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Tourism

Taliban, Afghanistan welcome tourism despite restrictions on women

Nearly 9,000 foreign tourists visited Afghanistan last year, while nearly 3,000 people visited in the first three months of this year.

29 Jun 2025 - 7:36PMvideocam

China consumption

China’s museums find a solution to their cash flow woes: viral souvenirs

29 Jun 2025 - 12:00PMvideocam

Editor's Letter

This week in PostMag: Girls with Guns and the peak of Japanese luxury

29 Jun 2025 - 7:30AM

Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong should look to Africa, South America for new markets: trade body head

Trade Development Council chairman Frederick Ma says he expects Hong Kong’s exports in the second half of the year to be weaker.

28 Jun 2025 - 7:22PMvideocam

The ongoing trade war is expected to hit Hong Kong’s exports in the second half. Photo: Eugene Lee

Hong Kong economy

Elevated rents ‘big problem’ for Hong Kong restaurants as closures mount

Industry leader Simon Wong says decline in tourist spending will also hinder sector’s recovery.

28 Jun 2025 - 8:33PM

Fame and celebrity

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez say ‘I do’ in a divided Venice

The star-studded event has drawn protests by local activists, who feel their city has become a playground for tourists and the ultra-rich.

28 Jun 2025 - 4:41AM

Thailand

High times over? Thailand slams brakes on recreational cannabis

More than 18,000 licensed shops now face closure if they fail to comply with the new, stricter medical-only requirements.

27 Jun 2025 - 6:35PM

A member of staff arranges bongs at a cannabis shop in Bangkok. Violations of the ban could result in a maximum one-year jail term and a 20,000 baht fine. Photo: AP

Indonesia

Mount Rinjani tragedy puts spotlight on Indonesia’s adventure tourism safety

The death of Brazilian climber Juliana Marins follows a string of accidents at some of Indonesia’s most popular natural attractions.

26 Jun 2025 - 8:52PM

Hong Kong society

Hong Kong repositions venues in a bid to boost development of performing arts

Cantonese opera given dedicated home at Sha Tin Town Hall while Hong Kong Coliseum will prioritise concerts, under reform.

26 Jun 2025 - 10:09PM

Hong Kong sports

‘Powerful energy’: Hong Kong Jockey Club gives HK$450 million for National Games

Hosting the Games is a crucial task for Hong Kong this year, government minister says.

27 Jun 2025 - 1:15AM

(From the left) Sports minister Rosanna Law, Chief Executive John Lee and Jockey Club CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges at the signing ceremony. Photo: Handout

Indonesia

Bali official calls for swift expulsion of unruly foreigners amid crime concerns

Recent high-profile crimes have revived calls for stricter supervision and punishments for rule-breaking visitors to the island.

26 Jun 2025 - 6:24PM

A police officer outside a villa in Munggu village, Badung regency, on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali, where Australian national Zivan Radmanovic, 32, was shot dead and another man, 34-year-old Sanar Ghanim, was seriously wounded on June 14, 2025. Authorities said they were pursuing three Australian suspects in connection with the attack. Photo: AFP

Travel Destinations

Deep below London, secret tunnels to become a spy museum, memorial and bar

Due to open in 2028, the 90,000 sq ft site below London that possibly inspired James Bond is set to become a major tourist attraction.

26 Jun 2025 - 5:15PM

Locals' Guide

Insiders say Taipei is a city that ‘reveals itself in layers’

Tastemakers tell us about the Taiwanese capital’s latest hotspots and the under-the-tourist-radar classics they keep returning to.

26 Jun 2025 - 11:00AM

Japan

Japan quake swarm and volcano reignite fears linked to viral manga prediction

Airlines are cancelling flights to Japan due to reduced demand attributed to anxiety over the disaster prediction.

26 Jun 2025 - 8:00AMvideocam

Plumes of smoke rise from Mount Shinmoe in Kyushu during an eruption on October 11, 2017 – the volcano’s first in six years. The same volcano erupted again in June 2025 amid heightened seismic activity across southern Japan. Photo: Kyodo

Indonesia

Indonesian mum recalls ‘scary’ moment son was hit with bottle in Singapore

Incident triggers anxiety among Indonesians about travelling to Singapore, long regarded as one of the world’s safest countries.

26 Jun 2025 - 8:22AM

Winda’s son, 5, receiving medical attention after he was allegedly attacked with a wine bottle while he and his family were seated outside a coffee shop in Singapore’s Arab Street district on June 20. Photo: Winda

Macau

Macau luxury property The 13 Hotel sells for HK$600 million to a local buyer

The sale to an unidentified buyer in Macau marks the city’s first hotel-related property transaction since the fourth quarter of 2017.

25 Jun 2025 - 9:21PM

Indonesia

She went to hike an Indonesian volcano – and never returned

Juliana Marins, 26, fell from a ridge on Mount Rinjani in Lombok on Saturday. Her body was recovered four days later.

25 Jun 2025 - 11:36AM

Luxury Hotels

The rise of independent female hoteliers – and their luxurious properties

Female hoteliers are redefining hospitality with personal touches; Rosewood’s Sonia Cheng and Pellicano Group’s Marie-Louise Scio are creating fresh concepts to cater to shifting tastes.

25 Jun 2025 - 5:00AM

Villa Suite Bellini in Lake Como’s Passalacqua, rated one of the best hotels in the world and an example of an independent hotel founded and shaped by women. Photo: Handout

World of performing arts

Host to Coldplay and Pavarotti, Athens’ Herodeon to close for renovation

The ancient Odeon of Herodes Atticus theatre, built in AD161, opens for its final season before undergoing a three-year restoration.

24 Jun 2025 - 5:15PM

Thailand

Thailand moves to recriminalise cannabis, except for medical use

The government’s abrupt reversal follows a pro-weed party’s exit from the ruling coalition, leaving a booming, unregulated industry in limbo.

24 Jun 2025 - 4:12PM

Jeff Bezos

Meet the planners behind Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s Venice wedding

Founded by Italian aristocrats, the events and travel company describes itself as ‘responsible for masterminding the world’s most exclusive, private and spectacular parties’.

24 Jun 2025 - 1:00PM

Prince Antonio Licata di Baucina (right) and Riccardo Lanza are co-founders of London-based events company Lanza & Baucina, the planners behind Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s wedding in Venice. Photo: Getty Images

Travel Destinations

Tourists are crushing hotspots in Europe. What can countries do?

Massive overtourism is straining resources in European tourist hotspots from Spain to Greece, but some governments are trying to fight back.

24 Jun 2025 - 12:14PM

People demonstrate during a protest against overtourism in Barcelona in June 2024. The Spanish city remains at the forefront of a problem in Europe that shows little sign of ending. Photo: AP

Japan

Could manga be the unlikely saviour of this dying Japanese island?

The declining island, home to just 11 people, recently saw the opening of a manga school that residents hope will reverse its fortunes.

24 Jun 2025 - 10:30AMvideocam

Asia travel

Going to Osaka? What to do, from Dotonbori’s chaos to the iconic castle

With its neon-lit streets, culinary delights and historical landmarks, Osaka offers a sensory feast for visitors.

24 Jun 2025 - 7:15AM

Hong Kong economy

Hotel-to-hostel conversions won’t hurt tourist capacity: Hong Kong official

But leading surveyor, who calls the move ‘innovative’ and ‘pragmatic’, warns of possible hurdles.

23 Jun 2025 - 4:23PM

Student hostel Y83. A senior Hong Kong official says that allowing hotels to convert into hostels would not cannibalise tourist accommodation. Photo: Dickson Lee

Hong Kong property

Hotel investors pick up Hong Kong bargains on distress, tourism rebound

Hotel deals made up 45 per cent of commercial real estate transactions in the first three months of the year, the busiest quarter on record.

23 Jun 2025 - 8:06PMvideocam

Hotel Cozi Harbour View in Kwun Tong. Photo: Google Maps

Laos

‘I just felt sick’: how a free shot in Laos cost a British backpacker her life

Bethany Clarke’s dream backpacking trip turned into a nightmare when seemingly harmless free shots proved to be poison.

23 Jun 2025 - 9:23AMvideocam

Hong Kong tourism

Explainer | What is the ‘Hong Kong Summer Viva’ campaign? And what deals are on offer?

Hong Kong is launching summer campaign to electrify spending among tourists and locals, with transport, hotel and other sectors taking part.

22 Jun 2025 - 4:32PM

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