Travel and leisure

The great tourist tax boom

Tourists taking photos of cherry blossoms in Kyoto, Japan, in March, when the city increased its maximum accommodation taxes almost tenfold.

The Local List: Hong Kong

$2,200 for a mahjong set? Artist Karen Aruba and her father give a dying craft new life

Karen Aruba and her father, Ricky Cheung, are working together to carry on the craft of mahjong tile carving and their family’s legacy.

Malaga travel: 4 things to do in the gateway to Spain’s Mediterranean coast

The picturesque town of Ronda is a perfect day trip from Malaga.

Surrounded by boobies, tortoises and sea lions: Why magical Galapagos is worth the 40-hour journey

A sea lion pup approaches us at the pier in San Cristóbal Island, Galapagos.

From BTS to makgeolli: S. Korea’s rural tourism push goes beyond Seoul

Seohuri Forest in Yangpyeong county is a popular pilgrimage site for the fans of K-pop group BTS as it was used as the official photo shoot location for the septet’s 2019 BTS Season’s Greetings.

US FAA says error messages in telecommunications circuit prompted shift to backup before outage

The major telecom failure paralysed traffic along the East Coast for hours and disrupted thousands of flights on Sept 21.

Air Canada to axe Singapore’s only non-stop flight to Canada in January 2027

The route will be suspended effective Jan 26, 2027.

Iranian airlines cancel flights as US sanctions hit

An Iran Air Boeing 747-200 aircraft parked at a cargo apron at Macau International Airport on Aug 24.

Venice considering raising tourist entry fee to $44

The tourist fee, applicable only to day-trippers, was introduced in 2024, in a world first.

Tips for travelling while pregnant

pregnancy travel tips, travelling while pregnant, pregnancy health precautions

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MDDI (P) 046/10/2025. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No.202120748H. Copyright © 2026 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.