PASSPORTS AND VISAS 101

The Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar is once again open for Tampa Bay area residents after reopening its borders following the pandemic.  Myanmar was largely closed to the outside world until the government began encouraging tourism in 1992.  The nation quickly became an appealing destination for tourists seeking cultural experiences, spiritual awakenings, unspoiled beaches, and spectacular natural beauty.  While the tourism infrastructure is more established in neighboring countries such as Thailand and Malaysia, Myanmar today reflects the natural environments of those countries before decades of Western-style development made their mark.   

Formerly known as Burma, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar gains its independence from British rule in 1948.  After periods of democracy and military rule, a new civilian government took charge in 2011 that began actively encouraging visitors and building tourist infrastructure.  Millions of tourists followed as the decade progressed.  However, the combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and another military coup d’état in early 2021 devastated tourism.  While political repression and instability continue, travelers have begun returning to Myanmar since the country reopened in mid-2022.

UPDATED April 26, 2023

Millions of tourists visit the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan each year, enjoying the Arab state’s many historic, cultural, religious and natural treasures.  The Jordanian tourism industry is the largest private-sector employer in the country, accounting for 14% of its economy and drawing more than six million visitors annually, including visitors from the Portland area. 

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is located between the Red Sea, the Dead Sea, and the River Jordan at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe.  Modern-day Jordan has been inhabited by humans for several millennia.  The area had previously been part of the Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Roman, and Ottoman Empires before achieving independence from British rule in 1946.  The country of more than 10 million is predominantly Arab and the official language is Arabic -- the fifth-most spoken language in the world with more than 230 million.

Las Vegas is the largest city in the state of Nevada and is located in the Mojave Desert, bordering California and Arizona.  The Las Vegas metropolitan area, known as the Las Vegas Valley, includes Clark County and the cities of North Las Vegas, Henderson, and Boulder City, as well as several other unincorporated communities.  The Las Vegas Valley has a population of 2.3 million people and has been one of America’s fastest growing cities the past decade.  Although Las Vegas ranks only as the 28th-most populous city in the United States, there could be as many as 300,000 tourists visiting here on any given day.  Las Vegas is known as “America’s Playground” and is one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations.  While the city is also considered the Gambling Capital of the World and is home to over 60 major casinos, there was a time when the island nation of Cuba was actually America’s favorite playground and gambling hotspot.  During the 1950’s Cuba was a criminal empire for some of America’s most notorious mafioso—Mafia men who controlled the country’s casinos and hotels.  Castro would eventually take over the island in 1959, forcing the end of Cuba’s Golden Age and prompting 1.4 million Cubans to flee their country, some even moving to Las Vegas to start new lives.  

Filadelfia es una excelente opción para cualquiera que esté considerando mudarse a los Estados Unidos y quiera vivir en una ciudad vibrante con grandes oportunidades. Este artículo brindará una descripción general de la ciudad y destacará algunos de los mejores vecindarios para comprar bienes raíces para aquellos que buscan ser dueños de una casa. También destacaremos algunas de las atracciones más conocidas de Filadelfia que atraen no solo a turistas de otras partes de los Estados Unidos, sino también a inmigrantes y visitantes de todo el mundo. Estas características incluyen un entorno empresarial dinámico, instalaciones médicas de clase mundial, universidades de primer nivel y una profusión de hitos culturales e históricos que sustentan la industria turística de la ciudad. En conjunto, estos elementos crean una base sólida para la economía de Filadelfia y, por extensión, refuerzan la demanda de bienes raíces y aumentan el valor de las viviendas a largo plazo.

Many residents of Phoenix may not know about the hidden treasures of Mozambique, but with the increase in travel to East Africa, more and more people are discovering the African wildlife and tropical beaches of the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean”.

The Republic of Mozambique, located in southeastern Africa on the Indian Ocean, is roughly the same size as the combined land area of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah.  Portuguese settlers ruled the area for more than 400 years before the country gained independence in 1975.  The official language remains Portuguese, although most residents speak one of the native languages as their primary language.  English-speakers are also common, especially in tourist-friendly regions along the coast and around major cities, particularly in southern Mozambique.  The combination of European and African influences has created unique cultural and culinary experiences.

Algeria remains a mysterious and unexplored country for most Denver area tourists, as well as Denver business leaders seeking commercial opportunities overseas.

Bordered by the Mediterranean Sea and several other North African countries, Algeria’s tropical and subtropical climates encompass fertile land in its northern region and the Sahara Desert to the south.  The second largest country in Africa, Algeria is the continent’s fourth largest tourist destination.  The country also offers numerous business opportunities, particularly in the oil and gas, power, infrastructure, IT, and defense sectors (https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/algeria-market-opportunities).

对于任何打算移居到美国，并期望生活在一个充满活力，且有无限机会的城市的人们来说，费城就是一个极佳的选择。  这篇文章将概括的介绍这座城市，并着重介绍一些最好的社区，供那些想购置房产的人们挑选。  我们还将重点介绍费城的一些著名景点，这些景点不仅吸引来自美国其他地区的游客，还吸引了来自世界各地的移民和长期游客。  这些要要介绍的地方包括一个充满活力的商业环境，世界一流的医疗设施，一流的大学，以及支撑费城旅游业的大量文化和历史地标。  总而言之，这些因素为费城的经济奠定了坚实的基础，进而促进了房地产的需求，并长期提高了住宅的价值。

The Republic of Guinea is not a common destination for residents of the Charlotte area, but it does provide unique experiences for adventurous travelers and those seeking new commercial opportunities in international trade. “Tarnished by the Ebola crisis and long-term political instability, it is a country most people stay away from,” the World Travel Guide noted  (https://www.worldtravelguide.net/guides/africa/guinea/). “But for travelers who like being far, far from the beaten path, Guinea has many enticements.”

Located on West Africa’s Atlantic coast, Guinea beckons travelers with thundering waterfalls, virgin rainforests, remote hills, and tropical beaches.  It contains five ecoregions: the Guinean montane forests, Western Guinean lowland forests, Guinean forest-savanna mosaic, West Sudanian savanna, and Guinean mangroves.  However, travel outside major cities and tourist resorts can be difficult due to undeveloped transportation infrastructure -- and dangerous due to high levels of crime and corruption.  The impoverished country also faces frequent medical crises, as detailed by the CDC at https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/guinea.

Singapore, the modern city-state located just off the Malaysian peninsula, draws leisure and business travelers from Atlanta and across the globe with its modern amenities and spectacular natural beauty.  The island nation offers travelers amazing beaches, state-of-the-art accommodations, exciting nightlife, and unique culinary experiences.   

Now known as the Republic of Singapore, the tropical archipelago was known for centuries for the marine trading post Temasek.  In the early 1800s, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles of Great Britain established a port of call in Singapore, eventually transforming the island into a major trading center and a British colony.  Occupied by Japan during the World War II, Singapore separated from Britain in 1959 and became a sovereign nation in 1965.  Today the “Switzerland of Asia” is a global financial and corporate center that ranks among the most prosperous nations around the globe.  Despite being one of the most densely populated countries in the world, Singapore boasts clean modern streets, low crime rates, futuristic skyscrapers, and one of the world’s busiest ports.

The island nation of Cape Verde off the West African coast has been a popular winter getaway for European tourists for decades.  Now residents of San Francisco and other Americans from across the country have also begun discovering the tropical archipelago in recent years, with the United States ranking as one of the country’s top 10 sources of visitors.  The nation also leads West African countries in tourism per capita.

Cape Verde (officially the Republic of Cabo Verde) consists of 10 volcanic islands covering more than 1,500 square miles in the Atlantic Ocean.  The archipelago was uninhabited until Portuguese explorers discovered it and made it the first European settlement in the tropics.  Centrally located west of Senegal, Cape Verde emerged as an economic center during the Colonial-era slave trade.  The republic achieved independence from Portugal in 1975.