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CNBC
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNBC
Where a Michelin-starred Japanese chef eats, drinks and shops in Tokyo
Shingo Akikuni is best known as the chef at SHINGO, a one-Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant in Miami. He grew up in Japan and returns yearly as a visitor. The fourth-generation sushi chef told CNBC Travel how he spends his time there. Ginza Sushi Aoki Akikuni's first recommendation is where he was trained as a chef. The restaurant — which was opened over 50 years ago — is led by a chef who "makes himself available for not only locals, but also people that are visiting from abroad," Akikuni said through a translator. Noda For more contemporary flavors, Akikumi recommends visitors try fusion restaurants run by chefs who were trained in different parts of the world. One such restaurant is Noda, which marries Japanese techniques and ingredients with French influence. "In addition to the cooking, he really loves the wine pairing," his translator told CNBC Travel. Restaurant reservations are usually made over the phone in Japan, Akikuni said. To avoid language barriers, he recommends that travelers make reservations through their hotel concierge. Toranomon Yokocho Akikuni also suggests eating at a Yokocho, an alleyway lined with street vendors and bars. Toranomon Yokocho, a newer food center in Japan, is a modern take on the Yokocho concept — although it is set up in a "nice development," he said. Food there goes beyond Japanese cuisine, and visitors can "try a little bit of everything all in one place." Good Music Bar Akikuni recommends the vinyl music bar with an extensive record collection and live acts from Monday to Saturday. The bar has great cocktails, a high-quality sound system and is big enough for groups of friends, he said. Kasumicho Arashi The hidden bar is known for its fruit-based cocktails, Akikuni said. It's tucked in the basement of a house in the residential area of Nishiazabu. The speakeasy incorporates "great farm fresh items" in its menu, he said. The SG Club This one is owned by Shingo Gokan, whom Akikuni called "one of the most famous bartenders of this generation." Gokan, who won the 2021 Industry Icon Award from the World's 50 Best organization, also owns a speakeasy, Sip & Guzzle, in New York City. The bar, which "has been popular for a long time," has three unique floors with different menus and a cigar room, Akikuni said. Tokyo offers many spots for sightseeing, and Akikuni's favorites are the Meiji Jingu Shrine and the Toyosu Fish Market. Meiji Jingu Shrine The shrine — arguably Tokyo's most famous — is a must-see, he said. The shrine was built in 1920 in the busy neighborhood of Shibuya. "It's a great break from the hustle and bustle of the city," he said. It's free to enter and lies within a man-made forest. It opens around sunrise and closes around sunset. Toyosu Market Akikuni said he visits the Toyosu Fish Market every time he's in Tokyo. At the market — the largest in Japan, at around 4 million square feet — he sees the vendors and suppliers who stock his Miami restaurant, he said. The early morning tuna auction is a popular attraction there. Visitors can ballot for the chance to view the auction up close, according to Japan National Tourism Organization's website. In January, a 608-pound bluefin tuna was sold for around $1.3 million dollars – the second-highest price paid since the auction began in 1999. Visitors who do not win the lottery can still watch buyers bid for their choice from farther away, and also buy some fresh fish for breakfast after. Toyosu Fish Market is known as the "best in the world," but fewer people know about the Toyosu Fruit and Vegetable Market, Akikuni said. "Japanese people generally are very dedicated to whatever craft that they have," he said. "So if they're a strawberry farmer, they're trying to grow the very best strawberries." Omotesando and Harajuku While the neighborhood of Ginza is home to many international brands, Akikuni recommends shopping on Omotesando or in the neighborhood of Harajuku instead. Both have stores that visitors will "only find in Tokyo," he said. Omotesando, referred to as the Champs Élysées of Tokyo, is an avenue with iconic Japanese fashion houses like Comme des Garçons and Issey Miyake. It's also home to Omotesando Hills, a shopping complex with more than 130 shops. Harajuku, however, is known for its subculture and quirky fashion. Both areas are walkable and easy to explore, said Akikuni, with vintage shops where visitors can pick up luxury and trendy pieces. The Imperial Hotel and Aoyama Grand Tokyo Akikuni prefers two hotels in Tokyo, both of which offer different experiences. The Imperial Hotel is close to the Royal Palace. It opened in 1890 to welcome foreign visitors, according to the hotel's website. The traditional concept of Japanese hospitality — or "omotenashi" — is what draws him to the hotel, Akinkuni said. It's like looking "into the past of how the standard of hospitality was created" in the country, he said. The contemporary Aoyama Grand Tokyo is a good option for shopping in Harajuku or Omotesando. It's close to both neighborhoods and the food is excellent, he said.
CNBC
30-05-2025
- Business
- CNBC
The trade war is rattling global business travel — 4 charts show how
Optimism in the global business travel sector has dropped by more than half this year, according to a report published by the Global Business Travel Association. Positive sentiment fell from 67% in November 2024 to 31% in April 2025, according to the report which surveyed more than 900 business travel professionals on the affect of tariffs, tightened border policies and other U.S. government policies announced this year. More than one in four respondents in Canada, the United States and Europe said they felt "pessimistic" or "very pessimistic" about industry outlook this year. However, 40% of those surveyed said they felt neither positive nor negative. "Since I have been in my role for four years, I haven't seen this high of a level of uncertainty," Suzanne Neufang, the association's CEO, told CNBC Travel Tuesday. The survey showed nearly 30% of business travel buyers anticipate their companies will reduce employee trips this year, while some 20% said they weren't sure, it showed. "They're not even confident enough to be able to say things will be fine or things won't be fine," she said. Some 27% of respondents also said they expect business travel spending to decrease as well. A third of business travel buyers said their companies have either changed, or are considering changing, policies regarding travel to or from the United States, the report showed. Some 6% said their companies had relocated events from the U.S. to another country. "From an APAC perspective, and certainly from a European perspective, maybe even LATAM, there's the opportunity to be the source of where these meetings take place," Neufang said. "There are many other opportunities to be a winner in this trade game." Business travel professionals expressed several concerns about the potential for the long-term impact caused by decisions of the Trump Administration this year, led by worries over business travel costs (54%) and problems processing visas (46%). Global airfares, however, are slightly down — about $17, or 2.2% year-to-date — according to the travel data company FCM Consulting. Nevertheless, the global business travel market is still on track to top $1.6 trillion by the end of 2025, Neufang said. However, she said that's only "if the last 100 days don't impact negatively everywhere." By 2028, the Global Business Travel Association expects, that number will cross the $2 trillion mark, she said. She noted that while business travel volumes haven't returned to pre-pandemic levels, business travel spending fully recovered in 2024, partly as a result of inflation. But she said the trade war initiated by the Trump Administration could spell a bout of new business trips. "During times of trade wars, business travel may actually increase for at least a period of time — for new partners to be found [and] new markets to be built," she said. "You lose a customer, you need to find another one. So I think that perspective doesn't mean all doom and gloom for us." However, if tariffs remain elevated, "There will definitely be an impact to U.S. travel ... But I think Europe, Asia, Europe to Asia, Asia to Europe. I think anywhere to Africa, all of those are probably fine." Leisure travel to the United States has fallen in 2025. International visitor spending is projected to drop 4.7% from 2024, representing some $8.5 billion for the U.S. travel industry, in a year revenues were once widely expected to grow.
CNBC
27-05-2025
- Business
- CNBC
A couple who've worked in the Maldives and Bali share how living in paradise differs from visiting it
From the Maldives to Bali to the Cayman Islands, Marc LeBlanc and Laura Robinson have lived and worked in places that most people dream of visiting. They work in the hospitality industry — a journey that LeBlanc, who is Canadian, began at 16 years old when he accepted a job as a dishwasher at a hotel. He worked his way up to bellman, then to the reservations desk, before pursuing a degree in hotel management. Robinson, who is British, studied marine biology and worked as a diving instructor before transitioning to hotel leadership. The couple met while working in the Cayman Islands and have since lived and worked on several islands in Asia — most recently, the small eastern Indonesian island of Sumba. Now they reside in Shinta Mani Wild, a luxury resort tucked away in Cambodia's Cardamom Mountains, where LeBlanc serves as the hotel's general manager, and Robinson oversees operations and sustainability. The couple frequently speak with hotel guests, many of whom "are super curious to know about our story," said LeBlanc. For starters, working in places like the Maldives — which is known for its "one island, one resort" concept — is different from visiting it, he told CNBC Travel. "You're locked on that island, surrounded by water," LeBlanc said. "You're not really going anywhere … you're kind of stuck there for long periods of time." For employees, resort life centers on a staff village, where workers sleep, eat and do laundry — a situation LeBlanc likened to a summer camp. "It becomes a little community of its own," Robinson said. "You still have the same challenges that having a large group of people living together can present. There are differences in personalities and opinions." Managing those differences is important, she said, especially in places like the Maldives, which has a multicultural workforce. That has been easier at Shinta Mani, because "except a few of us, everyone is Cambodian," she said. Many people think that working in hospitality is about ensuring guests are having a good time. But "you've got 100 [employees] that you've got to make sure are happy" too, she said. Robinson said she and LeBlanc celebrate staff birthdays and other events at the hotel. "Mark sometimes gets his decks out and DJs for them, which they adore," she said. While island life spells sun and fun for most travelers, saltwater creates maintenance issues for those working behind the scenes, Robinson said. In the Cambodian forest, the environmental challenges are different. "Here you've got the humidity and the forest trying to reclaim itself," she said. Shinta Mani has 15 guest tents, but the resort sits on land that "is the size of Central Park," and it requires a "very high-level of attention to detail, in terms of product and service, but also the conservation work that we do," LeBlanc said. He said staff patrol the property, including a large farm on the land, while also maintaining the trails that run through it. "It's new for us," he said. "We're learning." Life in some of the world's most coveted travel destinations has its perks, but LeBlanc and Robinson also contend with living far from their families. When they lived in the Maldives, their parents visited them yearly, and they returned home every other year to see siblings, said Robinson. Now the couple travel home every year, she said. "My brother and sister started having kids … and our parents are getting older." The couple do not have children, so schooling — a big consideration for many expatriates — isn't an issue. They recently adopted two dogs from the Cardamom Mountains forest, they said. LeBlanc and Robinson discussed another challenge: living and working in remote locations as a couple. "Initially you don't know how it's going to go," said LeBlanc. But "we work quite well together." "We're still doing it," Robinson said with a laugh, adding that separate offices are key. As the general manager of Shinta Mani, LeBlanc oversees matters related to human resources, finance, security and engineering at the hotel, while Robinson handles more "front of house" matters, she said. "[Laura is] highly organized, highly efficient, and I'm more on the creative side," LeBlanc said. Robinson said LeBlanc comes up with bold ideas and is skilled at executing them. The couple spend time, even on personal holidays, brainstorming ideas — often finding inspiration from their travels, she said. "There's no shortage of places looking for managing couples," LeBlanc said. "There are recruitment firms that specialize in hiring couples, not only for hotels, but also for private islands, for ultra-high net worth individuals. The job opportunities are out there." In remote destinations, having a companion can ease loneliness too, said LeBlanc. "It makes sense we have each other," he said.
CNBC
24-04-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Fewer Americans are planning summer vacations. Travel costs aren't the top reason
Fewer Americans are planning to travel this summer, according to a survey by the consumer finance company Bankrate. Some 46% of respondents said they are planning a summer vacation this year — down from 53% in 2024. Of those who don't intend to travel, nearly two-thirds (65%) said money was the main reason. However, it's not just travel costs that are keeping people from planning trips — more respondents said the cost of everyday life (68%) was a bigger issue than vacation expenses (64%). Additionally, the number of those who said they were "not sure" about their summer vacation plans increased — from 18% in 2024 to 23% in 2025. Recent tariffs and fears of a possible recession are causing more travelers to take a wait-and-see approach to summer holidays, said Ted Rossman, a senior industry analyst at Bankrate. "We're seeing more layoffs and the potential for higher prices, which has many people on edge," he told CNBC Travel, citing a drop in consumer sentiment in recent weeks. However, the number of people who said they weren't planning a summer trip also fell — from 29% in 2024 to 24% in 2025. The survey showed that those planning to use debt to finance their summer holidays decreased from 36% to 29% too. The survey of 2,238 adults was conducted in mid-March. Some 23% of respondents said they aren't interested in traveling, mirroring the results of last year's summer survey from Bankrate. However, more cited the hassle of traveling (from 11% in 2024 to 16% in 2025) and difficulty finding time off from work (from 10% to 16%), the latter perhaps reflecting corporate America's continued push to bring remote workers back to the office. The survey also showed 15% of respondents said they were worried about flight safety. That comes on the heels of several high-profile aviation incidents in the United States — including a midair collision between an American Airlines jetliner and a military helicopter — as well as lingering quality control issues at Boeing. Domestic spending for lodging, flights and tourism activities is off to a slower start in the United States this year, according to a March report from Bank of America. "It could be that the recent drop in consumer confidence is translating into people hesitating to book trips, or considering paring them back," the report states. It also noted that bad weather spells in parts of the country could have curtailed travel spending, while a later Easter holiday may have pushed some spending — which typically occurs in March — to April. Lower-income households are cutting their travel spending the most, while wealthier travelers may be choosing to spend more money abroad, the report states. The travel and tourism sector makes up around 3% of U.S. gross domestic product and employed around 6.5 million people in 2023, it states, citing the Bureau of Economic Analysis' Travel and Tourism Satellite Accounts. The U.S. tourism industry is unlikely to get a boost from international travelers, as data shows waning foreign interest in visiting the United States in light of President Donald Trump's trade policies and foreigner detentions at border crossings. Several U.S. airlines, including Delta and United Airlines, have projected weaker outlooks for 2025, given expected dips in travel demand, leading to a scaling back of flights and expansion. Still, domestic spending on hotels, flights and tourism-related activities is higher than 2019 levels, according to the Bank of America report. Rossman added that despite lower consumer sentiment, many people are still planning to travel this summer. "Airlines are warning about lower demand and lower profits, and we're hearing some concerns from potential international visitors to the U.S. because of political reasons," said Rossman. "Despite the gloomy mood, we're still seeing a lot of travel."
