Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

For most of us, heading out used to be an everyday ritual, but COVID-19 has left an unexpected impact — many people are staying home more often, and this shift might just be the “new normal.” A recent study reveals that, compared to pre-pandemic life, people are spending almost an hour less each day on activities outside the home. Additionally, people are spending about 12 fewer minutes a day on travel. Researchers analysed a survey of 34,000 Americans, finding that this trend toward staying home reflects a larger shift that had already begun but has accelerated significantly due to COVID-19. The study shows a lasting change: while some out-of-home activities have slightly bounced back since the peak of the pandemic in 2021, Americans are still spending about 53 minutes less outside the home than they did in 2019. In 2023, the amount of time people spend outside remains considerably lower than before the pandemic, with <keyword id="23763147" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="in-home-activities" source="keywords">in-home activities</keyword> taking up more of the day. <h2>The new routine</h2>This drop in out-of-home time is partly due to more people working and shopping from home. The study found a marked decrease in out-of-home activities like work and shopping. With <keyword id="20665553" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="remote-work" source="keywords">remote work</keyword> becoming more popular and online shopping more efficient than in-person errands, people are finding fewer reasons to go out. The researchers suggest that cities may need to rethink their policies around commercial and residential spaces, relaxing restrictions on converting offices into housing and creating more space for delivery services rather than traditional commuter parking. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="114823699" title="Uber drops after its bookings results and forecast fail to impress" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>The authors of the study see this as an opportunity for cities to embrace a new role as “centers of consumption.” Since office workers are no longer essential to urban economies, central cities may focus more on their appeal as hubs for recreation, culture, and dining — areas that can attract residents who choose to live in more urban settings. This shift could also make cities more affordable by reducing housing and transport costs. Technology advancements played a significant role in this new preference for staying in. During the pandemic, people adapted quickly to working, socialising, and even exercising at home. For example, sales of <keyword id="20751231" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="home-gym" source="keywords">home gym</keyword> equipment surged, and now many people are working out at home rather than visiting gyms. Meanwhile, activities like TV watching did not rise post-pandemic as much as one might expect, with only a brief increase in screen time at the height of COVID. <h2>Less commuting, fewer emissions</h2>The study also shows a continued decrease in travel time, which initially dropped due to fewer commutes. Even as the world reopens, travel hasn’t bounced back completely, indicating that people are limiting outings beyond work as well. This decrease in driving and public transport use could have <keyword id="21198065" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="environmental-benefits" source="keywords">environmental benefits</keyword>, including lower emissions and fuel consumption. However, it raises questions about the potential downsides of extended time at home, such as <keyword id="20787438" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="social-isolation" source="keywords">social isolation</keyword>. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="114822872" title="I&amp;#39;m an American who&amp;#39;s lived in South Korea for 10 years. Here are 9 things I don&amp;#39;t miss about the US." mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>As more people choose to stay in, the researchers suggest that cities may need to adapt by focusing less on peak travel demands and more on pedestrian and cyclist safety, as well as accessible services for lower-income residents. These adaptations could improve urban life, particularly in dense areas where the need for safer and more walkable spaces is high. The study’s authors point out that, although this trend toward “cocooning” at home has been growing for years, the pandemic has caused a much steeper drop than expected. Moving forward, cities and communities may need to embrace this new lifestyle by designing policies and spaces that cater to a society that prefers staying home— whether it’s about creating vibrant urban hubs or ensuring services are available to all residents. While only time will tell if this trend endures, one thing is clear: staying in has reshaped our daily lives and could change the face of our cities in the years to come. The findings of this research have been published in the Journal of the American Planning Association and can be accessed <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01944363.2024.2385327">here</a>.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made people more reluctant to go out, study finds

<keyword id="19895045" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Singapore" source="keywords">Singapore</keyword> is seeing a new <keyword id="21710881" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Covid-19-wave" source="keywords">COVID-19 wave</keyword> as the authorities recorded more than 25,900 cases from May 5 to 11 even as <keyword id="19962428" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Health-Minister" source="keywords">Health Minister</keyword> <keyword id="19895083" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ong-Ye-Kung" source="keywords">Ong Ye Kung</keyword> on Saturday advised the wearing of masks again. "We are at the beginning part of the wave where it is steadily rising," said Ong. "So, I would say the wave should peak in the next two to four weeks, which means between mid- and end of June," The Straits Times newspaper quoted the minister as saying. The Ministry of Health (MOH) said the estimated number of COVID-19 cases in the week of May 5 to 11 rose to 25,900 cases, compared with 13,700 cases in the previous week. The average daily COVID-19 hospitalisations rose to about 250 from 181 the week before. The average daily intensive care unit (ICU) cases remained low at three cases, compared with two cases in the previous week. The MOH said that to protect hospital bed capacity, public hospitals have been asked to reduce their non-urgent elective surgery cases and move suitable patients to transitional care facilities or back home through Mobile Inpatient Care@Home, an alternative inpatient care delivery model that offers clinically suitable patients the option of being hospitalised in their own homes instead of a hospital ward. Ong urged those who are at greatest risk of severe disease, including individuals aged 60 years and above, medically vulnerable individuals and residents of aged care facilities, to receive an additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine if they have not done so in the last 12 months. Ong said that if the number of COVID-19 cases doubles one time, Singapore will have 500 patients in its healthcare system, which is what Singapore can handle. However, if the number of cases doubles a second time, there will be 1,000 patients, and "that will be a considerable burden on the hospital system", he pointed out. "One thousand beds is equivalent to one regional hospital," Ong said. "So, I think the healthcare system has to brace ourselves for what is to come." There are no plans for any form of social restrictions or any other mandatory kind of measures for now, as COVID-19 is treated as an endemic disease in Singapore, he said, adding that imposing additional measures would be a last resort. Ong said that with Singapore being a transport and communications hub, it will be one of the cities to get a wave of COVID-19 earlier than others. "So, COVID-19 is just something that we have to live with. Every year, we should expect one or two waves," he said. Globally, the predominant COVID-19 variants are still JN.1 and its sub-lineages, including KP.1 and KP.2. Currently, KP.1 and KP.2 account for over two-thirds of cases in Singapore. As of May 3, the World Health Organisation has classified KP.2 as a variant under monitoring. There are currently no indications, globally or locally, that KP.1 and KP.2 are more transmissible or cause more severe disease than other circulating variants, the MOH said. However, members of the public are urged to stay updated with vaccinations to protect themselves against current and emerging virus strains. The MOH said that to date, about 80 per cent of the local population have completed their initial or additional dose, but have not received a dose within the last year. The ministry added that since COVID-19 vaccination started in 2020 to 2021, the vaccines have consistently been proven to be safe and effective in protecting individuals from severe illness. Billions of doses have been administered globally, and safety monitoring internationally has shown that the vaccine is safe, it said. There have also been no long-term safety concerns with COVID-19 vaccination, and adverse effects from vaccines, including the mRNA vaccines, have all been observed to occur shortly after vaccination, the ministry added. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/motorola-edge-50-fusion-vs-oneplus-nord-ce-4-price-specs-and-features-compared/slidelist/110197390.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/motorola-edge-50-fusion-vs-oneplus-nord-ce-4-price-specs-and-features-compared/slidelist/110197390.cms" target="_blank">Motorola Edge 50 Fusion vs OnePlus Nord CE 4 – price, specs and features compared</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/iqoo-z9x-5g-with-120hz-display-6000mah-launched-starting-at-12999/slidelist/110176453.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/iqoo-z9x-5g-with-120hz-display-6000mah-launched-starting-at-12999/slidelist/110176453.cms" target="_blank">iQOO Z9x 5G with 120Hz display, 6000mAh launched starting at ₹12,999</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/woman-loses-54-lakh-in-work-from-home-scam-heres-what-it-is-and-how-to-protect-yourself/articleshow/110166963.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/woman-loses-54-lakh-in-work-from-home-scam-heres-what-it-is-and-how-to-protect-yourself/articleshow/110166963.cms" target="_blank">Woman loses ₹54 lakh in work-from-home scam! Here's what it is and how to protect yourself</a>

Singapore seeing new COVID-19 wave, minister advises wearing of masks

<ul class="summary-list"><li>This post originally appeared in the Insider Today newsletter.</li></ul>Hello, and it's Emmy-nominated Business Insider to you! Our docuseries "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dan-schneider-nickelodeon-toxic-work-environment-docuseries-2024-2">Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV</a>" was nominated for two Emmy awards: Outstanding Picture Editing For A Nonfiction Program and Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Series. The docuseries was based on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dan-schneider-nickelodeon-empire-massages-hostile-workplace-allegations-inappropriate-costumes-2022-8">BI's reporting</a> of toxic work settings on Dan Schneider's Nickelodeon shows.In today's big story, we're looking at why reports of more potential trade restrictions <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/nvidia-stock-price-tighter-china-trade-restrictions-tsm-asml-nvda-2024-7">have chip companies on their heels</a>.What's on deck:<ul><li>Markets: There's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/commercial-real-estate-debt-property-losses-mortgage-interest-rates-prices-2024-7">nowhere to hide</a> in the commercial real estate market these days.</li><li>Tech: Some of Silicon Valley's heaviest hitters have backed Trump. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-vcs-in-silicon-valley-2024-7">Will other VCs follow</a>?</li><li>Business: Spotify <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spotify-tiktok-taylor-swift-beyonce-muse-streaming-quantity-over-quality-2024-7">killed the album star</a>.</li></ul>But first, you can't trade with them!If this was forwarded to you, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/newsletter/insider-today">sign up here.</a><h3 id="43d9d746-ef4f-46a8-8e26-2f316dc89b7e">The big story</h3><h2 id="ff1aba9d-e717-4785-b35c-89cf649d1c67">Chipping away</h2><div type="image" title="semi conductor chip covered in red tape" height="882" width="1180" msid="111840553" hostid="261" sizebytes="75152"></div>One of the buzziest sectors of the stock market faced a noticeable setback.Chip companies like Nvidia and AMD saw their share prices drop Wednesday off a report that President Joe Biden is considering <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/nvidia-stock-price-tighter-china-trade-restrictions-tsm-asml-nvda-2024-7">further tightening China trade restrictions</a>, writes Business Insider's Kelly Cloonan.As part of its ongoing trade war with China, the Biden administration is mulling leveraging a rule allowing it to control foreign products that use American-made tech, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-07-17/us-considers-tougher-trade-rules-against-companies-in-chip-crackdown-on-china">according to Bloomberg</a>.The immediate impact of such a move would be felt by foreign players like Netherlands-based ASML, which would have to alter its business with China. It finished down almost 13%.But even US companies not directly impacted felt the sting of the report. Shares in AI chipmakers Nvidia and AMD were down more than 6% and 10%, respectively.Even if November's election brings a new administration, chipmakers might not get relief. Trump recently complained about Taiwan taking away the US's chip-manufacturing business and suggested <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-taiwan-took-chip-business-pay-us-protection-manufacturing-2024-7">it should pay the US for protection against China</a>. Shares in Taiwan-based TSMC dropped more than 8%.<div type="image" title="Emma Cosgrove, BI reporter" height="538" width="1112" msid="111840554" hostid="261" sizebytes="69856"></div>I prefer chips you can dip in guacamole — so I turned to BI's senior reporter Emma Cosgrove, who covers chip companies, to help make sense of it all.Does the reaction to more potential trade restrictions seem overblown, or is there real concern here?Trade restrictions are certainly real concerns for chip companies. Restricting any company from selling its products in a market as large as China is enough to cause understandable angst. Combine that with the expectation that the peak for these stocks is imminent, or maybe behind us, and the result is the market reaction we've seen. But there are no immediate industry-wide shifts here.What about Trump's comments regarding Taiwan? Is that an even bigger issue for the industry?The supply-chain base for most of the chip industry is in Taiwan, specifically TSMC. Since China claims Taiwan, TSMC's location is an ever-present source of uncertainty in this industry to which <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-taiwan-china-chip-war-2024-6">no one really has an answer</a>. It's a major reason, among others, that politicians are interested in bringing more chip manufacturing to the US.What's the knock-on effect for those relying on these chips for their AI plans?Politicians and regulators have no interest in making American AI companies less competitive and demand is still extremely high. My sources tell me supply is improving and that's likely to continue.With so much geopolitical tension, is it possible the chip industry becomes more regionalized?Short-term: no. To oversimplify, the more impressive the chip, the more complicated it is to make. It's not just a matter of investment in US manufacturing. It's specialized equipment, talent, and expertise <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-ai-chip-production-manufacturing-nvidia-labor-china-taiwan-korea-2024-4">that's really difficult to replicate</a>. There is more US chip manufacturing on the way, but not to the scale that it will tip the geopolitical balance in a major way any time soon.<h2 id="344f2a44-2131-4174-8b70-1121a56f8ebc">3 things in markets</h2><div type="image" title="down arrow city skyscraper" height="550" width="1110" msid="111840555" hostid="261" sizebytes="99972"></div><ol><li>Even the safest corners of commercial real estate are reeling. Single-asset, single-borrower bonds, which aren't considered risky investments, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/commercial-real-estate-debt-property-losses-mortgage-interest-rates-prices-2024-7">have seen a spike in defaults</a>. The percentage of those types of bonds that were in or approaching default was 8.7%, roughly triple what it was a few years ago.</li><li>Economists say we're ready for rate cuts. But is the Fed? The end of the month brings another interest-rate meeting, but a cut seems unlikely despite improving economic conditions. Experts weigh in on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/interest-rate-cuts-timeline-federal-reserve-inflation-powell-economists-forecast-2024-7">why the central bankers need to consider offering relief</a>. According to one Fed official, rate cuts could come in the "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fed-rate-cuts-outlook-inflation-target-economy-waller-barkin-williams-2024-7">not-too-distant future</a>."</li><li>Stocks set to boom from the AI revolution. Longtime tech analyst Dan Ives predicts positive Q2 earnings will inject life into the sector, predicting a 15% rise in 2024. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tech-stocks-to-buy-q2-earnings-ai-artificial-intelligence-wedbush-2024-7">These 11 AI and cloud-spending stocks look particularly promising</a>.</li></ol><h2 id="4b4251c4-96d6-4a20-9ede-4f9ef9ac6b7c">3 things in tech</h2><div type="image" title="The Youtube logo spinning" height="1500" width="3000" msid="111840560" hostid="261" sizebytes="22376"></div><ol><li>Social media's once and future king. Although YouTube once dominated the creator economy, it lost ground during the rise of short-form video platforms like TikTok. But <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/youtube-is-taking-a-victory-lap-dominating-creator-economy-tv-2024-7">YouTube has once again cemented itself</a> as influencers' favorite among all creative options.</li><li>Will tech experience a red wave? Billionaires are coming out in full force to support Donald Trump, whose running mate is venture capitalist-turned-senator JD Vance. That attitude could make <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-vcs-in-silicon-valley-2024-7">more startups openly supportive of the former president</a>, as investors anticipate a Trump administration to be startup-friendly.</li><li>Advice from a Gen Z data scientist on getting a job in the industry. Although AI jobs are all the rage, most colleges don't have AI-specific degrees yet. To land a job, this JPMorgan data scientist says to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-data-scientist-personal-ai-project-important-land-job-2024-7">prioritize hands-on experience over formal education</a> and advises building AI projects.</li></ol><h2 id="2fa3bedc-3fca-4f91-9b0c-0ffedc5963ce">3 things in business</h2><div type="image" title="Two record players with drastically different sized vinyls" height="1500" width="2000" msid="111840552" hostid="261" sizebytes="396200"></div><ol><li>Spotify rewards quantity over quality (Business Insider's Version) (From the Vault) (Insider Today Remix). Streaming apps like Spotify and Apple Music have changed the way users interact with music. That incentivizes artists to keep dropping iterations of the same songs and albums — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spotify-tiktok-taylor-swift-beyonce-muse-streaming-quantity-over-quality-2024-7">or simply make more</a>.</li><li>Men's insecurities are big business. As the direct-to-consumer health industry has boomed, so have men's health startups. Companies like Hims and Ro <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/online-health-hims-young-men-prescriptions-doctors-shame-fears-2024-7">promise to help with everything from hair loss to fertility</a>. They have men right where they want them: insecure and ready to pay for a solution.</li><li>Elon Musk is embracing Texas. Will other business leaders follow suit? The Tesla CEO <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-wants-move-spacex-x-headquarters-texas-tesla-california-2024-7">seems to think so</a>, but many tech companies that moved there in the past have faced a lot of problems. A lot of their workers <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tech-workers-moved-to-austin-regrets-2023-8">just don't like it</a> as much as California.</li></ol><h2 id="b4826f7d-247a-4490-a12c-22536b4ab327">In other news</h2><ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-tests-positive-for-covid-19-2024-7">Biden tests positive for COVID-19</a>.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/official-partners-brokerage-exit-alexander-brothers-scandal-2024-7">Star luxury broker is leaving firm shaken by rape allegations against Alexander brothers</a>.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/steve-bannon-filmed-jeffrey-epstein-trump-friendship-documentary-tapes-2024-7">Steve Bannon filmed Jeffrey Epstein for 15 hours. His 'documentary' has never surfaced</a>.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bob-iger-willow-bay-majority-owners-of-angel-city-fc-2024-7">Bob Iger and his wife ink a deal with the world's most valuable women's sports team</a>.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/smartphones-ban-gen-z-school-12-hour-day-social-media-2024-7">This school has 12-hour days, 'relaxing' meals — and no smartphones</a>.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/newsom-jabs-musk-endorsing-trump-saying-he-bent-the-knee-2024-7">Gavin Newsom slams Elon Musk for endorsing Donald Trump, saying he 'bent the knee.'</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-virtual-roll-vote-explainer-democratic-nomination-drop-out-election-2024-7">Most Democrats want Biden to step aside, making a plan to crown him the nominee early even more controversial</a>.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/warner-bros-discovery-wbd-zaslav-struggles-streaming-media-strategy-analysis-2024-7">David Zaslav's Warner Bros. Discovery experiment has failed, Bank of America's top media analyst says. Here are the company's 3 best paths forward</a>.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amd-ai-vp-gpu-shortage-nvidia-lock-in-2024-7">AMD's AI head explains how it's tackling Nvidia's 'lock-in' and the GPU shortage with an open-source approach</a>.</li></ul><h2 id="93f8f0c9-60f7-40da-abdb-59a901e27bce">What's happening today</h2><ul><li>Donald Trump will give his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention. It's his first public speech since last weekend's assassination attempt, which <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-new-speech-rnc-assassination-attempt-2024-7">he said he rewrote</a> after the shooting.</li><li>Netflix, KeyCorp and <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/earnings-calendar">other companies</a> are reporting.</li></ul>The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Jordan Parker Erb, editor, in New York. Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. Annie Smith, associate producer, in London. Amanda Yen, fellow, in New York.

Chip stocks suffer a mini-meltdown as more potential trade restrictions threaten the industry

New data has revealed that rat infestation in <keyword id="72226" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="new-york-city" source="Orion">New York City</keyword> has increased 70 per cent from the same time two years ago. The data by the city's FOX 5 news network said that 21,500 sightings were reported in the city between January 1 and September 30 this year, a huge jump from 18,601 sightings during the same period in 2021, reports Xinhua news agency. Through the month of April, New Yorkers reported seeing around 7,400 rats. According to the Fox 5 report, the New York City Council will vote on a plan of action to handle the rodents later this month. The plan includes almost $5 million to mitigate the issue, but Fox 5 reported that experts said the funds were not enough. Lora Lopez, an IT consultant and lifetime resident of New York, told Xinhua she couldn't even safely walk her dog outside, as her canine "has almost been bitten" by rats over the past year. Records show that roughly 300,000 affluent New York residents fled the city in the spring of 2020. New residents have moved in and taken their place. Covid restrictions forced restaurants to set up tables outside, and some customers "would just throw their trash, like their dirty napkins, on the ground and not pick them up", Lopez said. "This sudden uptick in poor hygiene was a major reason for the rat infestation," she added. Rodents, such as rats, can spread many diseases, including rat-bite fever and monkeypox, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/sensex-up-654-points-nifty-up-191-on-falling-crude-rising-global-markets/articleshow/94932550.cms">Sensex up 654 points, Nifty up 191 on falling crude, rising global markets</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/rural-recovery-underway-says-morgan-stanley/articleshow/94935646.cms">Rural recovery underway says Morgan Stanley</a>

New York City's rat infestation spikes by 70% in two years

New York [US], May 21 (ANI): International tourist arrivals and the <keyword id="2173225" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="travel-and-tourism" source="Orion">travel and tourism</keyword> sector's contribution to <keyword id="572312" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-GDP" source="Orion">global GDP</keyword> are expected to return to pre-pandemic levels this year, driven by the complete lifting of COVID-19-related <keyword id="19916662" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="travel" source="keywords">travel</keyword> restrictions and strong pent-up demand, as per the new <keyword id="20020435" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Economic-Forum" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="World Economic Forum" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="World Economic Forum">World Economic Forum</keyword> travel and <keyword id="19997361" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tourism" source="keywords">tourism</keyword> study, released on Tuesday. Topping the 2024 list of economies are the US, Spain, Japan, France and Australia. The Middle East had the highest recovery rates in international tourist arrivals - 20 per cent above the 2019 level, while Europe, Africa and the US all showed a strong recovery of around 90 per cent in 2023. <keyword id="21745194" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Travel-and-Tourism-Development-Index-2024" source="Orion">Travel and Tourism Development Index 2024</keyword> (TTDI), a biennial report published in collaboration with the University of Surrey, analysed the travel and tourism sectors of 119 countries around a range of factors and policies. "This year marks a turning point for the travel and tourism sector, which we know has the capacity to unlock growth and serve communities through economic and social transformation," said Francisco Betti, Head of the Global Industries team at the World Economic Forum. "The report offers a forward-looking window into the current and future state of travel and tourism for leaders to navigate the latest trends in this complex sector and sustainably unlock its potential for communities and countries across the world." The <keyword id="840423" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-tourism" source="Orion">global tourism</keyword> industry is expected to recover from the lows of the COVID-19 pandemic and surpass the levels seen before the crisis. As per the report, this is largely being driven by a significant increase in demand worldwide, which has coincided with more available flights, better international openness, and increased interest and investment in natural and cultural attractions. However, the report painted that the global recovery has been mixed. While 71 of the 119 ranked economies increased their index scores since 2019. Although the sector has moved past the shock of the global health crisis, it continues to deal with other external challenges, from growing macroeconomic, geopolitical and environmental risks, to increased scrutiny of its sustainability practices. In addition, labour shortages are ongoing, and air route capacity, capital investment, productivity and other sector supply factors have not kept up with the increase in demand. This imbalance, worsened by global inflation, has increased prices and service issues. Out of the top 30 index scorers in 2024, 26 are high-income economies, 19 are based in Europe, seven are in Asia-Pacific, three are in the Americas and one (the United Arab Emirates) is in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA). The top 10 countries in the 2024 edition are the United States, Spain, Japan, France, Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom, China, Italy and Switzerland. The results highlight that high-income economies generally continue to have more favourable conditions for travel and tourism development. This is helped by conducive business environments, dynamic labour markets, open travel policies, strong transport and tourism infrastructure, and well-developed natural, cultural and non-leisure attractions. "It's essential to bridge the divide between differing economies' ability to build a strong environment for their travel and tourism sector to thrive," said Iis Tussyadiah, Professor and Head of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of Surrey. "The sector has big potential to foster prosperity and mitigate global risks, but that potential can only be fully realized through a strategic and inclusive approach." If managed strategically, the travel and tourism sector - which has historically represented 10 per cent of global GDP and employment - has the potential to emerge as a key contributor to growth, it said. (ANI)

Worldwide tourism and its contribution to global GDP to return to pre-COVID levels this year: WEF study

"Imake $180,000 a month off of properties I don't even own," Hailie Anderson, who's 21, brags matter-of-factly to her 30,000 followers on TikTok. It may sound too good to be true, but she's engaging in a trend that's come to be known as <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/renting-airbnb-not-passive-wont-do-it-again-2024-7">Airbnb</a> arbitrage, where entrepreneurial lessees rent out their apartments or homes on short-term-rental sites, hiking up the nightly price to make a profit on top of what they owe their landlords. It's not uncommon. Most seem to do it quietly. Anderson, however, is part of a particularly brazen and typically young cohort of hosts who flaunt their side hustle online, critics — and in some cases the law — be damned.Arbitrage hosts like Anderson take to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hottest-tiktok-makeup-trend-right-now-moo-deng-blush-2024-9">TikTok</a>, YouTube, and Instagram to offer advice and promote paid courses on how to start and build your own short-term-rental empire. Anderson herself was inspired by other arbitrage influencers. She started two years ago, renting three apartments in the same building in Austin when she was 19, she says. Anderson spent several weeks furnishing and decorating the apartments (invariably sleek and minimalist, with gray and white couches and linens and abstract wall art), uploading well-lit photos, and managing the bookings. Today she has nearly 50 places listed on Airbnb in Salt Lake City, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/austin-home-prices-falling-texas-mortgage-rates-housing-crisis-success-2024-9">Austin</a>, and Nashville under her property-management business that she runs from Florida. Plus, she side-hustles with her part-coaching, part-influencer online business.From <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-elon-musk-starlink-hurricane-helene-fema-2024-9">Donald Trump</a> to Dave Ramsey, rich and successful (actual or seemingly) real-estate personalities have long offered tips and tricks for others to follow in their paths — and selling that advice can be wildly valuable. These Airbnb-arbitrage coaches, many of whom say they are or appear to be in their early 20s, are the Gen Z versions of '80s-era Trump, or social-media twists on HGTV shows, combining the ideas of a 5-to-9 side hustle, passive income, and TikTok clout. They document themselves shopping at Target for throw pillows, art, and kitchen essentials to stock in their apartments, answering emails, and touring new properties. A 25-year-old TikToker with the handle @airbbnbmastery101 titled one video "How to quit your job in 2024 and get rich." Another, Inayah McMillan, previously told Business Insider that she earned <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airbnb-host-how-i-set-up-scaled-properties-inayah-mcmillan-2022-12">more than $300,000</a> in 2022, at age 20, and her coaching site boasts more than 2,000 students. They claim to be a new type of real-estate mogul — tycoons who reign supreme without even holding a deed.Not everyone is thrilled about this. This style of short-term hosting bumps up against tighter restrictions as local governments push back on the proliferation of short-term rentals. Opponents say Airbnbs take long-term housing off the market and contribute to rising rents: A Zillow found earlier this year that rent growth had outpaced wages in 44 of America's largest 50 cities since 2019. New York last year enacted a licensing system that effectively booted whole-apartment rentals from Airbnb unless people were looking to book them for 30 days or longer. Cities around the world are scrambling to curtail Airbnb by making onerous restrictions or outright banning short-term rentals, as Barcelona has said it will do in 2028.But online, business for these hosts appears to be booming. Anderson's TikTok shows her travels through Europe and Asia and a day in the life running her business, which can include working from a cabana with a water slide. The job involves lots of reaching out to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/more-landlords-offer-rental-perks-concessions-free-rent-parking-nyc-2024-8">landlords</a> (sometimes hundreds in one city, Anderson says) and inquiring about running short-term rentals in their properties; managing a staff; sending in cleaners; and chatting with guests. She says she pays about $100,000 in rent to her many landlords each month but can pocket as much as $80,000 during busy travel seasons across bookings on Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com and from those who come to her directly. But she's also filming videos and teaching courses, making TikToks, and traveling to conferences. Despite the profits, Anderson sees herself as immaterial to the real-estate quandary — and she says she rents properties that are legally approved for short-term renting, fully disclosing to landlords what she's doing. "I don't think me personally having 48 Airbnbs is single-handedly affecting the whole entire housing crisis," she tells me. Some of her commenters put the blame on her, but Anderson thinks there are plenty of leases to go around. The housing crisis "goes a lot deeper than that," she says. "There's a point where I try not to feel too guilty about it. But also, every single business negatively affects something in the world."Her Airbnb profiles have around 2,000 reviews that average out to about 4.9 out of 5 stars. Hundreds of people have signed up for her online courses, which cost as much as $2,000 and include videos and templates on topics like reaching out to landlords, furnishing Airbnbs, and understanding leases, along with weekly Q&amp;As with Anderson and access to a Discord community. She shows people how to write lease addendums that permit subletting and which software to use to manage properties and calculate prices. While angry mayors and residents point their finger at Airbnb for raising rents and bringing partiers to neighborhoods, she sees it as an opportunity for those to start their business with little to nothing. And flaunting the business on social media or at conferences has helped her find more guests who want to stay and led to new apartment leases. "I started this because I didn't have money to buy a house," she says. "If I can help 700 people not have to work their whole life at a 9-to-5, then why not?"There's no way to know for sure how popular Airbnb arbitrage is. Airbnb did not provide data on the number of hosts who engage in arbitrage, and it's nearly impossible to tell from listings on the site who owns a property versus who hosts it. Jamie Lane, the chief economist and senior vice president of analytics at AirDNA, which provides data on short-term rentals, says that the arbitrage trend has slowed overall since 2018 and that the drastic decrease in travel and short-term-rental demand brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic led some of the largest companies in arbitrage to flop. Arbitrage is essentially what larger short-term-rental companies like Sonder do, or what those like Domio and Stay Alfred did before shutting down in 2020. They're designed to come in and manage many short-term rentals for a building.But for smaller real-estate hopefuls, there's still a market. A big part of the appeal of arbitrage is that the startup costs are far lower than buying a property to use as a short-term rental, and some view it as an accessible entry into real estate. "It's still a great way to get into the short-term-rental industry," Lane says. As for those claiming to make millions: "Are there people making lots of money doing arbitrage? Absolutely," he says. "Is that the exception more than the rule? Probably."In some cases, hosts have skirted the law to engage in arbitrage. Some do it without signing leases with landlords that allow subletting. In July, Konrad Bicher, an Airbnb-arbitrage host, was sentenced to more than four years in prison for defrauding landlords. The self-proclaimed "Wolf of Airbnb" had signed lease agreements on New York apartments and sublet them without permission. Between 2019 and 2022, authorities say, Bicher failed to pay more than $1 million in rent but made more than $1 million renting those same units on Airbnb and another short-term-rental marketplace. To keep the apartments under his control, he relied on government protections meant to help renters through the pandemic.But Airbnb arbitrage, in theory, isn't illegal; it depends on local laws governing how short-term-rental properties are licensed. Still, rules could change at any time, leaving hosts on the hook for leases when they may no longer be legal to rent out short term. That's what happened to Tom DeRose, who operated an Airbnb-arbitrage company in New York with about a dozen apartments. When the regulations there changed in 2023, he pivoted. DeRose says that he regrets working in short-term-rental arbitrage and that "it's very clearly hurting" the housing market. Now he has a real-estate management company called HousingPanda, where he rents apartments in New York and then charges a premium for people to sublet them for either three or nine months. He says the leases are meant to appeal to students who live in the city for the school year or a summer internship.Airbnb has recently made moves to make its stays look unique or personalized. Last year it pushed stays in homes with guests, a feature it called Airbnb Rooms, which harked back to the platform's original idea of a formalized couch-surfing and room-renting site. Then this spring it unveiled Icons, a set of decked-out, specialized stays in places like Prince's "Purple Rain" house or a recreation of the "X-Men" mansion. But ultimately, whether the company endorses arbitrage publicly or not, it profits from it: More listings mean more money. Airbnb did not provide comments on the popularity of the trend, or the coaching courses and online content, for this story. The company does have a guide to help hosts communicate with building managers about using properties as rentals.I reached out to a handful of Airbnb-arbitrage hosts on TikTok who did not respond to interview requests. It's often difficult to tell from their videos what takes precedence: the hosting or the coaching. For Anderson, it's all a stepping stone of the way to her ultimate goal: owning property, which she calls "the real flex." (She would maybe one day even let someone run an Airbnb out of it, if she got tired of being in charge.) She says that she thinks about opening a boutique hotel one day but that it wouldn't be possible at such a young age without her foray into Airbnb. Still, "it's not get-rich-quick, easy money," Anderson tells me. It may not be as quick or easy as it looks, but she's certainly hit the jackpot.<a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/amanda-hoover">Amanda Hoover</a> is a senior correspondent at Business Insider covering the tech industry. She writes about the biggest tech companies and trends.

Gen Z's new side hustle: getting rich off Airbnb

<keyword id="19897423" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="COVID-19" source="keywords">COVID-19</keyword>, the unwelcome guest that never quite leaves, may well be in the process of ushering in a fresh global wave, with <keyword id="6356662" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="singapore" source="Orion">Singapore</keyword> potentially on the front lines. The Singapore government is on alert, with its Ministry of Health reporting a significant rise in COVID-19 cases. There was a doubling of infections in the first half of May, with the numbers increasing from 13,700 in the first week of this month to 25,900 in the second (May 5 to 11). Hospitalisations have also spiked, with average daily admissions rising from 181 to around 250 in the same period. To manage hospital bed capacity, public hospitals have been directed to reduce non-urgent elective surgeries and transfer suitable patients to care facilities. Health Minister <keyword id="19895083" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ong-Ye-Kung" source="keywords">Ong Ye Kung</keyword> has indicated that Singapore is in the early stages of this wave, which is expected to peak between mid- and end-June. Recognising Singapore's role as a major transport and communications hub, Ong has acknowledged that the city-state is likely to experience COVID-19 waves earlier than other regions. An uptick in infection numbers has also been observed in the neighbouring countries as well, including Philippines. However, no alarming rise in hospitalisation has been reported yet. Regional reports are attributing this surge to new COVID-19 variants, collectively termed FLiRT. This name is based on the technical names for their mutations, one of which includes the letters "F" and "L", and another, the letters "R" and "T". The FLiRT group comprises of variants KP.1, KP.2, KP.3, JN.1.1 and JN.1.7. At present, KP.1 and KP.2 make up over two-thirds of cases in Singapore. While the WHO has classified KP.2 as a variant under monitoring, there is no evidence suggesting these variants are more transmissible or cause more severe illness than existing strains. Nevertheless, Ong has urged high-risk groups, including those aged 60 and above, medically vulnerable individuals, and residents of aged care facilities, to receive an additional COVID-19 vaccine dose if they haven't been vaccinated in the past year. The public has also been advised to consider wearing masks again. Ong emphasised that there are no current plans for social restrictions, as Singapore treats COVID-19 as an <keyword id="21743830" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="endemic-disease" source="keywords">endemic disease</keyword>. He noted that additional measures would only be considered as a last resort. “COVID-19 is just something that we have to live with. Every year, we should expect one or two waves,” he said. Meanwhile, 91 cases of the <keyword id="21640619" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="FLiRT-variants" source="keywords">FLiRT variants</keyword> have been detected in India. However, there have been no reports of severe cases or unique symptoms associated with these variants so far. (With inputs from TOI)

FLiRT-ing with pandemic! With a sharp rise in COVID cases, could Singapore be witnessing the start of a global wave?

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Brian Chesky, a former hockey player and industrial design student, is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/brian-chesky/?sh=67d0629444d3">now worth $7.9 billion</a>.</li><li>Chesky started Airbnb after renting out his apartment to conference-goers who couldn't find a hotel.</li></ul>Brian Chesky has helped Airbnb bounce back from many obstacles — and built his Silicon Valley legacy along the way.The now-43-year-old CEO majored in industrial design at the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design and also dabbled in hockey and bodybuilding in his 20s.After graduation, an idea he hatched with his San Francisco roommate Joe Gebbia blossomed into tech unicorn Airbnb, which has positioned Chesky as one of Silicon Valley's key players.As of August 2024, Airbnb is worth nearly $73 billion. It had its first profitable year in 2022, and has become synonymous with short-term rentals across the US.Still, the company's stock fell a record 14% in the second quarter of 2024, and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/airbnb-stock-price-consumer-demand-slowing-inflation-travel-pandemic-spending-2024-8">Airbnb noted in its earnings call</a> that travelers aren't booking as many stays.Chesky owns an estimated 11% of the short-term rental giant. His current net worth is $7.9 billion, according to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/brian-chesky/?sh=67d0629444d3">Forbes</a>, which also ranked him as one of the most eligible billionaires in the world alongside Kim Kardashian and Elon Musk.Here's how Brian Chesky, an upstate New York native, became one of the richest young tech founders in America.<h2 id="d229cff2-2c44-4ed3-928c-6af27d384255">Before running Airbnb, Chesky attended art school</h2>Chesky grew up in Niskayuna, New York, north of Albany. He was into hockey, and he also liked to draw and design new versions of Nike sneakers, which turned into an interest in art.Chesky's high school yearbook quote was, "I'm sure I'll amount to nothing." He thought it was funny — his dad didn't.In 1999, Chesky attended Rhode Island School of Design, where he served as captain of the hockey team and studied industrial design.At RISD, Chesky met Joe Gebbia, with whom he would eventually cofound Airbnb. Right before graduation, Gebbia reportedly pulled Chesky aside and said, "Before you get on the plane, there's something I need to tell you. We're going to start a company one day, and they're going to write a book about it," Fortune <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://fortune.com/longform/brian-chesky-airbnb/">reported</a>.<h2 id="abd9e7b9-adfe-4a41-abd9-bce2ff8658fb">It all started as a quick way to make cash</h2>He eventually moved to San Francisco and in with Gebbia, but the two unemployed grads soon ran out of cash.Then, when a design conference came to town in October 2007 and caused all the hotels to sell out, Gebbia pitched Chesky the idea of renting out their space to those who couldn't find a place to stay — a "designer's bed and breakfast."The roommates ended up housing three people that weekend, offering up air mattresses and floor space, as well as Pop-Tarts for breakfast.A few months later, Gebbia and Chesky were joined by their engineer friend, Nathan Blecharczyk. Together, the three guys started what was then called <a target="_blank" href="http://Airbedandbreakfast.com">Airbedandbreakfast.com</a> in August 2008. Chesky "gravitated naturally to the role of leader," Fortune wrote in 2015.<h2 id="730ed8fb-268e-48f2-8b59-8183521d5ee6">Things took off for Airbnb in the 2010s</h2>Since then, Airbnb has not only shortened its name but has listings in more than 220 countries worldwide. The company has served an estimated 1.5 billion guests since its 2008 launch.In 2015, Chesky was named as one of the most influential people alive in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://time.com/collection/2015-time-100/">Time 100</a>. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jony-ive-airbnb-brian-chesky-time-100-list-2015-4">Apple's former design chief, Jony Ive,</a> wrote at the time that Chesky's "audacity is fabulous."Chesky is not married, though he was previously in a relationship with artist Elissa Patel. He has two golden retrievers named Sophie and Sandy.<h2 id="38a076e1-a0d8-421f-9da4-2059bc3e11b6">The pandemic caused ups and downs for the company</h2>Fast forward to February 2020, when cancellations began rolling in due to a mysterious virus. Chesky and his team were three weeks away from filing for Airbnb's IPO.The early days of the pandemic seemed grim. Airbnb's revenue plummeted 80% due to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airbnb-ipo-goldman-sachs-pandemic-2022-7">COVID-related travel restrictions</a>. The company burned through its cash reserves and opted to raise $2 billion in debt and equity financing to stay afloat. Its valuation, previously $31 billion, slipped to $18 billion.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airbnb-boss-laid-off-staff-pandemic-asked-ceos-hire-thousands-2023-10">Airbnb laid off 1,900 employees</a>, about 25% of its full-time staff. Employees said they felt betrayed, but Chesky was also praised for his handling of the situation. Workers were given generous severance packages, and Chesky offered to help find them jobs elsewhere.He reflected on the firings during an appearance on <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ia6Di_ytiSE">The Diary of a CEO podcast with Steven Bartlett</a> in 2023."This is how I want to be remembered. I only remember that when I'm in peril, we're in our darkest hour, I'm not just worrying about how we will survive, I'm trying to call CEOs of other companies to see if they can hire our people," Chesky said.But then travelers burned out from lockdown turned to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vacation-rentals-jump-127-percent-april-may-domestic-travel-surge-2020-5">Airbnb over traditional hotels</a>. Bookings bounced back by as much as 127% between April 2020 and May 2020.<h2 id="06fce8ec-091e-4bbf-a018-d35129707d79">Airbnb goes public</h2>Airbnb went public on December 10, 2020, under the Nasdaq ticker symbol ABNB. Barron's called it a "blockbuster" IPO. On its first day of trading, the company was valued at $86 billion, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airbnb-ipo-valuation-tops-three-hotel-chains-combined-opening-day-2020-12">more than hotel rivals Marriott, Hilton, and Intercontinental combined</a>.Between 2020 and 2022, when interest rates were relatively low, many people bought homes to use as <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennials-first-homes-are-ones-they-rent-out-on-airbnb-2022-4">investment properties</a>, planning to rent them out on Airbnb and other short-term-rental sites to help cover their mortgages or simply make extra money.Demand for travel and experiences surged— so much so that Airbnb recorded its first profitable year in 2022, with a $1.9 billion profit. (It lost $352 million in 2021.)<h2 id="08c2048b-dd4b-4ead-ac82-e1a390b2d4e2">Chesky gives back often</h2>Chesky and Airbnb's two other cofounders publicly signed the Giving Pledge in 2016, a philanthropic initiative started by <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/billionaires-join-the-bill-gates-and-warren-buffet-giving-pledge-to-give-away-their-wealth-2016-6">Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, and Melinda French Gates</a>. By doing so, they promise to donate more than half of their wealth within their lifetimes.In 2022, Chesky personally donated $100 million to the Voyagers Scholarship run by former <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.obama.org/press-releases/the-obamas-and-brian-chesky-announce-the-inaugural-cohort-of-voyager-scholarship-recipients/">President and First Lady Obama</a>, which awards $50,000 in tuition for college juniors pursuing public service. Airbnb provides housing to recipients for summer internships and post-grad travel.When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Chesky announced the company would work to house 100,000 refugees with free two-week stays.In November 2022, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airbnb-ceo-brian-chesky-home-listing-free-aircover-guest-verification-2022-11">Chesky listed a guest room </a>in his home on Airbnb, featuring a queen-sized bed and a piece of Airbnb history: the novelty cereal boxes that Chesky sold in 2008 to fund the early days of the company. Chesky told outlets he would make cookies and go to the gym with guests.<h2 id="f8474071-426e-4de9-baaf-881789cfc349">Short-term rental crackdowns and layoffs plagued Airbnb after its profitable year</h2>Countless other real-estate firms conducted mass layoffs due to the cooling housing market. In March 2023, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/real-estate-tech-layoffs-25-companies-that-have-laid-people-off-2022-7">Airbnb cut 30% of its recruiting staff</a>, representing 0.4% of its total headcount of 6,800.In August — amid protests from locals — <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/barcelona-airbnb-ban-florence-amsterdam-lisbon-are-regulations-working-2024-8">Barcelona</a> said it would push to fully ban and eliminate all of its registered short-term rental listings by 2028. Elsewhere, cities like New York, Tokyo, and Vancouver now require hosts to live in the units they're renting out.During its Q2 earnings call, Airbnb told investors that its marketing costs would grow faster than revenue in Q3."Kicking up marketing spend at a moment when demand is softening tends to be the ultimate backbreaker for an internet stock in our experience," analysts from RBC wrote in a note.This story was originally published in 2016. It was last updated in September 2024.

The rise of Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky, who overcame the COVID-19 travel slump and is now leading the company through rental crackdowns

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Dalia Goldberg moved to Spain with her then-husband in late 2018.</li><li>A few years later, she was overwhelmed with her job, going through a divorce, and felt lonely living abroad.</li></ul>It's 9 p.m. I'm standing onstage, and the wooden tables spread across the crowded bar are packed with people. The lights are dimmed, and the air smells like yeast and hops. And Jennifer, one of the members of my <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/learning/affordable-online-comedy-improv-writing-classes">improv group</a>, is squawking like a duck.There is something thrillingly hilarious about her impression. Flapping her wings and wagging her tail feathers manically, she somehow captures the very essence of duck-ishness. The crowd roars with laughter.Later, I spin an impromptu romantic yarn about a mole. My friend Will becomes a frenetic sports pundit, belting out razor-sharp commentary with quick-fire energy. Alex, the host, warms up the crowd with witty banter, towering over us all in his brightly patterned shirt. Accents are thrown around at random; pop culture references go every which way. There are no rules.Two years ago, I couldn't have imagined that I would be jumping around whimsically on this stage. Trapped in a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/signs-youre-in-a-healthy-relationship-2023-11">struggling relationship</a> and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-to-do-if-you-hate-job-cant-quit-2023-11">unsatisfied with my career</a>, I constantly felt anxious and on edge. At a friend's wedding, where I was asked to be a bridesmaid, my social anxiety was so intense that I had one too many glasses of wine and sat out most of the event.<h2 id="ae5393c5-d981-4234-b770-ec2508d2d7d1">I felt lonely after moving to Spain</h2>The COVID-19 pandemic led to an uptick in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/modern-loneliness">loneliness around the world</a>, as lockdowns and travel restrictions kept people away from family and friends. And I was no exception.In early 2020, I'd just spent my first year and a half in Seville, Spain. Plans to integrate, learn Spanish, and meet new people were interrupted by lockdowns and panic over new virus variants.My husband and I had<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-moved-to-spain-for-sun-fun-affordable-better-life-2024-8"> moved to Spain</a> thinking we'd travel around and enjoy a great quality of life while working remotely. Instead, with travel bookings canceled and meetups kiboshed, I settled into a rigorous work-from-home routine, interspersed with immigration paperwork and reading up on vaccines. I tried to keep in contact with friends in North America through video calls, but it just wasn't the same.As a remote freelancer, my workload increased as companies around the world transitioned to remote work. I went from casually teaching English lessons online to launching a remote copywriting business, where I was often answering emails 24/7. The stress and pressure, combined with the quirks of renting an old apartment and managing immigration paperwork, quickly became overwhelming.As the years trickled by with no end in sight, I began to wonder <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moved-to-spain-from-us-better-work-life-balance-2024-1">what I was doing in Spain</a>, and questioned whether the move had been worth it. The gloominess on the news didn't help.Eventually, my marriage succumbed to the pressure of these challenges and fell apart. I found myself starting a new <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spain-dating-locals-tinder-clubbing-split-bill-living-with-parents-2024-8">life on my own in Spain</a>. This was a scary time, but also a welcome opportunity for a new beginning.As I soon found out, the best antidote for stress and loneliness can be laughter.<div type="image" title="The Improvites comedy group in Spain" height="791" width="1055" msid="113866255" hostid="261" sizebytes="29710"></div><h2 id="baa0eaf9-4705-4350-a138-ace9431b1869">Making new friends through improv</h2>True to its name, improv comedy isn't scripted. It's a series of games where the players crack jokes, and the audience is invited to give suggestions. Everything happens for the very first time onstage… so you could end up saying anything, no matter how ridiculous.When I started taking improv classes in May 2023, I was recovering from the breakup and was curious about trying new things. I thought I'd take one or two classes, but ended up coming back every week.Then, in September of that year, a popular English-language professional improv group in Seville — <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.facebook.com/theimprovites">The Improvites</a> — held auditions. I decided to try out, and was excited to see that I got in.Many members of the Improvites told me the activity has boosted their confidence and helped them make new friends. Bob Rouf, a teacher and subtitler hailing from the UK and one of the group's founders, said it helped him beat social anxiety. "If you're an adult, you spend your time in drudgery, the grind, working… things get kind of heavy, you get worn down. But you do improv, and suddenly you're light again," he says.Will, another member from the UK, moved to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-places-to-visit-in-fall-no-crowds-frequent-traveler-2024-9#you-can-bypass-fall-altogether-in-south-island-new-zealand-3">Seville</a> from northern Spain after his marriage also broke down. When he attended his first improv session, he didn't know what to expect, but he says he's so happy to have stepped outside his comfort zone. "Doing improv has led me to meet so many like minded people whom I've had such a good time with. I haven't laughed so much in years," he told me.I've realized that improv is one of the few times I can let my inner child run free. Deep connections have formed, and I now feel empowered to let go and allow myself to be authentic — even in front of a crowd.Got a personal essay to share about challenges faced while living abroad? Get in touch with the editor: <a target="_blank" href="mailto:akarplus@businessinsider.com">akarplus@businessinsider.com</a>.

I moved to Spain, got divorced, and was feeling lonely — until I found a new way to make friends

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Parts of northern China have seen a surge in children with respiratory illnesses.</li><li>The WHO requested more information from Chinese health officials, who said common bugs are the cause.</li></ul>Cases of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-requests-data-china-mystery-illness-affecting-children-2023-11">respiratory illness among children</a> in northern China have surged in recent weeks, but it's unlikely this is the start of a new pandemic, according to the World Health Organization.The WHO has been monitoring an increase in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-hospitals-overwhelmed-children-fall-sick-record-levels-2023-11?r=US&amp;IR=T">respiratory illness</a> among children in northern China since mid-October. At a press conference on November 13, Chinese health authorities pinned a nationwide rise in respiratory disease, mostly in children, to the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions — which mostly ended in December 2022 — and the circulation of known pathogens such as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/conditions-symptoms/flu-symptoms">flu</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.insider.com/mycoplasma-bacteria-walking-pneumonia-outbreak-explained-2023-11">mycoplasma pneumoniae</a>, respiratory syncytial virus (<a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/rsv-respiratory-syncytial-virus-children-hospital-symptoms-signs-risk-prevent-2022-10">RSV</a>), and SARS-CoV-2. The WHO said on Wednesday it's unclear if these are separate events. Fears that this could be a new pandemic were sparked on November 21, when ProMED, an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/many-diseases-making-a-comeback-pandemic-reasons-why-2022-8">infectious disease</a> alert system, flagged up "reported clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children" in parts of China and hospitals becoming overwhelmed. However, after requesting detailed information from Chinese authorities, the WHO said that no unusual or novel pathogens had been detected.Maria Van Kerkhove, acting director of the WHO's department of epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, told <a target="_blank" href="https://www.statnews.com/2023/11/24/china-respiratory-illness-immunity-gap-who-maria-van-kerkhove/">STAT</a> in an interview on Friday that the spike reflects an increased wave of cases, not discrete clusters that would be more indicative of a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-covid-19-severe-risks-reduced-another-pandemic-certain-2022-2?r=US&amp;IR=T">new virus</a>."You hear 'undiagnosed.' People think, well, that means they must have ruled everything else out, and therefore it's probably new. You hear 'clusters,' which means there's some people linked in space and time. 'Children' — which is always alarming — 'with pneumonia,' which indicates a level of severity. And you hear 'China.' So I think a lot of people were immediately drawn back to the beginning of the Covid pandemic and thought: Oh God. Not again."She gave two reasons why this outbreak is not the new COVID.<h2>1) China is likely experiencing an immunity gap</h2>In a conference call with the WHO on Thursday, Chinese health officials presented evidence suggesting the outbreak is partly caused by what's known as an immunity gap, STAT reported.An immunity gap is the idea that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/before-after-photos-show-less-air-pollution-during-pandemic-lockdown">lockdowns</a> to prevent the spread of COVID also dramatically reduced the transmission of other common viruses and bacteria, such as flu and RSV. During this time, kids who had never been exposed to these bugs developed few immunological defenses against them, so when things went back to normal, and they were able to circulate again, more children were at risk of getting sick.Van Kerkhove told the outlet that she backs this theory. "This is expected. This is what most countries dealt with a year or two ago," she said.François Balloux, director of the UCL Genetics Institute, expressed the same view. "China is likely experiencing a major wave of childhood respiratory infections now as this is the first winter after their lengthy lockdown, which must have drastically reduced the circulation of respiratory bugs, and hence decreased immunity to endemic bugs," he said. Insider health correspondent Hilary Brueck reported last year amid a spike in US children getting sick with viruses that the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/why-kids-are-sick-rsv-flu-flooding-ers-2022-11">immunity gap or "debt" </a>does not mean children's immune systems were damaged by lockdowns and other measures to prevent the spread of COVID, as some claimed.<h2>2) The illnesses are not caused by a new virus</h2>Chinese health officials said that the outbreak of respiratory illness is caused by known pathogens.Van Kerkhove said that they provided the WHO with percentages of how many cases have been caused by influenza, rhinovirus, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/conditions-symptoms/adenovirus-symptoms-infection-treatment-causes">adenovirus</a>, and mycoplasma pneumoniae, respectively.She said that they had not seen patients who were not diagnosable, nor a clustering of undiagnosed pneumonias.The health authorities also told the WHO that they had not detected any new variants or subtypes of the known pathogens. "This is not an indication of a novel pathogen," she said.Her view is shared by other public health experts too. A group of biosecurity experts from UNSW Sydney, Australia, wrote in <a target="_blank" href="https://theconversation.com/how-worried-should-we-be-about-the-pneumonia-outbreak-in-china-218514">The Conversation</a> on Monday: "There is no indication that the current situation in China is a new pandemic, but we should always identify and pay attention to undiagnosed pneumonia clusters. Early warning systems give us the best chance of preventing the next pandemic."

You Searched For "mumbai covid restriction new year" and got 10 results

The COVID-19 pandemic has made people more reluctant to go out, study finds

BI India Bureau

Singapore seeing new COVID-19 wave, minister advises wearing of masks

PTI

Chip stocks suffer a mini-meltdown as more potential trade restrictions threaten the industry

Dan DeFrancesco

New York City's rat infestation spikes by 70% in two years

IANS

Worldwide tourism and its contribution to global GDP to return to pre-COVID levels this year: WEF study

ANI

Gen Z's new side hustle: getting rich off Airbnb

Amanda Hoover

FLiRT-ing with pandemic! With a sharp rise in COVID cases, could Singapore be witnessing the start of a global wave?

Kunal Kambli

The rise of Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky, who overcame the COVID-19 travel slump and is now leading the company through rental crackdowns

Jordan Hart,Dan Latu,Avery Ha…

I moved to Spain, got divorced, and was feeling lonely — until I found a new way to make friends

Dalia Goldberg

2 reasons China's mysterious respiratory illness outbreak isn't the new COVID, according to the WHO

Kim Schewitz

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides