Meknes, the Most Undersung of Morocco's 'Imperial Cities'

The kingdom of Morocco is rooted in a series of North Africa Islamic dynasties stretching back to 974 AD, and with the ebb and flow of history, those various dynasties at various times occupied four “Imperial Cities” as their capitals. Fez is the oldest, Marrakesh the most reknowned, and Rabat has the status of national capital. But the fourth, Meknes, is the least well known – and yet very worth the time of any visitor to Morocco, as a day trip or overnight from Fez.  read post

Airbnb Moves Big (and Officially) into the Caribbean/Bermuda

A few months ago, Airbnb entered into a partnership with the Bermuda Tourism Authority that involves marketing and the exchange of fees. Then, in December, it signed one with the British Virgin Islands. Remarkable, because Bermuda and the BVI are nothing if not upmarket destinations. What's more, Airbnb has now signed memorandums of understanding with 16 Caribbean governments, creating a new era of cooperation between those governments and a company that not so long ago was frequently accused of tax evasion.

And not just tax evasion. When I emailed a friend about this topic, he replied, "We're admittedly a little soured on Airbnb these days because of its destructive effects on local rents, overcrowding, and other issues in many areas that are already high-rent like New York City, San Francisco, Paris, and others. Has anything crossed your radar about how that might affect the Caribbean?"   read post