Sri Lanka's South Coast Is the Next Great Lifestyle Destination

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India could well be the breeding ground for lifestyle hotels.

As part of its Nonstop to Net Zero effort, Southwest Airlines is signing on to a project that's been dubbed the Hawaii Seaglider Initiative.A new mode of transportation designed to combine the speed of an aircraft with the “relatively lower cost of a boat to reduce the time and cost” of transporting travelers, seagliders are all-electric, zero-emission vessels. They operate exclusively over water and can move at up to 180 miles-per-hour, which dramatically reduces travel time. Seagliders function by floating on their hull before transitioning to “wave-tolerant underwater hydrofoils” and then take flight at ultra-low altitudes about 30- to 60-feet above the surface of the water. The vessels are being designed by Rhode Island based manufacturer REGENT.The Hawaii Seaglider Initiative (HSI) was first announced in January and includes a broad coalition of partners. Some of the high-profile corporate and community partners supporting the effort include AES Hawaiʻi, Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Hawaii Building & Constructions Trades Council, Hawaiʻi Lodging and Tourism Association, Japan Airlines, Maui Hotel & Lodging Association, Mokulele Airlines, Molokaʻi Chamber of Commerce, Polynesian Adventure, and United Airlines.

If you are planning a trip to Japan this summer, you’re not alone. New research has revealed the most popular destinations for the coming peak travel season – and there are a few surprises.

The world is a big place, and there are oodles of countries to explore and wild experiences to relish. Many folks have saved up vacation days and squirreled away funds for a journey of a lifetime. The questions are: Where should you go and how should you start the planning process? The advantages of small group travel abound. You’ll meet new people from different places around the globe, logistics and safety protocols will be expertly considered, and a professional tour guide will lead the way so that all you have to do is show up and enjoy the ride.

I’m splashing around in the Atlantic, having fallen off my board for what feels like the thousandth time this morning. The water is beautiful, the sky clear and immense, and the Atlas mountains loom behind me. But despite all this serene beauty, I am boiling with frustration: who knew learning to surf would be this hard? Thankfully, psychologist and psychotherapist Josh Dickson is on hand to help me resolve my conflicting emotions. Having been in a severe midlife depression for seven years, I have decided, in my mid-forties, to join the pioneering surfing and group therapy Resurface retreat that is his brainchild.

Sri Lanka has been on my must-visit list for years. The teardrop-shaped island in South Asia is known for its stunning beaches, lush jungles, and foliage-covered mountains.

While Japan is famous for its cherry blossoms, South Korea offers its own unforgettable cherry blossom experience. Known locally as "beotkkot," the cherry blossom season in South Korea transforms the country into a breathtaking palette of pink, beguiling both locals and tourists alike. The 2024 bloom season for these beloved blooms is expected to be particularly stunning, with experts estimating that this year’s flowering with arrive seven days earlier than normal.

If you’re a sakura - or cherry blossom - lover, you’ll likely have Japan and Washington DC on your travel bucket lists. But did you know there are countless places across Europe with equally impressive pink blooms to take in this spring?

The Maldives is renowned as a luxurious, fly-and-flop destination. Located 500 km from the southern tip of India and Sri Lanka, it's a serene string of 1,190 low-lying coral islands scattered across the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean. Here, you'll find white, sun-kissed beaches and warm, azure blue lagoons studded with colourful corals that are home to exotic marine life.

What makes one passport more powerful than another? The best-known passport ranking, from London-based investment migration consultancy Henley & Partners, focuses solely on visa-free travel. Essentially, the more countries a citizen can visit without a visa, the better. In that ranking, six nations—France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore and Spain—tie for the top position, with 194 visa-free destinations apiece. (In 2024, the U.S. is tied for sixth, with 189.)

Sri Lanka Tourism is all set to give it’s best at the ITB Berlin this year, which will kick off on the 5th of March 2024 and continue till 7th March 2024 at Messe Berlin, Germany. The Island paradise will showcase all its Tourism Products to lure the International tourists to come and have an experience of a lifetime. Sri Lanka is seeing continuous increase in the number of Tourist arrivals since 2022 and is celebrating a remarkable comeback with 1.5million tourists in 2023. Sri Lanka is a regular participant of the ITB and as a result of its promotional efforts, the number of German travelers to the destination has doubled in 2023 compared to 2022. Germany is one of the top source markets for Sri Lanka Tourism, which has the second highest number of arrivals from Europe after UK. This time, Sri Lanka Tourism will have a myriad of travel and holiday opportunities to offer for the German counterparts, with new initiatives and projects rolled up on its sleeve, in order to highlight that Sri Lanka is still one of the most renowned travel destinations in the world. The number of Airlines to Sri Lanka have increased and several top Airlines including Emirates, Qatar Airways, Turkish airlines and Lot polish Airlines have resumed flights to Sri Lanka, as a result of the continuous promotional efforts carried out by Sri Lanka Tourism.