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Nanga Parbat is the ninth highest mountain in the world, with an elevation of over 8,000 meters. It is located in the northwestern part of the Western Himalayas, between the Indus and Astor rivers.

• The climate on this mountain is very variable and unpredictable.

Sudden snowstorms, fogs and snowfalls are possible. For most of the year, the peak is practically inaccessible for climbing.

Due to the large number of fatalities among climbers attempting to conquer this peak, the mountain was nicknamed “Killer Mountain”.

👍 Millennials value experiences more than things

According to American Express Travel’s 2023 Global Travel Trends Report, Millennials spend 46% of their travel budget on experiences (the same trend seen in Generation Z). More than anyone else, millennials are focused on mental health and opportunities to relax. Hotels with spas are growing in popularity among Generation Y for quality health care.

Some 82% of Generation Z travelers and millennials say they are interested in taking vacations that have minimal impact on the environment, compared to 72% of Generation X and 64% of boomers.

Millennials carefully plan itineraries and their “agenda,” including items like “try local food” or “visit the place where a favorite TV show was filmed.”

🏨 Millennials prefer apartments over hotels

According to UK-based research firm YouGov, millennials make up nearly half of Airbnb customers in 2022 - more than Generation X and baby boomers combined.

No surprise, given that many millennials have become parents and are now traveling with children. Since 2019, Airbnb rentals have grown the most specifically among travelers with children six and under. They expect a separate bedroom for their child in an apartment. In addition, hosts often offer cribs, high chairs, and toys.

Meanwhile, many hotels are trying to reorient themselves to “family vacation”: they make themed children’s rooms and are always ready to stuff the room with everything children may need. Somewhere, on request, they will even bring a refrigerator that maintains the temperature necessary for safe storage of breast milk.

Lisbon has been named Europe’s best capital for traveling in 2024.

The Best European Capitals to Visit in 2024 ranking took into account the following factors: weekly budget, number of English speakers, safety and friendliness of the country.

Top 10 capitals:

🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇳🇱 Amsterdam
🇨🇿 Prague
🇵🇱 Warsaw
🇪🇸 Madrid
🇭🇷 Zagreb
🇬🇧 London
🇮🇹 Rome
🇨🇭 Burn
🇫🇷 Paris

Lisbon is one of the cheapest places to live - you need about €385 for a week here. The people of Lisbon are among the friendliest, just after the Spanish and Italians, and the second most English-speaking, just after the Dutch, with the exception of the British.

So what should travelers be prepared for?

The European Commission has made a number of amendments, and now there are several changes to the visa rules at once. All these adjustments should prepare tourists for the digitalization of the Schengen. Thanks to this, the upcoming procedure should be less painless. The new online platform, through which papers are submitted and digital visas are obtained, will be called EU VAP. The domain ends in Europe - eu, this is typical for all EU websites.

When will digital Schengen visas be launched?

From the launch of the platform, the EU member states have seven years to connect to the issuance of digital documents. This is the timeframe the European Commission has set for the transition to the new format. However, countries can also refuse to do so, leaving for themselves a more familiar scheme.

It is known that each digital visa will have a photo of the owner, and if necessary, the document can be printed. Also, to protect against forgery, the document will have a 2D barcode with a cryptographic signature of the authorized body of the country that issued the document.

Payment for the document is made through EU VAP payment services. However, if the tourist cannot pay for the service in this way, the fee is paid either at the consulate or at the visa center.

The platform is able to determine by itself from which country the tourist applying for a visa is applying. But there may be cases when tourists still have to go to the embassy. For example, when a visa is issued for the first time, or when a citizen gets a new passport. As for all others, the digital format will do.

Traveling is not limited to hotels and rented apartments. Consider how you can travel the world inexpensively, and most importantly interestingly:

🔆 couchsurfing.com - a worldwide marketplace for finding free overnight accommodations while traveling from locals

🔆 wwoof.net - World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms - farmers all over the world are willing to host guests from another country if you agree to help them with their chores. On the site you can post your profile and choose a farm anywhere in the world

🔆 farmstay.co.uk, armstayus.com - want to live on a farm but not work? You can stay at a farm you like, explore how things work (like watching a cow being milked) and enjoy other outdoor activities

🔆 monasterystays.com - Travel with a touch of spirituality. Religious institutions have long welcomed pilgrims and continue to this day. The opportunity to experience asceticism and learn the hidden routines happens for free or for a token fee

• 15 things you didn’t know about monastery stays - article with tips for those who want to live in a monastery.
• 15 monastery stays around the world - 15 best monasteries around the world

🔆 homestay.com - helpful if you want to live with a host family and socialize with locals, rather than staying in an empty and unfriendly hotel room.

🔆 findacrew.net- the service allows you to find a yacht or ship to work on a cruise that needs helpers

🔆 housecarers.com - an option to live for free while looking after someone’s home

The changes will take effect April 1, but they will not affect consular fees for visa processing.

• A foreigner will have to pay $235 instead of $220 to issue a green card;

• For large employers, the cost of filing an I-129 petition for an H-1B visa will go up: $780 instead of $460.

The H-1B is a popular work visa for highly skilled professionals. There are so many applicants that spots are drawn in a special lottery.

• The cost to enter the 2024 lottery will remain the same - 10$. But in the lottery scheduled for March 2025, the employer will already have to pay $215.

• Biometrics are now included in the final cost. For example, before April 1, an I-485 petition to register permanent residence or change status costs $1,140 without biometrics and $1,225 with biometrics, but from April 1, it costs $1,440 regardless of whether biometrics must be submitted.

All fee amounts are published on the USCIS.

The Government of Dubai has announced the Dubai Gaming Visa initiative - the introduction of long-term visas for talented people, creators and innovators in the field of electronic games.

By 2033, the program aims to create 30,000 new jobs in the gaming industry and attract $1 billion to the emirate’s economy.

The goal of the program is to make Dubai one of the top ten cities in the world in terms of game industry development, and for this purpose it is necessary to attract talented developers and designers.

The small town of Ollolai, located in the heart of Sardinia, has launched a program Work from Ollolai.

The town of less than 1300 inhabitants offers remote workers 1 or 2 bedroom apartments in local houses to live in for only €1 per month.

The program is designed to invigorate the island city and enrich the local community by sharing skills and knowledge.

You can apply for participation on the official program website.