Thanks to an early and unexpected gift from her father, 36-year-old Yang Huiyan is Asia's youngest female billionaire. She's also one of the richest women on the continent outright, with a worth of $13bn. All of it more or less came to her overnight after her father spontaneously decided to give her 55% of his real estate company Country Garden Holdings in 2007. At the time she was just 24.
Huiyan may not have been expecting the gift, but she was being groomed to take control of the company in the long term. She traveled to America to study as a teenager, graduating with a degree from Ohio State University in Marketing and Logistics. She's shown her worth to the company on multiple occasions; her dad is still in charge, but she serves as vice chairperson and was credited with the idea of creating new shares in the firm. That brought in revenue of $410m, which goes some way to repaying the enormous investment her father made in her.
Wondering where to go in 2020 for an amazing deal, to beat the crowds, or for a truly once-in-a-lifetime travel experience? These destinations are on travel addicts’ radar for rightfully hyped 2020 events, new offerings, and recent developments that make them a must-visit right now.
On top of the majestic scenery its long been known for, Montana is a newly trendy nature getaway celebrated for its expanding luxury hotel scene, culinary offerings, and shop-local boutiques, according to an American Express study detailing where cardholders are traveling in 2020. But Montana is also about to get more accessible than ever before thanks to emerging flight routes sure to stir up competition. Launching two brand-new seasonal routes to Big Sky country, American Airlines will fly from New York’s LaGuardia Airport to Bozeman and Kalispell, Montana, beginning mid-year and continuing through Labor Day. Take advantage of the new direct route before the secret gets out, and so that they’ll continue next year.
One of the cities featured in Booking.com’s travel trends for 2020, Urugay’s capital Montevideo is a stable and LGBT-friendly destination to visit in South America—a continent that’s seen dips in tourism of late thanks to political instability in travel destinations like Brazil, Chile, and Argentina. Travelers identified the city as a trending travel destination for anyone seeking an immersive, one-stop escape; according to the study, “over half (54 percent) of global travelers say they want to go on one long trip to a place that has all of their favorite activities and sights close together.” Montevideo’s offerings include beaches, nightlife, markets, theaters, culinary prowess, and festive Gay Pride Day celebrations in September.
Europe’s intensely overtouristed spots (Venice, Barcelona, Santorini) have new Eastern European hotspots to thank for stealing away some of the spotlight: Romania is making a name for itself as one of the top five most trending Airbnb booking destinations for 2020. The nation that’s home to Transylvania, Dracula’s castle, and well-preserved medieval towns nestled among rolling hills has seen a 298 percent annual increase in Airbnb bookings.