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Toronto, <keyword id="6356687" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="canada" source="Orion">Canada</keyword> has withdrawn 41 diplomats and their family members from India after it threatened to strip them of their diplomatic immunity, Foreign Affairs Minister <keyword id="4780460" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="melanie-joly" source="Orion">Melanie Joly</keyword> has said, amid a diplomatic row over the killing of a Sikh separatist. Tensions flared between India and Canada last month following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's explosive allegations of the "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18 in British Columbia. India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020. <br /><br />India angrily rejected the allegations as "absurd" and "motivated". <br /><br />"I can confirm that India has formally conveyed its plan to unilaterally remove diplomatic immunities for all but 21 Canadian diplomats and dependents in Delhi by tomorrow, October 20," Joly said on Thursday. <br /><br />Canada will be pausing all in-person services at the consulates in Chandigarh, Mumbai and Bengaluru and is now directing all Canadians in India to the High Commission in New Delhi. <br /><br />Joly said that in their "unreasonable" request for diplomatic parity, India would only allow 21 diplomats and their families to maintain their diplomatic status, putting the others at risk of having their protections stripped arbitrarily, leaving them vulnerable to reprisal or arrest. <br /><br />"This means 41 Canadian diplomats and their 42 dependents were in danger of having immunity stripped on an arbitrary date, and this would put their personal safety at risk," she said at a news conference in Ottawa. <br /><br />"The safety of Canadians and of our diplomats is always my top concern. Given the implications of India's actions on the safety of our diplomats, we have facilitated their safe departure from India," Joly said. "This means that our diplomats and their families have now left." <br /><br />Last month, India asked Canada to downsize its diplomatic staff in the country, arguing that there should be parity in strength and rank equivalence in the mutual diplomatic presence. The size of Canadian diplomatic staff in India is larger than what New Delhi has in Canada. <br /><br />Calling India's action "contrary to international law," and in violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, Joly accused India of escalating the bilateral tensions, but Canada will not be reciprocating. <br /><br />"There is a fundamental principle of diplomacy, and this is a two-way street. It only works if every country abides by the rules," she said. <br /><br />"A unilateral revocation of diplomatic privileges and immunities is contrary to international law," Joly said. "Threatening to do so is unreasonable and escalatory. If we allow the norm of diplomatic immunity to be broken, no diplomats anywhere ... would be safe." <br /><br />"So for this reason, we will not reciprocate," she added. <br /><br />"Let me be clear, Canada will continue to defend international law, which applies to all nations and will continue to engage with India. Now more than ever, we need diplomats on the ground, and we need to talk to one another," Joly said. <br /><br />Joly announced the development "on the situation with India" alongside Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Marc Miller, who announced the shrinking of Canada's footprint to one-third of what it was, will impact the level of service delivery Canada will be able to provide in India. <br /><br />"Remaining staff will continue to focus on the work that can't be moved out of the country, such as urgent cases, visa printing, and working with visa application centres," Miller said, noting that Canada's 10 visa application centres are operated by third-party contractors and will not be impacted. <br /><br />Those left are considered core staff, who will remain focused on the current challenging diplomatic situation, as well as trade and business files, according to officials who briefed reporters on a not-for-attribution basis on Thursday evening. <br /><br />Commercial programming for businesses will continue, but at reduced capacity, and Canada continues to employ locally engaged staff. <br /><br />Miller noted that in 2022, India was the top country for permanent residents, temporary foreign workers, and international students in Canada, and so the federal government recognises the impacts that will be felt. <br /><br />"I want to reassure our clients in India and Canadians who have family and friends in India that Canada will continue to accept and process all temporary and permanent resident applications from India," he said, adding that it may just take longer. <br /><br />The remarks by the ministers come after Prime Minister Trudeau was asked on Thursday for a status update on the Indian government giving Ottawa an October 10 deadline to significantly reduce its diplomatic footprint. <br /><br />As CTV News reported at the time, Canada was asked to see dozens of diplomats depart, to put the contingent of officials in India on par with the number of Indian diplomats in Canada. Sources said then, that Canada had already evacuated a majority of the Canadian diplomats working in India outside of Delhi to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. <br /><br />Trudeau did not directly answer the question, saying instead that Joly would have more to say later. <br /><br />"We have been continually engaged in diplomacy and in dialogue with the Indian government," Trudeau said. "This is a serious matter that we are taking extremely seriously." <br /><br />Earlier, Trudeau had said that Canada shared with India "many weeks ago" evidence that it may have been behind the killing of Nijjar on Canadian soil and wants New Delhi to commit constructively with Ottawa to establish the facts in the "very serious matter." Trudeau, however, did not elaborate on the evidence that he says has been shared with India. <br /><br />Pressed for more details on whether Canada has provided India evidence to back Canada's claims and how it reached its conclusions regarding the potential link to the extrajudicial killing, Joly in the past too was unspecific beyond stating the two countries had various meetings and information was shared, leading up to Trudeau's House of Commons declaration. <br /><br />Joly also restated Trudeau's calls for India to cooperate in the ongoing probe, noting federal law enforcement agencies in Canada "are working actively." <br /><br /> India has asked Canada to come down hard on terrorists and anti-India elements operating from its soil and suspended visa services for Canadians. <br /><br />External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told journalists in Washington last month that the governments of India and Canada will have to talk to each other and see how they resolve their differences over the issue and underlined that but the larger issue of the Canadian government's "permissiveness" to terrorism, extremism and violence must be flagged and addressed.

Canada withdraws 41 diplomats from India after threat to revoke their immunity: Foreign Minister Melanie Joly

<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=singapore&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Singapore</a> has turned out to be one of the countries opposing foreign professionals working in its country.<br />
<br />
The number of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Indian+IT+sector&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">IT professionals</a> working in Singapore has dropped after the government said it will conduct an "economic needs test" (ENT), which requires compliance with certain economic criteria.<br />
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The visas for IT professionals to work in Singapore have dropped, leading the government to put on hold the review of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) citing violation of the trade pact.<br />
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"They are doing it despite the CECA clearly stating that there will be no ENT or quotas on agreed services. This is a violation of the agreement," an Indian officer told TOI.<br />
<br /> With protectionism stance growing in UK and the US, <keyword id="6357549" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-IT-companies">Indian IT companies</keyword> such as <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=TCS&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">TCS</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=wipro&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Wipro</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=cognizant&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Cognizant</a>, L&amp;T Infotech and HCL, are relocating some of their operations to other countries in the region.<br />
<br />
"This (visa problem) has been lingering for a while but since early-2016, visas are down to a trickle. All Indian companies have received communication on fair consideration, which basically means hiring local people," Nasscom president R Chandrashekhar told TOI.<br />
<br />
Professionals do face such hurdles, especially in the services trade as countries insist on fulfilling various conditions, including ensuring that a local professional is given the first chance if he or she possesses the same or similar talent.<br />
<br />
(Image: Thinkstock)<br />

More trouble? Another country has blocked visas for Indian IT professionals

<p class="drop-cap">When Ken Atkinson first visited the Vietnamese island of Phu Quoc in 2003, he was struck by its beauty.</p><p>"It was similar to Phuket or Samui when these Thai islands started from nothing," Atkinson said of the island, which is southwest of <keyword id="11906679" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="vietnam" source="Orion">Vietnam</keyword>. The executive chairman of Grant Thornton Vietnam, Atkinson has been based in Ho Chi Minh City for more than two decades.</p><p>Hawksbill and green turtles nested on its white-sand beaches. Crystal-clear waters teemed with coral reefs. Much of the 593-square-kilometer island was covered with forest ecosystems. There were no more than 45,000 residents then, and their key occupations included fishing, producing Vietnam's best seafood and fish sauce, cultivating green pepper, and farming pearls. The nature on Phu Quoc (pronounced<em> foo kwok</em>) was flourishing so richly that UNESCO designated the island a biosphere reserve in 2006.</p><p>"To me, it was a diamond in the rough," said Atkinson. "There was a great opportunity to develop Phu Quoc into something spectacular in Vietnam."</p><p>Fast forward to 2021, and Vietnam's biggest island has indeed been developed into something new - but it's also become something unrecognizable.</p><p>Previously, Phu Quoc was likely to be mentioned in the same breath as Bali or South Korea's Jeju - islands that promoted local culture as they developed their <keyword id="11894427" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tourism" source="Orion">tourism</keyword> scenes. Now Vietnam's largest island is more likely to be compared to Las Vegas or China's Hainan. Phu Quoc is on steroids with the kind of development that's already threatening its seductive image as the "last paradise" of Vietnam.</p><p>Thousands of hotel rooms, condotel units, and row upon row of cookie-cutter shophouses, villas, and residences are being built as far as the eye can see.</p><p>"They've got more rooms than Sydney, Australia. There's something like 30,000 hotel rooms, built, under construction, or in the planning stage," said Atkinson, whose firm provides financial advisory and transaction support to investors. "That's excluding Vingroup's 12,000 additional rooms, and before all the condotels, villa developments and residences, which means at least 40,000 hotel rooms." </p><p>So, what's lost when an island completely changes its identity in the course of 20 years - and who loses the most? Insider spoke to Vietnam's real estate, hotel investment, and relocation consultants, as well as tourism players, sustainable development experts, and locals in Phu Quoc to find out.</p><div type="image" title="Rows of resorts and hotels built up on the beach in Vietnam" height="3000" width="4000" msid="85969512" hostid="261"></div><h2><strong>The new architects of Phu Quoc</strong></h2><p>James Clark, a Ho Chi Minh City resident since 2012, is the founder of the <a href="https://futuresoutheastasia.com/newsletter/">Future Southeast Asia</a> newsletter. He told Insider he first visited the island in 2015.</p><p>"Since then, I've kept hearing reports of Phu Quoc's breakneck speed of development, along with the problems that go with such rapid over-development," Clark said. He revisited the island in March and was astonished by what he found. </p><p>The government, Clark said, is "intent on turning this once sleepy island into a 'sleepless city.'"</p><div type="image" title="Map showing where Phu Quoc is relative to Vietnam" height="1180" width="1573" msid="85969513" hostid="261"></div><p>To date, Phu Quoc has attracted $16.5 billion in investments, according to an <a href="https://vietnamtourism.gov.vn/english/index.php/items/15644">article</a> endorsed by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism. The bulk of investment is by big-name Vietnam developers. In April, Vingroup - Vietnam's largest conglomerate - opened a $2.8 billion "tourism-entertainment universe" spread over 1,000 hectares in northern Phu Quoc. </p><p>Called Phu Quoc United Center, the center of this universe is the Grand World "sleepless city." It's chock full of round-the-clock shows, Venetian-style shophouses and gondola rides, bars, clubs, and the Corona Casino - the only licensed casino in Vietnam - which promises to keep guests awake.</p><div type="image" title="A canal in Vietnam is built up to look like Venice, replete with candy-colored storefronts." height="3648" width="4864" msid="85969515" hostid="261"></div><p>The development also includes Vietnam's largest theme park, Vietnam's only open zoo, a safari, an 18-hole golf course, a hospital, and a convention center.</p><p>In southern Phu Quoc, Sun Group, another major developer, dominates the scene with more amusement parks, hotels, and resorts. This includes a water park and the world's longest sea-crossing cable car.</p><p>"I have never seen anywhere in Southeast Asia that compares to what is going on here," Clark said.</p><h2><strong>Catering to Vietnam's middle class</strong></h2><p>As of 2019, just under 180,000 people call Phu Quoc home.</p><p>Tu Quyen is one of those local residents. Her husband Tuan founded the first licensed tour company on the island, John's Tours Phu Quoc <keyword id="11896628" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="travel" source="Orion">Travel</keyword> Service, in 2006. </p><p>"He started by transferring guests by motorbike to attractions and hotels," she told Insider. "Then he made small connections with local fishing boat owners, taking guests to small islands to fish and snorkel." </p><p>"In the beginning, we had about 20 guests per day, mostly foreign visitors from Australia, the US, and Europe. There were no Vietnamese tourists," said Tu. In 2019, John's Tours handled 200 to 300 guests per day. In the peak period, those numbers reached as high as 500 to 700 guests a day.</p><p>"The development has helped the economy, and my company, a lot," said Tu.</p><div type="image" title="An empty beach in Vietnam" height="2909" width="3879" msid="85969518" hostid="261"></div><p>The Phu Quoc <keyword id="6356001" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="international" source="Orion">International</keyword> Airport opened in 2012, opening the floodgates for domestic tourism to the island. The airport primarily operates routes from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. In 2018, plans were announced for a second runway and passenger terminal to handle 14 million passengers a year by 2030, up from four million currently, according to a Center for Aviation <a href="https://centreforaviation.com/analysis/reports/phu-quoc-airport-rapid-international-growth-as-airasia-arrives-435338">report</a>.  </p><p>Most of the projects appear to be aimed at the fast-growing Vietnam middle-class. Many of their websites are in Vietnamese. The vast majority of the five million visitors who visited in 2019 were locals, said the experts interviewed for this article.</p><p>Marco Foerster, who is half Vietnamese, works as an international business advisory manager for Dezan Shira &amp; Associates in Ho Chi Minh City. The company helps foreign companies settle and grow in the region. He said projects like Vin's Grand World and Sun's Grand City provide the Vietnamese middle class with a "somewhat international and cosmopolitan tourist destination without them having to leave the country."</p><p>The developers seem to have a fascination with recreating European towns and resorts in Phu Quoc. Travelers who arrive on the Southeast Asian island may be forgiven for thinking they are in Venice, the Amalfi Coast, or Paris - anywhere but Vietnam.</p><div type="image" title="vietnam's fake venetian canal is lined with colorful buildings" height="2583" width="3444" msid="85969519" hostid="261"></div><p>"Oftentimes a nice-looking backdrop suffices for social media posts and not much authenticity is required," Foerster added of the island's appeal to Vietnamese travelers.</p><p>The same, however, does not hold true of an international crowd, Foerster said: "International visitors visit Phu Quoc to experience Phu Quoc, not a colorful European town."</p><p>Jeff Redi, the managing director of Diethelm Travel Vietnam, had a similar perspective. "It might be nice for some people to see a replica of Venice or Firenze in Phu Quoc, but I doubt it is what international travelers are expecting to experience when in Vietnam."</p><p>Only qualified categories of foreign visitors have been allowed into the island since March 2020, with strict quarantine requirements. Vietnam is struggling with the highly contagious Delta variant and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/vietnam-approve-remdesivir-covid-19-treatment-state-media-2021-08-03/">slow</a> vaccination, which has clipped both international and domestic travel. Plans to use Phu Quoc as a pilot to reopen the country to international visitors in phases from October now look highly unlikely, according to Atkinson.</p><div type="image" title="A new build hotel with no sense of place." height="3279" width="4373" msid="85969523" hostid="261"></div><h2><strong>Mountains of trash</strong></h2><p>The conflicting interests of domestic and international tourists is not the only problem Phu Quoc is facing. The island is also groaning under the weight of waste.</p><p>Nguyen Quynh, a project manager at the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Vietnam, said the plastic waste generated by tourists has already been "distressingly overwhelming" to the ecosystem. The island, she said, has a shortage of landfills.</p><p>"Without proper action, those mountains of trash will soon become a threat to the island's burgeoning tourism sector," Quynh said.</p><div type="image" title="River boats and garbage in Vietnam" height="2712" width="3616" msid="85969525" hostid="261"></div><p>Phan Thanh Huyen, 23, works as secretary of the Board of Directors at Vinmec International Hospital in Phu Quoc. She told Insider the rapid change has created jobs for locals and boosted the island's education and healthcare systems.</p><p>Life is also more convenient, she said. For example, Phan now doesn't have to travel 25 kilometers to town to buy her favorite shampoo. </p><p>"Because of the development in the north, the biggest mart opened four months ago," she said. "Without the mart, I have to go to town or place an order online and wait one week for delivery."</p><p>But Phan also sees urbanization leading to a rise in crime and pollution on her island: "I'm afraid that Phu Quoc can't be as natural with fresh air, beautiful beach and forest as it used to be."</p><p>WWF, which has been focusing on plastic waste reduction in Phu Quoc since 2018, has seen some improvements. The city issued a plan to manage marine plastic waste by 2025 and local authorities are calling for investment in waste treatment facilities, Nguyen said. WWF's next project is to get the major developers and corporations on the island to invest in improving the protection of these areas.</p><div type="image" title="Trash on a beach" height="2105" width="2806" msid="85969528" hostid="261"></div><h2><strong>The soul of the place</strong></h2><p class="drop-cap">The question of why and for whom Phu Quoc was developed in the first place runs deep. Like, down to its master plan deep.</p><p>"There is a lack of coordination on the urbanization in Phu Quoc," said Redi of Diethelm Travel Vietnam. "It seems there is no proper master plan on how the island will look in the future and when massive construction will stop."</p><p>On the one hand, it looks like a clear play for mass tourism. "The government has done a good job at creating a scenario for mass market tourism, offering developers tax incentives, visa-free incentives, favorable land use fees and such," said Michael Piro, chief operating officer of Indochina Capital.</p><p>Yet, mass market tourism was never really the plan, according to a master plan designed by architecture firm Wimberly Allison Tong &amp; Goo (WATG) in partnership with the Vietnamese Institute of Urban and Rural Planning. The 2030 masterplan, which was approved in May 2010, established a broad vision and design guidelines for all future development on the island.</p><p>Instead, the plan was to design "a world-class, eco-tourism destination" that would match the island's UNESCO Global Biosphere Reserve status, the master plan shows. The WATG website touts "careful consideration" of Phu Quoc's ecosystems and "balanced tourism growth."</p><div type="image" title="colorful fishing boats in vietnam" height="2654" width="3539" msid="85969530" hostid="261"></div><p>There's also the matter of how locals have been involved - if at all.</p><p>A May 2019 study by two local university lecturers, Vu Minh Hieu and Vu Minh Go, shows that over 96% of locals surveyed said they had not been asked for their thoughts on tourism development plans by any local authorities. Close to 75% said they have no idea what the term "sustainable tourism development" means.</p><p>The experts and locals that Insider spoke to agreed that local involvement stands to hurt the island's development.</p><p>"If we see beaches and palm trees as the only value to bring in tourists and investments, we sideline locals and don't give them a chance to actively take part in reshaping their island," said Foerster, the business advisory manager at Dezan Shira.</p><p>As Phan, the secretary who lives and works on Phu Quoc, put it, "Locals are the soul of a place. Without local culture and nature, Phu Quoc seems to be the same with many other commercial destinations."</p><p><em>Editor's note: If you're an APAC-based freelancer who wants to write stories like this one about hospitality and tourism, email me your pitches at lbatarags@insider.com.</em></p>

Vietnam's biggest island long held onto a seductive image as the country's 'last paradise.' Then came the clubs, a casino, and a safari.

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Shutterstock/JohannesS" title_caption="Germany is officially the country with the most powerful passport in the world, according to the 2018&#xa0;Henley Passport Index." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a55de0925954c0f148b4673-960/german passport .jpg"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/german-passport-on-world-map-260573663?src=Tx9DHMjdjw6cJREuz1fDAw-1-8">Shutterstock/JohannesS</a></span></p><p class="caption">Germany is officially the country with the most powerful passport in the world, according to the 2018&#xa0;Henley Passport Index.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>The annual Henley Passport Index has just been released.</strong></li><li><strong>It ranks all the passports in the world according to the number of countries their holders can travel to visa-free. </strong></li><li><strong>The ranking named Germany as the country with the most powerful passport in the world for the fifth year in a row.</strong></li><li><strong>Last October a separate ranking put Singapore at the top of the list, but Germany has since reclaimed the top spot on this list also.</strong></li></ul><p><br />Germany is officially the country with the most powerful passport in the world, according to the <a href="https://www.henleypassportindex.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2018 Henley Passport Index</a>.</p><p>It's the fifth year in a row that the European country has topped Henley's list, which takes into account the number of countries a passport holder can visit without a visa.</p><p>The ranking is based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which maintains the world's largest and most comprehensive database of travel information.</p><p>German citizens can now visit 177 countries, up one from 2017, according to the report.</p><p><a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/singapore-now-has-the-most-powerful-passport-in-the-world-2017-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In October 2017, a separate list, the Global Passport Power Rank </a>produced by advisory firm Arton Capital, named Singapore as the most powerful passport in the world. However, Germany has since <a href="https://www.passportindex.org/byRank.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reclaimed the top spot in this ranking</a> also, meaning its passport truly is the most valuable.</p><p><strong>Here are world's top 15 most powerful passports, and the number of countries their holders can visit visa-free:</strong></p><p>1. Germany 177</p><p>2. Singapore 176</p><p>3. Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, Japan, Norway, Sweden, UK 175</p><p>4. Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland 174</p><p>5. Ireland, South Korea, Portugal, US 173</p><p>6. Canada 172</p><p>7. Australia, Greece, New Zealand 171</p><p>8. Czech Republic, Iceland 170</p><p>9. Malta 169</p><p>10. Hungary 168</p><p>11. Liechtenstein, Slovakia, Slovenia 167</p><p>12. Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia 166</p><p>13. Estonia 165</p><p>14. Poland 163</p><p>15. Monaco 162</p><p>Ukraine (44th) and Georgia (53rd) were the biggest climbers on this year's list, moving up by 15 and 14 ranks respectively, following their recent visa liberalisation with the EU.</p><p>Pakistan, Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan remain at the bottom of the index for the second year in a row, each able to access 30 or fewer countries visa-free.</p><p>Dr. Christian H. Kälin, group chairman of Henley &amp; Partners, thinks that the need for visa-free access is greater than ever.</p><p>"Across the economic spectrum, individuals want to transcend the constraints imposed on them by their country of origin and access business, financial, career, and lifestyle opportunities on a global scale," he said. "The Henley Passport Index shows individuals where they lie on the spectrum of global mobility, revealing the strength that their passport has in relation to other passports."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-central-banks-using-blockchain-technology-could-be-beneficial-2018-1">Central banks are experimenting with blockchain technology - here's why</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Singapore no longer has the world's most powerful passport - and this European country has reclaimed the top spot

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Marielle Descalsota has spent over $30,000 on <keyword id="19916662" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="travel" source="keywords">travel</keyword> in the last two years.</li><li><keyword id="20123716" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Timor-Leste" source="keywords">Timor-Leste</keyword> is one of the most <keyword id="20094370" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="expensive" source="keywords">expensive</keyword> countries she's traveled to.</li></ul>I graduated from college two years ago and set a goal for myself to visit <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/relocate-chiang-mai-thailand-affordable-quality-of-life-best-city-2024-7">at least 50 countries</a> before I turn 30.<br /><br />Even while maintaining a full-time job throughout most of my travels, I've already managed to tick 20 off the list. I've traveled to six countries in Europe and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/southeast-asia-travel-mistakes-packing-weather-clothing-traditions-medicine-2024-4">14 across Asia</a>.<br /><br />I spent about a quarter of my salary over the past two years on travel expenses, which have added up to over $30,000. I've managed to stay on a tight <keyword id="19936553" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="budget" source="keywords">budget</keyword> even in upscale destinations like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/budget-trip-maldives-cheap-hotel-flights-travel-guide-2024-1">the Maldives</a> — where I spent less than $1,000 on a five-day trip — and backpacked on a few dollars a day in cities like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sleeper-train-overnight-thailand-bangkok-chiang-mai-review-tickets-guide-2022-8">Bangkok</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/backpacking-things-to-know-hotels-budget-asia-malaysia-singapore-2022-5">Kuala Lumpur</a>.<br /><br />But on a recent trip to Timor-Leste in May — a country in the South Pacific only slightly larger in size than the state of Connecticut — I found budgeting more difficult than ever. The country comprises half of Timor Island — which it shares with Indonesia — and is known for its unspoiled waters and vibrant coral reefs.<br /><br />It's one of the <a target="_blank" href="https://ceoworld.biz/2024/01/15/revealed-here-are-the-least-visited-countries-in-the-world-2024/">world's least-visited countries</a>, making airfare and hotel rates more expensive than many countries in <keyword id="19915288" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Asia" source="keywords">Asia</keyword>.<br /><br />Timor-Leste is on the United Nations' list of the world's <a target="_blank" href="https://unctad.org/topic/least-developed-countries/list">least-developed countries</a>. It's also one of the more expensive countries in the region, due to high trade costs, <a target="_blank" href="https://development.asia/policy-brief/increasing-timor-lestes-global-competitiveness#:~:text=Goods%20and%20services%20in%20Timor,developing%20countries%20in%20the%20Pacific.">according to Development Asia</a>. In addition to the centavo, which is only minted in coins, the country <a target="_blank" href="https://taxsummaries.pwc.com/timor-leste">uses the US dollar</a>, too — a stronger currency than what's used in nearby countries, including Indonesia and Australia.<br /><br />Here's a breakdown of what I spent in Timor-Leste.<br /><br />  <div type="image" title="The view of a statue on an island from an airplane seat" height="2259" width="3012" msid="111973343" hostid="261"></div><h2>Cost of return plane tickets from Bali to Dili: $500</h2>Getting to Timor-Leste isn't easy. When I was traveling, Bali, Indonesia, and Darwin, Australia, were the only cities with flights to Dili, the capital, where the country's only international airport is located. Only two airlines — the Indonesian <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airasia-best-airline-in-the-world-low-cost-budget-2023-7">low-cost carrier</a> Citilink and the local airline Aero Dili — fly between Bali and Dili. The flight from Bali is less than two hours long — while there are no direct flights from the US to Bali, stopovers through bigger airports like Singapore and Tokyo are often used.<br /><br />I booked a return ticket with Citilink about three weeks before departure for $500 — which was around $100 cheaper than Aero Dili. This included a front-row seat reservation and a 44-lb checked bag allowance.<br /><br />  <div type="image" title="Mountains on the horizon of Timor-Leste" height="2218" width="2957" msid="111973340" hostid="261"></div><h2>Cost of hotel stay for three nights: $500</h2>Timor-Leste only has a handful of three-star hotels and no luxury accommodations. While <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=d8a8d663cf225f9f1af6c2c8b57fcbf5a32c449e75ec22631b46dca219696226&amp;postID=668750ec5c62a271edc8447d&amp;postSlug=least-visited-countries-timor-leste-flights-hotel-budget-2024-7&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hilton.com%2Fen%2Fhotels%2Fdiltshi-hilton-dili-palm-springs%2F"><u>Hilton</u></a> plans to open a hotel in Dili's business district later this year, there were no international hotel chains when I visited.<br /><br />Many travelers stay in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/remote-ireland-island-great-blasket-hotel-job-caretaker-guest-house-2024-1">guesthouses</a> by the beach, which only have basic amenities such as fans and mosquito nets. I booked an entry-level room for three nights at Timor Plaza Hotel &amp; Apartments for around $500, including tax.<br /><br />While the room itself was basic — and had its fair share of critters — the hotel had a stunning view of Atauro, one of Timor Leste's two offshore islands. It was also located above a small mall, which made eating out easy.<br /><br />  <div type="image" title="Woman riding on a scooter in Timor-Leste." height="3024" width="4032" msid="111973344" hostid="261"></div><h2>Cost of transportation: $90</h2><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-robotaxi-ride-hailing-app-video-2024-6">Ride-hailing services</a> weren't available in Timor-Leste, and taxi services are limited to the city center. I was quoted $20 per hour to rent a car, and I wasn't willing to pay $200 for a day.<br /><br />Fortunately, I met a local guide who charged $30 per day to tour me around Dili on a scooter. I found it an inexpensive and efficient way to travel from the gorgeous white-sand beaches to the beautiful tropical mountains.<br /><br />  <div type="image" title="A sandwich with sausage and a cup of iced Timorese coffee" height="2263" width="3017" msid="111973342" hostid="261"></div><h2>Cost of food: $180</h2>Food in Dili is surprisingly international. Despite only a handful of international food chains — including <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/review-cheapest-cheeseburgers-fast-food-mcdonalds-wendys-burger-king-2024-6">Burger King</a> and Gloria Jean's Coffee — operating in Timor Leste, Western food like burgers are ubiquitous. I ate mostly local Timorese food and Indonesian fare.<br /><br />I had set a daily budget of around $60 for meals, drinks, and snacks for my guide and me. While a plate of nasi goreng — Indonesian fried rice — costs around $3 to $4 in Bali, I paid around $15 for the dish in Dili. At a local café, I paid $8 for a small plate of jackfruit, carrots, lettuce, and tortillas.<br /><br />  <div type="image" title="A Timorese woman weaving cloth in a market" height="1818" width="2424" msid="111973345" hostid="261"></div><h2>Miscellaneous costs: $415</h2>Before my trip, I spent $15 on an eSIM and $20 on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/travel-insurance/best-travel-insurance-companies">travel insurance</a>. When I arrived in Timor-Leste, I had to pay $30 for the visa-on-arrival, which allowed me to stay in the country for 30 days.<br /><br />Souvenirs in Timor-Leste are expensive. I purchased a small handmade bag and sarong from the local Tais market — a type of weave indigenous to the country — for around $70. I snagged a handmade belt at another shop for $30. I bought several bags of Timorese coffee — the country's second-biggest export — for $50.<br /><br />I didn't expect to find Western makeup products in Timor-Leste, so I bought a few items when I did find them at a local grocery for $70, although at a substantial markup compared to what they cost on retailers like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-original-book-business-booming-2024-6">Amazon</a>.<br /><br />I didn't spend much on sightseeing as most of my time was spent swimming at the beach and exploring the tropical mountains. For activities, I spent $30 on a massage at a traditional Chinese spa and $50 on a half-day scuba diving trip at the coast. I budgeted about $50 for tips.<br /><br />While traveling to Timor-Leste was expensive, the stunning views were worth it. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.<br /><br /><em>Correction: July 25, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misstated the size of Timor-Leste. It's slightly larger than the state of Connecticut, not smaller.</em><br />

I spent 3 nights in Asia's least visited country. It also turned out to be the most expensive.

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.passportindex.org/index.php">The Passport Index</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you're British or American, you might think you have</span><a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/countries-with-the-most-powerful-passports-for-traveling-2016-2"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> the most powerful passport in the world</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. But an index by the British immigration and citizenship firm Henley &amp; Partners suggests otherwise.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to</span><a href="https://www.henleyglobal.com/files/download/HP/hvri/HP%20Visa%20Restrictions%20Index%20160223.pdf"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Henley &amp; Partners' Visa Restrictions Index</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, Germans hold the strongest passports, giving them visa-free access to 177 countries.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The European nation has held the index's top spot for three years</span><a href="http://visaindex.com/#"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in a row</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The index ranked 199 countries according to the travel freedom each offers its citizens out of a possible 218 countries, using data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). According to the index, the IATA holds the largest database of travel information.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nationalities were awarded points based on the number of other countries their citizens could travel to without a visa, as of January 1.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sweden came in second place, with visa-free access to 176 countries. The United Kingdom, which held the top spot in the ranking from 2013 to 2015 (including twice tying Germany), came in third place along with Finland, France, Italy, and Spain, with 175 countries at passport holders' fingertips.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The United States dropped from second place in 2015 to fourth place this year, tied with Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands, all of which offer access to 174 countries.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As for nations with the most limited travel, Afghanistan is ranked the worst in 104th place, with access to just 25 countries. Pakistan is second-worst, with travel permitted to 29 countries, and Iraq is third from the bottom, restricted to 30 other countries.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here is the top 10:</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rank, country, visa-free access</span></p><ul><li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">1. Germany, 177</span></li><li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">2. Sweden, 176</span></li><li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">3. Finland, France, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, 175</span></li><li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">4. Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, United States, 174</span></li><li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">5. Austria, Japan, Singapore, 173</span></li><li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">6. Canada, Ireland (Republic of), Korea (Republic of, South), Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland, 172</span></li><li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">7. Greece, New Zealand, 171</span></li><li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">8. Australia, 169</span></li><li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">9. Malta, 168</span></li><li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">10. Hungary, Czech Republic, Iceland, 167</span></li></ul><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Take a look at</span><a href="http://visaindex.com/#"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> the graphic showing the index findings</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and</span><a href="https://www.henleyglobal.com/files/download/HP/hvri/HP%20Visa%20Restrictions%20Index%20160223.pdf"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> download the complete ranking here</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p><div id="content"></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-cupping-benefits-of-cupping-2016-8">The whole world is talking about cupping because of the Olympics</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="BxeHE4NTE60HSvAuWYPd3Y8sidBMzJ41" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Germany has the world's most powerful passport

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Getty Images</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>If you're British or American, you might think you have <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/countries-with-the-most-powerful-passports-for-traveling-2016-2">the most powerful passport in the world</a>. But a new index by the British immigration and citizenship firm Henley &amp; Partners suggests otherwise. </p><p>According to <a href="https://www.henleyglobal.com/files/download/HP/hvri/HP%20Visa%20Restrictions%20Index%20160223.pdf">Henley &amp; Partners Visa Restrictions Index</a>, released on February 24, Germans hold the strongest passports on the planet, giving them visa-free access to 177 countries worldwide.</p><p>The European nation has been ranked in top place for three years in a row, according to <a href="http://visaindex.com/#">a graphic displaying the index findings</a>.</p><p>The index ranked 199 countries according to the travel freedom each offers their citizens out of a possible 218 countries, using data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). According to the index, the IATA holds "the world's largest database of travel information."</p><p>Nationalities were awarded points based on the number of other countries their citizens can travel to without a visa, as of January 1, 2016. </p><p>Following Germany, Sweden came in second place with visa-free access to 176 countries. The United Kingdom - which held the top spot in the ranking between 2013 and 2015 - came in third place with Finland, France, Italy, and Spain, with 175 countries at passport holders' fingertips. </p><p>The United States dropped from second place in 2015 to fourth place this year, tied with Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands, all of which offer access to 174 countries.</p><p>As for nations with the most limited travel, Afghanistan is ranked the worst in 104th place, with access to just 25 countries. Pakistan is second-worst, with travel permitted to 29 countries, and Iraq is third from the bottom, restricted to 30 other countries.</p><p>Here is the top 10:</p><ul><li><strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Rank, country, visa-free access</span></strong></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">1. Germany, 177 </span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">2. Sweden, 176 </span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">3. Finland, </span>France, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, 175 </li><li>4. Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, United States, 174</li><li>5. Austria, Japan, Singapore, 173</li><li>6. Canada, Ireland (Republic of), Korea (Republic of, South), Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland, 172</li><li>7. Greece, New Zealand, 171</li><li>8. Australia, 169</li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">9. Malta, 168</span></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">10. Hungary, Czech Republic, Iceland, 167</span></li></ul><p>Take a look at <a href="http://visaindex.com/#">the graphic showing the index findings</a>, and <a href="https://www.henleyglobal.com/files/download/HP/hvri/HP%20Visa%20Restrictions%20Index%20160223.pdf">download the complete ranking here</a>.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/new-boeing-jet-air-force-one-2016-2">Take a tour of the $367 million jet that will soon be called Air Force One</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="4zNWQ2dTq0SJxfj9SagVkmMxd7YoUovg" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

You Searched For "singapore visa row" and got 7 results

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