The most popular form of vacationing among affluent holidaymakers: US According to the biennial study Resonance Report 2013, in good times and bad, the desirability of leisure never wanes for affluent American households. Leisure is an unwavering, trend-proof, recession-resilient status symbol. What shifts is the choice of travel companion, destination and experience. The Resonance Report … Read more
Luxury home market values on the rise. Luxury home values increased in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego in the first quarter of 2013 compared to a year ago, according to the First Republic Prestige Home Index by First Republic Bank, one of the leading private bank and wealth management company. “Luxury home prices … Read more
The Life Ball annual charity event held in Vienna, Austria raises money to fight the spread of HIV and AIDS with the help of the most illustrious personalities of the planet. Life Ball weekend 2013 devoted itself to the fantasy of 1001 Nights. “The tales of Scheherazade provide us with numerous allegories around the topics … Read more
China’s wealthiest women reflect the reality of China’s real estate market. The combined wealth of the top 15 wealthiest women in China exceeds US$30 billion, with real estate wealth dominating China’s female billionaires top compiled by Wealth-X. The wealthiest female billionaire in China, Huiyan Yang, vice chairman of Country Garden, is the youngest on the … Read more
J.K. Rowling’s Personally Annotated First Edition of the Harry Potter book fetches $227,000 at auction A first edition of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” annotated by author J.K. Rowling fetched the highest price to date for a printed book by Rowling. The 1997 book has sold for a record 150,000 pounds ($227,421) at “First Editions, Second … Read more
2013 Special Edition MICHELIN guide Hiroshima Michelin guide expanded its collection with a new guide, which will allow lovers of Japan to discover the gourmet dining scene in Hiroshima. 2013 Special Edition MICHELIN guide Hiroshima will help gourmands to discover gastronomy that is rooted in Japanese tradition as well as local culinary specialties like anago … Read more