PASSPORTS AND VISAS 101

The Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar is once again open for Detroit 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 San Diego 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.

The Republic of Angola – a former Portuguese colony that endured decades of civil strife during the Twentieth Century – has experienced a renaissance over the past 20 years. “Safe and welcoming, this friendly nation transports that laid-back, community-oriented lifestyle of southern Portugal to continental Africa – and travelers are once again discovering its charm,” the World Travel Guide noted (https://www.worldtravelguide.net/guides/africa/angola).

With 1,000 miles of Atlantic coastline, the southwest African nation beckons travelers with tropical beaches, virgin rainforests, vast plains, savannahs, wetlands, and hardwood forests.  The gleaming skyscrapers of the capital city, Luanda, provide a dramatic counterpoint to the traditional villages that dominate a sprawling country that is over seven times the size of Florida.  

Sri Lanka remains a popular destination for Seattle area tourists seeking cultural experiences and spectacular natural beauty.  The pear-shaped island nation in the Indian Ocean offers amazing beaches, ancient cities, safari wildlife tours, and modern amenities in a unique South Asian environment.   

The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka was previously known as Ceylon before 1948, when it was under British rule.  The country’s population of some 22 million includes members of several Asian ethnic groups, primarily the Sinhalese (75%), Tamils, Moors, and Malays.  The two official languages are Sinhala and Tamil.  However, English remains the “link language” that is used for education and commercial purposes.  Buddhism is the official religion of Sri Lanka and has the largest number of practitioners, while Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity are also represented.  Buddhism and Hinduism are also the main influences on Sri Lankan culture, although echoes of the British, Portuguese and Dutch colonial eras still linger.  Despite the lengthy flight time from North America to South Asia, citizens of the United States and Canada rank among the top 10 nationalities visiting Sri Lanka.

The city of Dallas and the surrounding metropolitan area is the most populous metropolis in the southern United States and fourth-most populous in the country.  The Dallas metropolitan area—known as the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, or DFW by local residents—has a population of 7.6 million people and includes the cities of Fort Worth, Arlington, Plano, Irving, Garland, Richardson, Frisco, Mesquite, Denton, Grand Prairie, and McKinney.  The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is one of the fastest growing regions in the country thanks to its low cost of living, low taxes, abundance of resources, and ease of doing business.  Dallas and the state of Texas have become an attractive destination for immigrants seeking economic freedom and new business opportunities.  One such group that has found great success in Dallas are immigrants from Laos (although many Laotians have come here as refugees, they too have carved out a succesful life in the United States).  Dallas is home to the third-largest population of Americans with Laotian heritage in the country.  The city is also home to about a dozen Laotian restaurants and a Laotian Baptist Church; and has an organization, named DFW Lao Heritage, that hosts a summer camp for children where they can learn Lao traditions, culture, music, and dance. 

The biodiverse mountains and modern infrastructure of Rwanda have made the country one of the fastest-growing tourism destinations in Africa.  From gorillas of the volcanic Virunga Mountains and the Great Rift Valley to the savannahs of Akagera and the African Great Lakes, “the land of a thousand hills” provides a variety of man-made and natural experiences for visitors from Orlando.

The landlocked Republic of Rwanda in Eastern Africa was formed in 1962 after decades of German and Belgian rule.  Following civil unrest and war with neighboring Congo during the l990s, Rwanda evolved into one of the safest and most progressive nations in Africa.  The country of almost 13 million is composed of one cultural and linguistic group, the Banyarwanda, and the largest religion is Catholicism.  While the principal language is Kinyarwanda, English, French, and Swahili are also official languages.  However, Western languages are more commonly spoken in cities rather than rural villages.

Algeria remains a mysterious and unexplored country for most Atlanta area tourists, as well as Atlanta 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).

Philadelphia is an excellent choice for anyone considering moving to the United States that wants to live in a vibrant city with endless opportunities.  This article will provide a general overview of the city and highlight some of the best neighborhoods to buy real estate for those seeking to own a home.  We will also highlight some of Philadelphia’s best-known attractions that lure not only tourists from other parts of the United States but also immigrants and long-term visitors from around the world.  These features include a dynamic business environment, world-class medical facilities, top-ranked universities, and a profusion of cultural and historical landmarks that underpin the city’s tourism industry.  Collectively, these elements create a strong foundation for Philadelphia’s economy, and by extension bolsters demand for real estate and boosts home values over the long term.

The Republic of Guinea is not a common destination for residents of the Tampa Bay 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.

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 Denver 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.