city hosts the largest tulip festival in the US. Close your eyes, and you might feel you're walking among the Dutch.
Taylor Swift dropped her new album, "The Tortured Poets Department," on Friday, and it's almost guaranteed to be a bestseller. But that doesn't mean it'll make her most of her money this year.
Instead, the remaining leg of her Eras Tour — kicking off in Paris next month and running through December — is expected to be what contributes most to her fortune.
Inside Swift's earnings this year .
Also read:
Taylor Swift's new album rollout strategy shows she's too big to fail
Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department' is the messiest, horniest, and funniest album she's ever made
Garland's new movie, a take on America's political landscape, has garnered criticism for not explaining the root of the conflict at the center of the film. The warring parties' ideologies aren't clear, either.
Some viewers see this omission as apolitical and ambiguous. But Garland told BI he doesn't want to correct people; he wants them to make them think, question, and feel.
Read our interview with Garland .
Also read:
Kyle MacLachlan's first-ever film role was a spectacular flop. He got the last laugh.
Michae
Airbnb execs have used the phrase “expanding beyond the core” to mean launching new products and services for guests and hosts, and also their hope to lift growth beyond the company’s main five markets: The U.S., Canada, UK, Australia, and France.
It was a sunny afternoon in February at the height of the high season on the Caribbean island of Curaçao, but my partner, Aaren, and I were far from lounging on a white-sand beach, snorkeling over a coral reef or strolling among the Easter-egg-colored buildings of Willemstad, Curaçao’s capital and a UNESCO World Heritage site — typical activities for travelers to this former Dutch colony.
Searching for the safest places to travel? Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection (BHTP) recently unveiled its annual State of Travel Insurance Safest Destinations report, which ranks the world’s 15 safest cities to travel. This year, two U.S. cities made the list, with Honolulu named the safest city in the world.
The Netherlands is a treasure chest of exquisite art-filled cities and towns, canals, windmills and tulip fields, along with shiny-new sustainable urban environments, and glorious natural landscapes, coastlines and islands. While it’s one of Europe’s smaller nations (you can cross the entire country in a handful of hours), choosing where to spend your time takes planning.
May is such a lovely month for many places around the world: for wildlife watching, optimum weather and arts and culture experiences – so figuring out where to go and what to see can be tricky.
Travel advisors report that the luxury travel market is booming. Among the top travel trends for these high-end clients are those that focus on spending time with loved ones, including Family travel (immediate family), Celebration travel, and Multigenerational travel, according to the 2024 Virtuoso Luxe Report. Active/adventure trips are also among the top trends reported in the study. In addition, travel advisors are booking more off-season trips and are seeing requests for cultural immersion. The desire for personalized amenities and services is also important to upscale travelers, say advisors.
Throughout April, we're honoring the ancient Arab tradition of hakawatis, or storytellers, highlighting the writers, performers, and poets who are driving the conversation around what it means to be Arab American today—and celebrating the rich culture and histories of the diaspora.
The traditional foods of Indonesia never quite get the credit they deserve. Thousands of islands spread across three time zones ensure a culinary diversity like no other nation.
Earlier this week, Jefferies CEO Rich Handler sold $65 million worth of stock in the investment bank — enough to warrant a press release — partly to buy a yacht from his friend and client, hospitality billionaire and Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta.
Actress Samantha Pauly is starring as Jordan Baker in the hot new Broadway musical “The Great Gatsby,” based on the famous F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. The show opened April 25th.
Aruba has a problem: Visitors are loving it to death.
Get ready for the Battle of the Cruise Ship Giants out of Miami.