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When will Coronavirus Travel Restrictions be Lifted?

Each country’s approach to travel is changing on a case-by-case basis. Generally, domestic and international travel bans are being lifted once the number of coronavirus cases have plateaued or begin to decline. Below, we list the countries that are now planning to ease lockdown measures.

Italy has announced that its borders will reopen to European countries on June 3, with travelers able to move freely to and from Italy with no quarantine requirement upon arrival. Bars, restaurants, non-essential shops, and museums in Italy already reopened on May 18.

Sicily remains closed for now like the rest of Italy but has announced that it will subsidize international and domestic travel to the region in order to encourage tourism once lockdown has lifted.

From June 1, The Maldives will begin to open its borders for international travel.

The US, Canada, and South America remain largely closed to tourists. However, Florida Keys and some areas of Mexico, including tourism hotspot Cancun, have announced plans to reopen as of June 1.

The government of Turkey has announced plans to have domestic tourism reopened by the end of May and international tourism before the end of June, but face masks will be mandatory in public areas.

From July 1, visitors to Spain will no longer have to undergo a 14-day quarantine upon arrival. The tourism minister for the Canary Islands has announced that the islands plan to reopen to domestic visitors by August 1 and international visitors in October.

France has announced that borders between Switzerland and Germany will be reopened from June 15. At least until July, travelers will need to provide a health certificate confirming that they do not have coronavirus, or be subjected to 14 days of self-isolation upon entry.

At the earliest, Greece will open its borders to international tourists on July 1. Currently, any arrivals into the country must self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival, and face masks are mandatory in shops and on public transport.

Many Caribbean and South Pacific islands remain under lockdown, but The US Virgin islands plan to reopen borders for tourists on June 1, when visitors can begin to make hotel and restaurant reservations again.

Much of Asia remains closed, and tourist hotspot Bali has suggested that it may only reopen to international travelers in October.

In the United Kingdom, those who enjoy their outdoor sports can resume golf and fishing activities in Scotland from May 28. England has announced that its pubs and restaurants will reopen from July 4 while Ireland is only scheduled to reopen eateries from August 10.

St Lucia has announced that its tourism industry will begin to cautiously reopen as of June 4. However, rigorous protocols, including social distancing, sanitisation, and health screening measures, will be in place throughout travelers’ journeys to the island.

After reopening various hotels on May 11, Croatia has also announced plans to reopen borders to travelers from European countries.

The Icelandic government has announced that it plans to start opening borders to international travelers from June 15, albeit with strict safety measures in place.

Visitors from 31 different European countries will be able to travel to Germany as of June 15.

Which Countries are Open for Travel?

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines never officially shut its borders to tourists, but all new arrivals are required to undertake a 14-day quarantine upon entry.

Sweden is another country that never went into full lockdown, so hotels, shops, bars, restaurants, and some museums are open but gatherings of over 50 are still prohibited. For now, borders are only open to nationals from the UK and EU.

Although England is open to essential travel from abroad, arrivals into the country are required to undergo a 14-day quarantine upon entry. If visitors cannot provide an address of where they plan to isolate, they will have to stay in accommodation arranged by the government.

The borders of South Korea are now open too, but all new arrivals are required to undergo quarantine for 14 days.

On May 15, the governments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania announced that they have reopened their borders to each other – so only tourists of these Baltic countries are welcome to visit for now.

Although closed to the majority of travelers until June 15, Iceland is allowing those from Schengen countries to arrive in the country.

On May 20, Cambodia announced that it has reopened borders to tourists from the US, France, Iran, Italy, Germany, and Spain albeit with stringent conditions: all visitors will need a test proving they are COVID-19 free within three days of their arrival in the country, plus they will need to prove that they have $50,000 worth of health insurance coverage and on top of this will still need to quarantine for 14 days upon the arrival.

As of May 25, those with a permanent residence in either Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, or Germany have been allowed to re-enter Denmark on certain conditions.

When Can We Fly Again?

Most countries are operating on limited flight schedules for necessary travel only, and will begin to increase flights in accordance with their border restriction protocols. Countries who have officially announced their plans for international flights are listed below.

The Maldives government has announced that airports welcoming international visitors will open in phases from July 1, with specific health and safety guidelines in place. From June 1, private jets carrying tourists can already begin to land in the country.

Greece will resume operating direct flights from international airports, including from the UK, as of June 1. Travel to Evia and Crete from mainland Greece is already permitted.

In Italy, one airport per region is open with some flights operating, however, Rome Ciampino and terminal one at Rome Fiumicino airport are closed.

As of June 4, St Lucia will allow commercial flights only from the US to land at Hewanorra International Airport. Visitors will, however, be required to present proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours of boarding their flight and will be asked to wear masks, undergo health and temperature checks and practice social-distancing during their stay.

What are Travel Bubbles?

Countries with low numbers of reported coronavirus cases are now working together to create so-called ‘travel bubbles’ or ‘travel corridors’ with one another. This means that people who live within the bubble will be allowed to cross borders without the need to go into quarantine upon arrival.

Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania created the first European travel bubble when they opened borders to each other on May 15, followed by Australia and New Zealand who have now agreed on creating a trans-Tasman travel bubble when flights recommence between the two countries. Various news outlets have reported that China is also considering opening a travel bubble with Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea, while Israel has been discussing a potential travel bubble with Greece and Cyprus.

When Will Hotels Reopen?

Various hotels and restaurants in Croatia reopened on May 11 with social-distancing measures in place and Turkey has announced that hotels and restaurants will be reopened from May 27.

St Lucia is preparing approximately 1,500 hotel rooms in various resorts to welcome visitors from June 4.

via@Boat International

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As 2020 unfolds, every business mind is boggled by one question “Where to Invest?”. As an investor, you should care a lot about economical and political stability when choosing where to invest your money in.

The current COVID-19 pandemic has caused great worry for many investors. And they are right to be The Congressional Research Service claims that the pandemic could trim down global economic growth by 2%. Even JP Morgan predicted that there is a 60% chance that a recession will occur in 2020. And thus, the answer to “Where to invest?” has never been more uncertain.

The truth is that not every country will be affected if a global recession occurs. Some countries are very fortified to withstand an economic crash. They have a lot of internal growth drivers with minimal affiliation with global markets. They will be the least affected. The best countries to invest in 2020 are these fortified countries.

According to the World Bank Group, four unique factors motivate an individual or a business entity to invest in a country. These are the country’s natural resources, markets, efficiency, and strategic assets (like its technologies and brands).

Using this four categorical determinants, we have compiled The 2020 Best Countries to Invest In ranking based on a broad list of ten equally weighted attributes: corruption index, tax environment, economical stability, entrepreneurial freedom, innovativeness, skilled labor force and technological expertise, infrastructure, investor protection, red tape, and quality of life.

Here’s the ranking of the 10 best countries to invest in 2020.

1.  Croatia

Croatia is currently No.1 on the list of the best countries to invest in. The country’s growth is amazing because just last year, it was ranked 25 positions lower. The European country’s stable economy, coupled with her entrepreneurial and innovative population, has made foreign investors very optimistic about her progressive business environment. In the first quarter of 2019, Croatia had a whooping foreign direct investment of more than $389 million!

2.  Thailand

Thailand occupies the second position on the 2020 Best Countries to Invest In ranking. The country has capitalized greatly on the trade tension between the US and China. Many investors have gotten fed up with the whole drama. They have now turned their attention towards Thailand. You should too. In the first nine months of 2019, the country received a 69% increase in the total value of Foreign Direct Investment applications, as compared to 2018. 65% of these applications were led by the automotive, electronics and electrical, and digital sectors. The growth of the Thai market and her momentum indicators have remained steady and strong. Forbes listed the country as the 8th best-emerging market of 2020.

3.  The United Kingdom

The U.K. is economically stable and has a skilled labor force and technological expertise. According to the U.N., it is the sixth country that attracts the most inflow of foreign direct investment. In the first seven months of 2019, the U.S. and Asian tech firms invested $3.7 billion in tech companies in the country, thus surpassing the $2.9 billion invested in the previous year. Despite Brexit, the U.K remains the fifth largest economy in the world and has an industrialized and competitive market.

4.  Indonesia

With about 650 listed equities and a market cap exceeding $500 billion, Indonesia boasts of one of the largest Asian stock markets. Her 260 million inhabitants promise is a very strong consumer market. The Indonesian consumer market is largely undiscovered, hence its huge potentials. This country should be your number one option if you are into manufacturing or consumer products. The robust economy and heavy investment in transportation and infrastructure make this Southeastern Asian country worthy of your investment. The only downside is that non-citizens are limited to only leasehold properties.

5.  India

According to the U.N, India was one of the top 10 countries with the highest inflow of foreign direct investment. India has been in the top 5 of the best countries to invest in since 2019. The Asian giant has invested so much in research and development and, and she is among the top countries having a comparatively skilled workforce.

6.  Italy

Italy is one of the top countries attracting investors in 2020. It has been on the list since 2002. This level of economical stability, its robust manufacturing sector, and the country’s stable political environment make it a good choice to invest in.

7.  Australia

Australia boasts of more than 25 years of continued economic growth. It is the 9th country with the most FDI attraction in 2020. Intact, she has been in the top 10 for ten years now. The country remains a very stable investment destination.

8.  Vietnam

Like Thailand, Vietnam has capitalized on the trade tension between China and the United States. Since the past years, the Chinese southern neighbor has gradually risen to become a formidable manufacturing hub. This growth became even more evident when multinational corporations like Samsung began relocating are from China into Vietnam.

We think you should consider this too. The availability of numerous seaports, coupled with the cheap cost of production and tariff breaks, makes Vietnam very business-friendly. Vietnam’s economy is very stable. The country has never had a single recession I’m the last 20 years! But, like Thailand, non-foreigners can only own property in Vietnam on a leasehold agreement. If you want to learn more about real estate for investors, move to Asia has different guides to advise you through.

via@London Post

When last we checked in with Kanye West, the mercurial hip-hop superstar-turned-footwear magnate, I was tiptoeing through a parking lot crop circle composed of hundreds of pairs of his Yeezy sneakers. “I’m not a numbers guy,” he explained ten months ago. “To ask me to somehow translate this to numbers is to ask your grandmother exactly what the recipe of the cake was.”

There’s only one number that West cares about. A billion, as in dollars. And he cares a lot.

When we featured West on the cover of Forbes last summer, delving into his incredible success with Yeezy, he seemed pleased at first. His world-famous wife, Kim Kardashian West, even tweeted her congratulations, to the positive affirmations of 32,300 of their closest Twitter friends. But without sufficient documentation on his unusual stake, versus just his word and industry guesstimates, we didn’t call him a billionaire. And that grated on him. As the year wore on, he protested publicly. (“I showed them a $890 million receipt, and they still didn’t say ‘billionaire,’” he told an industry panel, about something that no one at Forbes remembers.) In private, he was more biting. (A “disrespectful article,” he texted this week, that was “purposely snubbing me.”)

When our annual billionaires list appeared earlier this month, again with West absent—still no documentation, and now a pandemic to boot—West again reacted with hurt and venom. “You know what you’re doing,” he texted. “You’re toying with me and I’m not finna lye [sic] down and take it anymore in Jesus name.” At one point, he texted that Forbes was “part of a group of media” that was trying to suppress his self-made narrative because of his race. That sister-in-law Kylie Jenner did make the list also clearly stuck in his craw.

Then, yesterday, a breakthrough: West directed his team to provide what we feel is an authentic numeric look into Kanye, Inc.

Three things became clear from this exercise. First, it reinforces why we put him on the cover in the first place—West, in just a few years, has created a brand that’s challenging Nike’s Air Jordan for sneaker world supremacy. It’s one of the great retail stories of the century.

Second, it reinforced that West, who claims both in words and in this paperwork that he’s worth more than $3 billion, is as overly boastful as his political idol, President Donald Trump. Not a numbers guy? We agree.

Finally—and perhaps most critically to West—it does confirm, based on our estimates, that his stake in Yeezy indeed makes him a billionaire. A bit over $1 billion, actually.

In the process, we can now share more details about Yeezy than ever before revealed—as well as some insight into what drives this extremely creative, extremely enigmatic ten-digit artist.

Yeezy is a complicated asset. West owns 100% of it. But it’s functionally tied—at least for five-plus years based on the documents we saw—to Adidas, which produces, markets and distributes the shoes. There’s also a separate apparel division that we don’t believe makes money. Last year, our sources projected the shoes would finish 2019 with revenue north of $1.5 billion (Adidas would not comment then, or now). Per recent conversations and internal documents, we believe the final revenue number ended up closer to $1.3 billion.

Our sources told us last year that West’s agreement calls for him to receive a royalty around 15% of Yeezy revenue from Adidas. Upon closer inspection, it appears some expenses are carved out of that slice, bringing his actual cut closer to 11%. At that rate, he would have received royalties of over $140 million from Yeezy sales last year.

West’s aggressive $3 billion self-appraisal is clearly based on the idea that the business is infinitely portable. It’s not. Taking Yeezy away from Adidas seems almost prohibitively cumbersome, if not contractually impossible. A safer way to value it: as a royalty stream, like music publishing or film residuals. Multiples, based data from services like Royalty Exchange and reports of large private transactions, can range from as low as three for something faddish like Cardi B’s “Bodak Yellow” to 17 for an evergreen asset like the Eddie Murphy film Trading Places.

A handful of experts surveyed felt West’s interest would fetch a multiple somewhere in the middle of that range, were it ever made available to outside investors. The convenience of the Adidas setup trumps publishing catalogs, where owners must actively collect payments from a complex web of sources—or outsource that labor to someone else in exchange for an administration fee. “His place in the capital stack is a preferred place to be,” says Royalty Exchange chief Matt Smith, who pegged the multiple at between 10 and 12.

Conservatively—as we typically are with such figures—a 10x multiple, applied to West’s Yeezy cut of $140 million, makes his stake worth about $1.4 billion. But it’s a private, highly illiquid $1.4 billion; our rule-of-thumb for private assets like that is to lop off at least 10%. That’s $1.26 billion.

via@Forbes