In a globalized world, one of the great things about it is the ability to buy an airline ticket and go traveling. If you ask people what they want to do if they had more money or won some money, travelling would be near the top of the list. The key to travelling is the cost. A number of years ago, in Europe the low-cost airlines made it essentially less expensive to fly than drive and for many years, thousands of people travelled more.

In an article by Anton L. Delgado and Chan Ho-him of the Associated Press, all around the world, economies depend on tourism. In Thailand, tourism contributes 13 % of the GDP, it is 9% of GDP in Vietnam. Tourists bring in much-needed foreign currency for import-dependent economies such as the Philippines and Nepal.

Jet fuel shortages and surging costs have led carriers such as Vietnam Airlines, Air Asia, Cathay Pacific to cut flights and readjusting schedules.

Airspace closures across the Persian Gulf early in the war and the intermittent closures of certain Gulf airports cut off key layover locations for Asia-bound flights or forced commercial airplanes to take longer, costlier routes.

Lavinia Lau, Cathay’s chief customer and commercial officer noted jet fuel prices remain at highly elevated prices and have increased cost pressures.

Higher airfares and weaker travel confidence can quickly spill over into household livelihoods and public venues in economies where visitor arrivals are a major source of jobs, income and foreign exchange, according to a report by the UN Development Program.

Travel is often the first expense people cut when the economy lessens. Although, it is not the same, there are plenty of low-cost experiences that are around where you live, that you may have overlooked or not gone in recent years. In many urbanized areas, there is cottage country not too far away which is good to go on either day trips or weekend trips.

Linking to dividend paying stocks, one of the options with the income you receive from dividends is to travel or save for travelling, it is wonderful to receive the money in the account on a regular basis. As long as the company makes a profit, the shares will tend to trade at a premium and the overall return should be healthy. As long as you are healthy, you can think of where you want to travel to?

There are more questions than answers, till the next time – to raising questions.