During the pandemic, accommodation rental platform Airbnb has identified a new trend that it is calling "wish list wanderlust". The term refers to people spending time daydreaming about where they want to go when travel opens up again.
From exploring new destinations online to looking back over past trips, Airbnb says that this travel-planning pastime can also lead to a sense of happiness.
In a recent survey, Airbnb found that more than a third of those questioned said they thought about travelling on a daily basis and a quarter of those questioned said planning a trip made them feel hopeful.
To help people hang on to this sense of optimism, Airbnb has revealed its most wish-listed stays in every state in the US.
From a cabin in the wilds of Alaska to a luxury treehouse on Hawaii's Big Island, these unique Airbnb's are garnering something of an online fan base.
Click through the gallery above to see the Most Wish Listed Stays in 50 States or read on for details on some of our favourites.
Cozy Alaskan Log Cabin
An authentic Alaskan cabin overlooking Creamer's Field Waterfowl refuge topped the wish list in Alaska. Both outdoor and nature lovers are drawn to this timber tree house set in the forest with trails and wildlife viewing all around. A cosy retreat to hideaway in for the weekend.
An earth house in Arizona
This unique one-room earth house is called a hogan and provides a true off-the-grid experience. Located in a secluded and remote location of the Western Navajo Nation, it's close to the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley.
This Topanga canyon guesthouse
Changeling a Pirates of the Caribbean vibe, you can stay in this tropical guesthouse in Topanga which starred in Cody Simpson's music video Love. It's a hit with people planning a stay in the Californian valley. Surrounded by waterfalls, ponds, totem poles and tepees, it also has a private sauna and hot tub.
Kukui Treehouse on Hawaii's Big Island
Make childhood dreams come true is this elevated Kukui treehouse in Hawaaii. Built in a Kukui Nut tree, it has amazing ocean views and live tree trunks growing through its centre. A spiral staircase leads down to an outdoor shower and four-person hot tub, and there's three acres of land on the doorstep to explore.
An old firehouse in Louisiana
You can always bank on New Orleans to do things a little differently, so it's no surprise that the only firehouse on Airbnb's most wish-listed property rankings is located in the Big Easy in Louisiana. The 19th-century firehouse building has a main floor, penthouse and town house, an adjacent courtyard and a superb location near the French Quarter in the offbeat Marigny district.
This 20th-century cabin in Indiana
A renovated 20th-century barn called Birdsong is the most popular Airbnb property in all of Tennessee. Spanning 2,500 square feet, this property sleeps six guests and has a huge flat-screen television, hot tub and billiards table. Outside, there's sixteen acres of private land to explore and a firepit for gathering around once night falls.
The Dream Rock Silo in Virginia
An old 1950s dairy barn and silo have been transformed into a four-storey home, and the top two floors are for rent on Airbnb. All the rooms in this silo are circular and the bedroom at the very top of the tower has windows that go all the way around for a stunning 360-degree view of the mountains and valley. The owner of the property is also a master cabinet maker, so guests checking in can get the chance to try to solve some clues to find a secret cabinet compartment in the silo.
Casita Don Gaspar tiny house in New Mexico
Nestled among the pines, this super cute tiny house is a two-storey, 900-square-foot residence that's the most desired in New Mexico. Located on 10 acres of rural land, the bright pink house has a well-equipped kitchen, queen bedroom and huge windows overlooking the surrounding trees and mountains. Upstairs, there's a balcony with a hammock swing that offers visitors a spot to sit and stare at the stars and listen to birdsong or coyote calls.
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Cabriolet
Price, base: Dh429,090
Engine 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 510hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 700Nm @ 1,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.2L / 100km
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
BANGLADESH SQUAD
Mashrafe Mortaza (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Mushfiqur Rahim (wicketkeeper), Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan (vice captain), Mohammad Mithun, Sabbir Rahaman, Mosaddek Hossain, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Abu Jayed (Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru Editing by Amlan Chakraborty)
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Results
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Aahid Al Khalediah II, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Whistle, Harry Bentley, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup - Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Alsaied, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
6.30pm: Emirates Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Mumayaza, Antonio Fresu, Eric Lemartinel
7pm: Emirates Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Hameem, Adrie de Vries, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7.30pm: President’s Cup – Group 1 (PA) Dh2,500,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Somoud, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roualle
8pm: President’s Cup – Listed (TB) Dh380,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Medahim, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
The%20specs
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Neil Thomson – THE BIO
Family: I am happily married to my wife Liz and we have two children together.
Favourite music: Rock music. I started at a young age due to my father’s influence. He played in an Indian rock band The Flintstones who were once asked by Apple Records to fly over to England to perform there.
Favourite book: I constantly find myself reading The Bible.
Favourite film: The Greatest Showman.
Favourite holiday destination: I love visiting Melbourne as I have family there and it’s a wonderful place. New York at Christmas is also magical.
Favourite food: I went to boarding school so I like any cuisine really.
Racecard
7pm: Abu Dhabi - Conditions (PA) Dh 80,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.30pm: Dubai - Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,400m
8pm: Sharjah - Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m
8.30pm: Ajman - Handicap (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 2,200m
9pm: Umm Al Quwain - The Entisar - Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 2,000m
9.30pm: Ras Al Khaimah - Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m
10pm: Fujairah - Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,200m
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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The chef's advice
Troy Payne, head chef at Abu Dhabi’s newest healthy eatery Sanderson’s in Al Seef Resort & Spa, says singles need to change their mindset about how they approach the supermarket.
“They feel like they can’t buy one cucumber,” he says. “But I can walk into a shop – I feed two people at home – and I’ll walk into a shop and I buy one cucumber, I’ll buy one onion.”
Mr Payne asks for the sticker to be placed directly on each item, rather than face the temptation of filling one of the two-kilogram capacity plastic bags on offer.
The chef also advises singletons not get too hung up on “organic”, particularly high-priced varieties that have been flown in from far-flung locales. Local produce is often grown sustainably, and far cheaper, he says.
