Tag: Singapore

  • Is it safe to visit the US? How guns and Trump affect travel interest

    Is it safe to visit the US? How guns and Trump affect travel interest

    More than 90% of travelers from Southeast Asia say that gun prevalence in the United States influences whether they will visit, according to a new survey. The study — which surveyed 6,000 international travelers from the six countries — showed that respondents perceived Hawaii to be the safest state in terms of gun violence, while…

  • Where to take an alcohol-free, sober-curious trip

    Where to take an alcohol-free, sober-curious trip

    Years ago, the manager of a hotel in Koh Samui, Thailand told me about an unusual booking that he once received during the middle of the night. A traveler had flown his entire family via private jet from Brunei to the Thai island after learning upon landing in Brunei that it is a “dry country”…

  • India, Indonesia, China to see biggest jump in real salary in 2024

    India, Indonesia, China to see biggest jump in real salary in 2024

    This year, nine out of 12 places in Asia-Pacific received the highest real salary increases in the world, ECA International reported. TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA | AFP | Getty Images Workers in Asia-Pacific are predicted to receive the biggest real pay increase in 2024, according to ECA International.  The average real salary increase — which is nominal…

  • Southeast Asia looks to renewable power for energy security

    Southeast Asia looks to renewable power for energy security

    The floating solar photovoltaic power plant by EDPR Sunseap Group, a unit of Energias de Portugal SA, in Woodlands, in Singapore, on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022. Bryan van der Beek | Bloomberg | Getty Images Southeast Asia is home to some of the world’s fastest-growing economies. As energy demand grows, the region is turning to…

  • Singapore exports fall for 12th month in September but recovery seen

    Singapore exports fall for 12th month in September but recovery seen

    Containers are loaded on the premises of the port operator PSA, the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA), at the Port of Singapore on 14 June 2022. Bernd von Jutrczenka | Picture Alliance | Getty Images Singapore’s exports fell for a 12th straight month in September on a year-on-year basis as the trade-reliant economy grappled again with global headwinds on inflation and declining…

  • ASEAN moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system

    ASEAN moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system

    Indonesian President Joko Widodo makes a speech during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Minister’s Meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia on July 14, 2023. Murat Gok | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images A new regional cross-border payment system recently implemented by Southeast Asian nations could deepen financial integration among participants, bringing the ASEAN bloc…

  • Malaysia’s FDI up 1.46 bln USD in Q2

    Malaysia’s FDI up 1.46 bln USD in Q2

    KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) — Malaysia’s foreign direct investment (FDI) reached a record 900 billion ringgit (193.7 billion U.S. dollars) in the second quarter of 2023, an increase of 6.8 billion ringgit (1.46 billion U.S. dollars) from the first quarter, official data showed Friday. The Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) said in a statement…

  • A new private island opened near Singapore and Batam

    A new private island opened near Singapore and Batam

    Travelers from Singapore will soon have a new vacation option — one that doesn’t require a flight. A new Indonesian private island, named ONE°15 Marina Nirup Island, opened in July nine miles south of Singapore. The launch — the first of two phases — included the opening of a restaurant and bar, ferry terminal and…

  • Japan signed a critical minerals deal with the U.S. — but it’s still losing the global EV race

    Japan signed a critical minerals deal with the U.S. — but it’s still losing the global EV race

    Sony Honda Mobility CEO Yasuhide Mizuno speaks at a news conference in Tokyo, on Oct. 13, 2022. Sony and Honda’s joint mobility venture unveiled a new EV prototype in January. Kiyoshi Ota | Bloomberg | Getty Images Japan is gearing up to be a larger player in the EV space by signing a critical minerals…

  • Grab cuts 1,000 jobs, its biggest round of layoffs since the pandemic

    Grab cuts 1,000 jobs, its biggest round of layoffs since the pandemic

    The headquarters of Grab Holdings Ltd., in Singapore. Grab Holdings Ltd., reported its latest earnings on Feb. 23, 2023. Bryan van der Beek | Bloomberg | Getty Images Singapore-based Grab Holdings is cutting over 1,000 jobs, its CEO said Tuesday, in a bid to manage costs and reorganize the company in a competitive landscape. In…