Category: Business

Significant structural works completed with construction progressing on target for Q4 2027 opening

Ras Al Khaimah, May 20: Major structural works have been completed at Ras Al Khaimah’s first luxury Grade A office complex, RAK Central Square, with construction progressing in line with the delivery programme. The development will deliver 2.27 million sq ft of high-quality workspace across five buildings, providing modern, flexible floors designed for tier-one businesses.

Superstructure works remain on schedule and are expected to top out (reach full structural height) in Q4 2026, marking a key milestone toward the planned Q4 2027 opening. This construction progress aligns with rising demand for premium Grade A office space in Ras Al Khaimah among regional and international businesses.

RAK Central Square will bring a new generation of Grade A office space to Ras Al Khaimah, featuring large, efficient floorplates of around 16,000 sq ft, modern building systems and high-specification workspace for international companies. The five-building development is designed to meet tier-one occupier requirements, supported by F&B and retail offerings, and a LEED Gold certified design.

Arch Abdulla Al Abdouli, Group CEO of Marjan, said: “RAK Central Square embodies our vision for a new generation of high-quality, Grade A office space in Ras Al Khaimah. It will sit at the heart of RAK Central, a community that integrates regional and international corporates, lifestyle and hospitality to create a future-ready centre. As we deliver this landmark project, we are laying the groundwork for a city that competes on a global stage, attracts world-class companies, enhances livability and supports the emirate’s long-term growth ambitions.”

As part of the wider RAK Central masterplan, the complex is being developed as a mixed-use destination combining Grade A offices with residential, hospitality and retail components in a connected, walkable environment. This growth is supported by new hospitality and residential developments that expand accommodation and amenity capacity for corporate tenants and visiting delegations. Recent announcements include the Radisson Blu Hotel and Radisson Blu Residences by BNW Developments, alongside projects such as One RAK Central by Pantheon Development, Colibri Views by Major Development and Juna by Dara Development.

Ramy Jallad, Group CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ), said: “RAK Central Square is a critical step in addressing the growing demand for prime office space in Ras Al Khaimah. As investor activity accelerates and more regional and international companies look to establish a presence in the emirate, developments like this will play a central role in supporting business growth and strengthening Ras Al Khaimah’s position as a competitive investment destination. This momentum comes as the emirate continues to attract significant investment across tourism, hospitality, and industry, driving increased demand for premium commercial infrastructure.”

 RAK Central offers direct access to key destinations across the emirate, including Al Hamra Golf Course, Al Hamra Mall, The Ritz-Carlton Al Hamra Beach and Wynn Al Marjan Island. The complex is also well connected to regional and international gateways such as Ras Al Khaimah International Airport and Dubai International Airport, aligning with the emirate’s broader economic and tourism ambitions, including its target of attracting 3.5 million visitors annually by 2030.

New Delhi, May 20: Industry leaders, policymakers and nutrition experts on Tuesday called for stronger industry collaboration, consumer awareness and market-led adoption to scale fortified staple foods across India and address micronutrient deficiencies and hidden hunger.

The discussions took place during the National Convening of Staple Food Industry Leaders for Developing a Roadmap on Scaling-Up Staple Food Fortification, organised by Millers for Nutrition powered by TechnoServe in association with the CII Food and Agriculture Centre of Excellence (CII FACE).

Stakeholders from the edible oil, rice and wheat flour sectors deliberated on commercially scalable and sustainable pathways to expand the adoption of fortified staples in retail and commercial markets.

Speaking at the convening, Shree Rakesh Kumar, Director (Science & Standards), Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), said the regulator had simplified the framework for food fortification in India.

“FSSAI has been active in making regulations related to food fortification and made them voluntary. We have digitized the process and made it easy for seeking endorsement by those who want to offer fortified food,” Kumar said.

Participants at the convening highlighted the need to strengthen consumer awareness and trust around fortified staples, improve technical support for millers and enhance accessibility of fortified food products.

Mr. Cheran K, CEO of Kaleesuwari Refinery, said the industry needed to maintain quality standards despite cost pressures linked to premix imports.

“Probably as an industry we need to be aware of quality consciousness. Sometimes due to imports dependence, there may be some volatility and increase in prices of pre-mixes, despite that as an industry we need to continue to support fortification,” he said.

Mr. JT Chary, Managing Director of Mother Dairy Fruit and Vegetables, said nutrition and wellness had become an important focus area for the food industry.

“We felt that wellness and nutrition for the citizens of India is most important. So, we thought of adding vitamin A and D in edible oils, and vitamins in other products like milk. We also work towards promoting fortification on our packaging and social media campaigns to increase awareness around this,” Chary said.

Senior representatives from government, food companies, millers, nutrition experts and development organizations attended the convening, including Shri Siraj A. Chaudhry, Former Co-Chair, CII National Committee on Nutrition, and Mr. Vidyashankar Satyakumar, Head of Research and Development at AWL Agri Business.

Industry leaders said private sector participation would be critical in integrating nutrition into mainstream packaged food products and scaling commercially viable fortification solutions with long-term public health impact.

Mr. Monojit Indra, Senior Practice Leader at TechnoServe and Program Leader, Millers for Nutrition Asia, said addressing hidden hunger at scale would require deeper collaboration across the food industry ecosystem.

“India has made important progress in advancing staple food fortification, but addressing hidden hunger at scale will require deeper collaboration across the food industry ecosystem. This convening has helped create stronger alignment between industry leaders, development partners and policymakers to accelerate the adoption of fortified staple foods and build sustainable pathways for nutrition impact,” Indra said.

Mr. Abhishek Shukla, Country Program Manager, Millers for Nutrition India, said the discussions reflected growing momentum towards market-driven nutrition solutions.

“The discussions at the convening reaffirmed that fortification could play a transformative role in strengthening nutrition security in India. The collective commitment demonstrated by stakeholders today reflects a growing momentum towards scaling fortified staples through market-led approaches, industry partnerships and increased consumer awareness,” Shukla said.

The convening concluded with stakeholders expressing a shared commitment to strengthen cross-sector collaboration, promote fortification excellence, support capacity-building efforts for food processors and millers, and develop actionable pathways for scaling fortified staple foods across India.

Mumbai, India, May 20: NeoLiv, India’s foremost fund led developer, has acquired a ~76-acre land parcel in Panvel Khopoli belt paving way to develop a marquee project, thereby strengthening its position into the highly sought-after Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). This is the 03^rd transaction by NeoLiv in this belt, demonstrating a consistent and robust market presence in the Mumbai 3.0 vision. 

Situated just an hour drive from Navi Mumbai International Airport as well as Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (Atal Setu), the project aims to create a world-class living community having serene green and mountain views. 

The project with GDV of INR 800 Cr, will offer an exceptional mix use community comprising of premium villa & plots and retail convenience for lifestyle needs alongside world-class amenities such as a marquee theme-based development and an internationally designed club. Residents can look forward to one of its kind holistic developments, promising a safe, secure, modern and sustainable living environment.

Commenting on the announcement, Mohit Malhotra, Founder and CEO of NeoLiv, stated, “This acquisition represents a significant milestone for NeoLiv as we announce our third key plotted development project in the most sought-after micro-market in the country. Backed by UHNI investors through our SEBI-approved fund and led by a highly experienced team with over 100 years of combined expertise, we are committed to delivering exceptional living experiences that will set new benchmarks for residential developments.” 

The Panvel–Khopoli belt is rapidly emerging as MMR’s prime growth corridor. This surge is catalysed by infrastructure upgrades, notably the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) and the Navi Mumbai International Airport, which are just an hour from the project. The site further enjoys greater national connectivity due to proximity to Mumbai-Pune and Mumbai-Goa highways. 

NeoLiv recently recorded India’s highest sales of ~INR 1,251 Cr in plotted inventory at NeoLiv Golf One, its 47 acres golf-led luxury township project in Faridabad, NCR. Its first project NeoLiv Grand Park, Sonipat was sold out on the very first day of launch with inventory valued at ~INR 300 Cr.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA / May 20, 2026 / Perpetuals.com Ltd (Nasdaq: PDC), on May 19 launched UpsideOnly, the first risk-free trading and market prediction platform that uses a proprietary AI algorithm combined with crowd intelligence to ensure users never lose money. 

The problem is real: retail traders lose more than $12 billion a year to platforms structurally positioned against them. UpsideOnly solves that problem by creating a powerful human-AI collaboration that brings profit to both Perpetuals and its users.

UpsideOnly is built on the simple idea that AI gets smarter when it learns from human traders. As users make predictions across global financial markets such as stocks, cryptocurrencies and commodities, the algorithm folds their insights into its own analysis, producing incredibly accurate trading signals. UpsideOnly uses those signals to make market trades with its own capital and shares the winnings with the users whose predictions helped shape them.

Powering UpsideOnly is the proprietary patent-pending BayesShield AI, which is trained on more than 22 billion executed retail trades, one of the largest trading datasets ever used to train an AI model. The BayesShield algorithm learns from user predictions across global markets, combining human insight with machine-scale pattern recognition to produce trading signals neither could generate alone. 

UpsideOnly lets users benefit from trading gains while eliminating risk by trading exclusively with the company’s own capital – users never put up their own money for trading. This ensures users cannot incur losses. Users make predictions about where global equity, commodity, forex, and crypto markets are heading without ever placing a real trade themselves. BayesShield analyzes each person’s prediction, and when the algorithm indicates that prediction is likely to be successful, UpsideOnly executes a trade with its own capital. If no trade is made, or if a trade is made and loses, the user loses nothing. If the trade wins, the company shares the profit with the user. UpsideOnly also offers additional ways for users to win money based on their overall performance for the week and month, among others. 

Driving the creation of UpsideOnly is the belief that retail traders are being taken advantage of by existing trading platforms and prediction markets. 

“The dominant retail trading model is not a tool. It is a trap, designed so the platform wins when you lose. I spent more than a decade inside this industry and watched the same thing happen over and over. Platforms engineered to extract money from the people who could least afford to lose it, sold to them as investing,” said Patrick Gruhn, CEO of Perpetuals.

“UpsideOnly completely changes this broken structure. The user brings the insight, we bring the capital, and we win together. This is what the next generation of financial platforms looks like: humans and AI teaming up on the same side of the table.”

No deposit is required to make a prediction and win money on UpsideOnly, but in order to reduce the presence of bots, users who choose to put down a refundable deposit of $1 or more will receive higher payouts. Users who make even small deposits are less likely to be bots and more likely to make considered and reliable predictions. The deposit is not a trading stake and is never used for trading. The deposit is held safely in U.S. Treasury Bills in an external account by a separate U.S.-based fiduciary and can be withdrawn by the user at any time. 

 Dubai, UAE, May 20:  The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) has published its 2025 Sustainability and Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) report, highlighting major achievements in shaping the future of motorsport and mobility for its diverse global community.

 The FIA, the global governing body for motor sport and the federation for mobility organisations worldwide, continued to drive progress at the intersection of innovation, inclusion, and access through 2025.

 In environmental sustainability, it strengthened frameworks and tools to support Member Clubs, championships and events in managing their impact, while also taking steps to accelerate its own decarbonisation strategy.

 In D&I, it continued to expand participation, strengthen career pathways, and build a more inclusive environment across motor sport and mobility.

 H.E. Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the FIA, said: “Our diversity is our strength. Looking ahead, our direction is clear. We will continue to innovate, strengthen frameworks, and raise standards. Together, we are shaping a future in which motorsport and mobility are not only more sustainable, but more inclusive, accessible, and truly reflective of the diverse global community we serve.”

 The landmark FIA report highlighted several key environmental achievements including:

 ·       Grew the FIA’s flagship Environmental Accreditation Programme to 260+ accredited organisations (a 37% YOY increase) with a record 70 new accreditations, 33 renewals and nine upgrades.

• Increased sustainability grants by 24% to €340,000, supporting projects on emissions reduction, biodiversity, mobility access and education.

·       Approved the first technical and safety regulations for liquid hydrogen- powered vehicles, marking a historic step toward low carbon competition.

·       Welcomed 1,000+ participants in the FIA’s Sustainable Innovation Series.

 In November 2025, the FIA launched its first Sustainability Survey for its Member Clubs to better understand their priorities and challenges across different regions. Across all Member Clubs, there was strong agreement that motor sport and mobility organisations should play a leading role in advancing climate action and sustainable development.

  In terms of its own operations last year, the FIA report noted the following

 ·       Maintained commitment to reduce absolute emissions by 2030.

·       Absolute emissions increased by 16% year-on-year against a backdrop of increased headcount and the opening of a new office in London.

·       Logistics-related emissions lowered by 2%, supported by HVO-powered DHL trucks across the European race calendar.

·       Overall impact of logistics footprint reduced by 22% through the ramp-up of investments in Sustainable Aviation Fuels.

 While important progress has been made in several areas under the FIA’s direct influence, there were substantive increases elsewhere in the footprint, especially in business travel for staff and visitors attending conferences, regional meetings, and general assemblies.

 The rise in the footprint does not mean progress has stopped, but reinforces the need for a more targeted response and strategy. It highlights the necessity to drive lower-carbon choices across motor sport and mobility, by encouraging better decisions on logistics, travel, events, procurement, and collaboration across the ecosystem.

 Not all emissions reported are directly controlled by the FIA, and the federation’s responsibility is not only to reduce its own footprint, but also to enable others to reduce theirs.  

 The inaugural FIA Karting Arrive & Drive World Cup set the tone for a landmark year in diversity and inclusion, bringing together 100+ competitors from 50 nations and a record 15 female drivers on the grid.

 Within its own workforce, 31% of the FIA’s staff was female in 2025, with almost half of those women in senior roles, reflecting continued progress on gender equity.

New Delhi, India  May 20: ESET, a global leader in cybersecurity solutions and the largest European cybersecurity vendor*, announced the opening of its ESET France, ESET Netherlands, and ESET India branches at ESET World 2026, growing its local presence and market opportunities in those regions.

The new offices join ESET’s growing portfolio, bringing the total number to 20 local offices, of which the most recent to open was ESET Norden, located in Denmark. While currently operating via exclusive partners—Cyber Defense Group in the Netherlands and ATHENA Global Services in France—ESET has agreed to acquire these entities, prioritizing the seamless transfer of all employees and customers. The formation of ESET Software India Pvt. Ltd. will similarly support an increase in the scale of local management and support for this key APAC market.

“For more than 20 years, we’ve built this journey alongside ESET. This next step is a natural evolution of a trusted partnership and marks the beginning of a new chapter that we approach with both pride and confidence,” said Julien Jean, CEO of ATHENA Global Services.

“This is a proud moment for everyone involved. At a time when Europe faces growing digital challenges, there is also an enormous opportunity to help organizations become more resilient and reduce risk in smarter ways. Bringing ESET and the Netherlands even closer together strengthens both sides — combining European technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship with deep local relationships and expertise,” said Dave Maasland, CEO of Cyber Defense Group.

In a similar fashion to our recent ESET Norden expansion, ESET will again move closer to its customers and partners in regions recognized for their novel cybersecurity innovations, visible cyber-enforcement actions, and significant market demands, where there is a need for more direct support.

“I am pleased that we will now have a larger presence in France, the second-largest market in the European Union, after Germany. Our company will also operate directly in the Dutch market, which is known as an early adopter of the latest technologies and often indicates purchase and usage behaviors of solutions in other countries,” said Miroslav Mikuš, ESET Chief Sales Officer. “Likewise, by establishing stronger presence in India, our products and expertise will help reinforce top-flight security practices and resilience in a country whose IT workforce is a cornerstone of global digital capacity. Closer than ever, and together, I’m sure that we will make a noticeable difference.”

Ultimately, the expansion, with new offices in Paris, Spijkenisse, and New Delhi, is going to strengthen ESET’s position as both a European and a global player, by adding additional markets to ESET’s direct presence. This pattern has already demonstrated value via the Cyber Defense Group, our Partners in the Netherlands, by, for example, helping to open doors for ESET in providing support for intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations like Europol and the Netherlands Industry for Defense and Security Foundation (NIDV), with advisory and protection.

“The establishment of ESET Software India Pvt. Ltd. marks a significant step in ESET’s long-term commitment to India and the broader APAC region. With a stronger local presence, we are better positioned to empower our channel partners, expand into new customer segments, and deliver advanced capabilities including MDR and professional services. Importantly, this enables us to build solutions designed for the specific needs of the Indian market, helping organizations strengthen their cyber resilience with trusted ESET protection,” said Parvinder Walia, President of the Asia Pacific Region.

Founded in 1992, European Union-based ESET has been a dominant player in the endpoint security market. Since then, ESET has been gaining ground and growing its enterprise portfolio with specialized products and divisions like ESET PRIVATE, protecting some of the largest companies in the world. ESET security solutions are currently sold in over 178 markets, protecting more than one billion people across the globe.

In parallel with its global footprint, ESET is also deeply involved in topics such as AI development, where it’s taken a part in the India AI Impact Summit 2026 to share its expertise, and via its support of initiatives like the Horizon Europe AI project, with a €3 million commitment.

*Based on Frost Radar™: Endpoint Security, 2025 (Frost & Sullivan), ESET is Europe’s largest cybersecurity vendor. 

Originally presented at ESET World 2026, held in Berlin, Germany, at the JW Marriott Hotel, May 18-21. See the original CEO keynote and more by registering for the virtual event for free.

Abundia Global Impact Group, Inc. (NYSE American: AGIG) (“Abundia” or the “Company”), a low-carbon energy solutions company focused on converting biomass and plastics waste into high-value low-carbon fuels, on May 19 announced that it has completed the acquisition (the “Acquisition”) of RPD Technologies Americas, LLC (“RPD”), a scale-up project development firm focused on the design, construction, operations of pilot plants and consulting services. The Acquisition was completed and effective on April 1, 2026.

Abundia – RPD Acquisition Strategic Highlights

• Establishes Additional Revenue Stream and Long-term Conversion Pipeline: Adds revenue generating business to Abundia’s financial profile with longer term realization of high-margin economics to deliver on the Company’s commitment to drive shareholder value
• Increased Scale and Operational Capabilities: Adds a new business vertical offering an existing customer base, long-term opportunity pipeline and team of scale up project development and engineering experts in refining, petrochemical and renewables that establishes this unit as a core competency 
• Expands Vertically Integrated Waste-to-Value Model: Integrates into Abundia’s model bringing development and scale up capabilities in-house and increases exposure to the full economic value chain of its waste-to-value vertically integrated platform
• Strengthens Competitive Advantage to Form a Resilient Business: Distinguishes Abundia’s market position as a waste-to-value supply chain consolidator while strengthening and diversifying its operations and financial performance

Abu Dhabi, UAE – 20  May 2026: Abu Dhabi Food Hub, AD Ports Group’s integrated food trade and logistics hub, announced the signing of an agreement with Axione Development for the development of advanced cold chain infrastructure in Abu Dhabi.

In accordance with the agreement, which underlines the growing confidence in the Emirate’s upcoming premier food platform, Axione Development will develop a dedicated cold chain facility on a 37,000 sqm plot under a 50-year land lease agreement to support the broader ecosystem of traders and businesses that will operate within Abu Dhabi Food Hub’s integrated marketplace. Designed as enabling infrastructure for the wider market, the facility will strengthen critical cold chain capabilities serving wholesale trade, distribution and value-added food supply activities.

Abdulla Al Hameli, CEO Economic Cities & Free Zones, AD Ports Group, said: “Food security is a national priority for the UAE and an essential pillar of our sustainable economic development. Strong partnerships such as our deal with Axione Development strengthen this long-term goal of world-class infrastructure, diversified trade corridors, and strong partnerships between the public and private sectors. Within this wider vision, Abu Dhabi Food Hub represents how national priorities can be translated into practical market infrastructure that supports the efficient movement, storage, and trade of food products. We are pleased to see the project continue to progress through partnerships such as this, reinforcing its role in becoming a central food trade gateway for the UAE and the wider region.”

The agreement reflects continued momentum in the development of Abu Dhabi Food Hub’s next-generation wholesale market ecosystem, which brings together wholesale trade, logistics, warehousing, distribution and digital enablement within a single integrated platform designed to enhance the efficiency and resilience of regional food supply chains.

The development of advanced cold chain infrastructure forms a key component of the Abu Dhabi Food Hub’s broader proposition to support the UAE’s long-term food security ambitions through modern, future-ready trade and supply chain infrastructure. The agreement also signals expanding customer and investor interest in Abu Dhabi Food Hub as construction progresses, and the project advances toward operational readiness by Q4 2026.

As a landmark agreement within the Hub’s commercial development journey, the partnership with Axione Development further reinforces Abu Dhabi Food Hub’s role in shaping a globally connected wholesale and logistics ecosystem for food trade in the region.

Jens Michel, Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Food Hub, said: “Our objective is to build an ecosystem where traders and supply chain partners can operate with greater efficiency, reliability, and access to modern infrastructure. This agreement with Axione Development marks an important client milestone for Abu Dhabi Food Hub and reinforces the market demand for purpose-built facilities that support the evolving needs of regional and global food trade.”

Mikhail Zarkhi, Managing Partner of Axione Development, said: “We are pleased to partner with Abu Dhabi Food Hub on this strategic development. Our focus is to deliver modern, high-specification cold chain infrastructure that meets the evolving operational requirements of today’s food businesses. Through this project, we aim to support food trade with efficient and reliable infrastructure capabilities that enable business growth, strengthen supply continuity, and contribute to a more resilient food ecosystem.”

Daniel Ilizarov, Managing Partner of Axione Development, said: “This project represents a strategic step in expanding institutional-grade infrastructure within the UAE. We see Abu Dhabi Food Hub as a unique platform combining trade, logistics, and regulatory efficiency, which creates a compelling environment for long-term capital deployment. Our objective is to deliver scalable, high-performance assets that align with global standards and support the continued growth of regional food supply chains.”

Strategically located between Abu Dhabi and Dubai in KEZAD, Abu Dhabi Food Hub is set to become a central gateway for food trade, connecting global supply with regional demand through modern infrastructure, efficient logistics, and a collaborative business environment.

 Photo credit: Ananda in the Himalayas

Ananda in the Himalayas (India)

A higher-altitude wellness stay designed for travelers looking for a deeper reset

As travelers place greater value on trips that deliver lasting impact, Ananda in the Himalayas is focusing this summer on longer, more immersive stays, with a seasonal Summer Wellness Offer available from June 1 through July 31, 2026. The program includes savings of up to 40 percent on stays of five nights or more, with fully inclusive pricing that covers accommodation, consultations before and after arrival, personalized therapies, private yoga and meditation sessions, and tailored meals, creating a structured framework for longer, outcome-driven stays.

Set in the Himalayan foothills above Rishikesh, the location naturally lends itself to summer travel. Temperatures are cooler than in much of the region, and the setting feels removed from the intensity of peak-season destinations. Guests follow individualized programs grounded in Ayurveda, yoga, and meditation, often staying for a week or longer to work through specific health and wellbeing goals, from sleep, stress, and burnout to more chronic health conditions such as diabetes or hormonal and metabolic imbalances.

What makes the experience distinct is the sense of structure built into each day, with guided practices and treatments creating a sense of progression over time. As more travelers move away from short trips in favor of something more meaningful, Ananda offers an experience that feels both restorative and purposeful.

This reflects a broader shift toward commitment travel, where time away is designed to deliver lasting results rather than a quick escape. 

Photo credit: The Dylan Amsterdam

The Dylan Amsterdam (the Netherlands)

A more relaxed way to experience a European city at the height of summer

Summer in European cities can feel increasingly intense, with packed itineraries and crowded streets leaving little room to enjoy being there. The Dylan Amsterdam addresses this with its Unscripted Summer experience, available from June 21 through September 20, designed to slow the pace and create more space in the day.

Located along the Keizersgracht canal, the 41-room hotel feels notably removed from the city once inside. Guests arrive through a gated entrance into a quiet courtyard, creating an immediate sense of separation from the energy of the city outside. This balance between central location and privacy becomes especially valuable during peak season.

At the center of the experience is a private canal boat journey at golden hour, with a three-course menu served on board and curated across three of the city’s leading kitchens. This is paired with a two-night stay in one of the hotel’s luxury rooms, including daily breakfast at Bar Brasserie OCCO, alongside a more flexible framework that encourages exploration. Complimentary bicycles and personalized walking routes provide a sense of direction without overplanning, while a drink in the hotel’s secluded garden offers a quieter moment to return to at the end of the day.

Amsterdam’s mild summer climate and walkable layout support this more relaxed flow, allowing guests to explore without pressure. For travelers rethinking how they approach city travel, this offers a more flexible and manageable alternative. Increasingly, this points to slower city travel, where travelers pull back from overpacked itineraries and allow more space for spontaneity and ease. 

Photo credit: Imperial Hotel, Kamikochi

Imperial Hotel (Japan)

A more balanced way to experience Japan, pairing major cities with a seasonal alpine escape

Japan remains one of the most in-demand destinations, but the pace of travel there is beginning to shift. Instead of moving quickly between cities, travelers are building in time to slow down. The Imperial Hotel portfolio supports this by combining stays in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto with Kamikochi, a mountain resort region in the Japanese Alps that is only accessible during part of the year.

Located at around 1,500 meters, Kamikochi offers a cooler and quieter counterpart to Japan’s major cities. First brought to wider attention in the late 19th century by British missionary Walter Weston, it has since captivated travelers from around the world. At its center is the Imperial Hotel, Kamikochi, which opened in 1933 as Japan’s first mountain resort and remains one of the area’s most iconic stays, with a classic alpine lodge feel and views of the surrounding peaks and river valley. The experience is shaped by the landscape, with walking paths connecting sites such as Kappa Bridge, Taisho Pond, and Myojin Pond. The region welcomes over 1.2 million visitors annually, yet remains carefully managed, with access limited to protect its natural environment and preserve a sense of calm.

Open from mid-April through November 15 this year before closing for winter, Kamikochi brings a strong sense of seasonality to a Japan itinerary. Traveling between major cities and this alpine setting allows for a more balanced and intentional rhythm.

This approach highlights the rise of dual-speed travel, where high-energy exploration is balanced with quieter, more reflective time, allowing travelers to engage more meaningfully with both place and pace. 

Photo credit: Hotel Belmar

Hotel Belmar (Costa Rica)

A cooler, nature-driven alternative to traditional tropical summer travel

As summer temperatures rise in many coastal destinations, travelers are increasingly looking toward higher-elevation environments that offer a different kind of tropical experience. Hotel Belmar, set in Costa Rica’s Monteverde cloud forest, provides that shift with a naturally cooler climate and a strong connection to nature. The summer months fall within the region’s green season, bringing fewer crowds and a more vibrant landscape. Instead of peak-season congestion, the experience feels slower and more grounded, making it well suited for travelers looking to spend more time in one place.

Longer stays are encouraged through seasonal offers that weave together wellness, guided forest experiences, and the slower cadence of discovery that define Monteverde. Days unfold in close relationship with the cloud forest, from trails winding through the property and immersions at Belmar’s SAVIA reserve to farm-to-table dining supplied by Finca Madre Tierra, the hotel’s regenerative farm.

For travelers rethinking what a summer trip should feel like, Monteverde offers something distinctly different from a beach escape. The combination of cooler weather and deeper immersion creates a more restorative experience overall.

In turn, it underscores growing interest in nature-led travel, where time away is shaped by connection to the environment and a slower, more deliberate approach.