Marriott International’s study dives into the power of food in shaping tourism appetite

Travel

The idea of hopping onto a plane just to savour a plate of nasi goreng kampung (Indonesian fried rice) in Bali may have sounded absurd a decade ago, but today, well-heeled travellers are increasingly planning their itineraries around local dishes and produce – especially in the Asia-Pacific region.
Hot on the heels of its New Luxe Landscapes Report published in July – which found gastronomy a key driver of destination choice – the Luxury Group by Marriott International launched The Future of Food 2025 report on October 8. This new report draws insights from research and in-depth interviews with more than 30 pioneering chefs, mixologists, and industry insiders from across the region to uncover 10 key culinary trends.
The Future of Food 2025 report details the changing culinary landscape
“The Future of Food 2025 report highlights Asia-Pacific’s pivotal role in shaping global culinary landscapes. This report demonstrates our commitment to culinary excellence across all our Luxury Group brands. We will continue to evolve our gastronomy landscape alongside the F&B industry, providing our guests with dining experiences that highlight the region’s rich heritage, flavours, and techniques,” said Oriol Montal, managing director of luxury for Asia-Pacific excluding China, Marriott International.
Last year, Asia-Pacific commanded the lion’s share of 37.8 per cent of the total global culinary tourism revenue of US$1.1 trillion, noted the report. Within the next decade, this figure is projected to increase to US$6.2 trillion.
Haute cuisine is also being redefined with hyperlocal, lesser-known regional cuisines. This can be experienced in Loka Rasa, a parade of 10 Indonesian dishes served in Marriott Bonvoy restaurants across the nation till December 31 – one of which is the quintessential rustic fried rice by chef Wisnu Adiyatma from Renaissance Bali Uluwatu Resort & Spa.
The revival of forgotten ingredients and traditions such as foraging for Hisalu berries in the Himalayan foothills is another trend to watch. The sourcing of these ingredients can be combined with social impact. IGNIV head chef and pastry chef, Arne Riehn, from The St. Regis Bangkok gets coffee blossoms direct from the farmers, creating additional revenue for them, while also playfully repurposing them.
This mindfulness is also critical to the trends of conscious cuisine and sustainability. Even as travellers flock to Asia-Pacific to unearth gastronomic gems, the industry needs to consider hot-button issues such as the water crisis, scarcity, and emerging farming techniques.
Said Petr Raba, vice president food & beverage, Marriott International APEC: “We’re not just observing these trends; we are actively contributing to their creation and influence. We’re investing in immersive food experiences, sustainable practices, and innovative technologies to enhance our restaurant and bar offerings in the region.”

Marriott International’s study dives into the power of food in shaping tourism appetite

Travel

The idea of hopping onto a plane just to savour a plate of nasi goreng kampung (Indonesian fried rice) in Bali may have sounded absurd a decade ago, but today, well-heeled travellers are increasingly planning their itineraries around local dishes and produce – especially in the Asia-Pacific region.
Hot on the heels of its New Luxe Landscapes Report published in July – which found gastronomy a key driver of destination choice – the Luxury Group by Marriott International launched The Future of Food 2025 report on October 8. This new report draws insights from research and in-depth interviews with more than 30 pioneering chefs, mixologists, and industry insiders from across the region to uncover 10 key culinary trends.
The Future of Food 2025 report details the changing culinary landscape
“The Future of Food 2025 report highlights Asia-Pacific’s pivotal role in shaping global culinary landscapes. This report demonstrates our commitment to culinary excellence across all our Luxury Group brands. We will continue to evolve our gastronomy landscape alongside the F&B industry, providing our guests with dining experiences that highlight the region’s rich heritage, flavours, and techniques,” said Oriol Montal, managing director of luxury for Asia-Pacific excluding China, Marriott International.
Last year, Asia-Pacific commanded the lion’s share of 37.8 per cent of the total global culinary tourism revenue of US$1.1 trillion, noted the report. Within the next decade, this figure is projected to increase to US$6.2 trillion.
Haute cuisine is also being redefined with hyperlocal, lesser-known regional cuisines. This can be experienced in Loka Rasa, a parade of 10 Indonesian dishes served in Marriott Bonvoy restaurants across the nation till December 31 – one of which is the quintessential rustic fried rice by chef Wisnu Adiyatma from Renaissance Bali Uluwatu Resort & Spa.
The revival of forgotten ingredients and traditions such as foraging for Hisalu berries in the Himalayan foothills is another trend to watch. The sourcing of these ingredients can be combined with social impact. IGNIV head chef and pastry chef, Arne Riehn, from The St. Regis Bangkok gets coffee blossoms direct from the farmers, creating additional revenue for them, while also playfully repurposing them.
This mindfulness is also critical to the trends of conscious cuisine and sustainability. Even as travellers flock to Asia-Pacific to unearth gastronomic gems, the industry needs to consider hot-button issues such as the water crisis, scarcity, and emerging farming techniques.
Said Petr Raba, vice president food & beverage, Marriott International APEC: “We’re not just observing these trends; we are actively contributing to their creation and influence. We’re investing in immersive food experiences, sustainable practices, and innovative technologies to enhance our restaurant and bar offerings in the region.”

This Shah Rukh Khan flop ended star kid’s career, left him with no work for 12 years, lead heroines quit films

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

This film starring Shah Rukh Khan ended the career of a star kid who then took a hiatus of 14 years from acting. Shah Rukh Khan in Dulha Mil GayaShah Rukh Khan shook the box office with back-to-back blockbusters in 2023. However, there was a time when one of his films ended the career of a star kid. The flop film couldn’t even recover the budget despite having three stars. 

The film we are talking about made the star kid take a long break from acting and he only made a comeback after 14 years. The lead heroines too quit films. It is Mudassar Aziz’s romantic Comedy Dulha Mil Gaya. 

Dulha Mil Gaya starred Fardeen Khan, Sushmita Sen, and Ishita Sharma, with Shah Rukh Khan making a special appearance. However, SRK got a place in the poster and had a 60-minute appearance in the film. He filmed about 17 scenes and three songs. Despite Shah Rukh’s star power, the film failed to make a mark at the box office. 

Made in Rs 25 crore, the film earned only Rs 3 crore at the box office and was hence termed as a disaster. Fardeen Khan, son of Feroz Khan, left the film industry after the film flopped at the box office. He took a long break from films for almost 12 years. He was set to make a comeback after 12 years with Visfot, but the film got delayed. He then made his acting comeback with Heeramandi, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s first web series. 

Not only Fardeen, but even Sushmita Sen left films that year. She, however, made a comeback with Nirbaak in 2015 and made her OTT debut in 2020 with Aarya, proving why she is called a star. Ishita Sharma, who was also a part of the film, left the film industry and went on to star in several TV shows. However, she has been away from TV as well as films for a long time now. 

Mudassar Aziz has made several films after that including Happy Bhaag Jaayegi, Jia Aur Jia, Pati Patni Aur Woh, and Khel Khel Mein, however, none of them proved to be a hit at the box office. 

Shah Rukh Khan on the other hand is all set to star in the upcoming Sujoy Ghosh film titled King. The actor will be sharing the screen with her daughter in the movie which also stars Abhishek Bachchan and Abhay Verma. Abhishek will be seen playing the role of a villain in the movie.

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This blockbuster film earned six times over budget, was in theatres for 9 weeks, had no superstars, changed life of..

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety ran for a total of 63 days (nine weeks) in cinemas and was declared a blockbuster. It broke several box-office records for a low-budget film and emerged as one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films of 2018.Kartik Aaryan is counted among those stars today whose presence is enough to make the film a hit. To reach this point, Kartik Aaryan has not only worked very hard but has also done excellent work in small-budget movies. His hard work, dedication, and teamwork once gave tremendous success to a movie that was made on a very low budget. This film became a blockbuster without the presence of any superstars and changed Kartik Aaryan’s fate, making him an overnight star. The name of this film was a bit like a tongue twister but its craze on the silver screen was such that the cinema halls remained crowded for not one or two, but nine whole weeks. 

We are talking about Kartik Aaryan’s blockbuster film Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety which was released in February 2018. Written and directed by Luv Ranjan, Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety starred Kartik Aaryan, Nushrat Bharucha, and Sunny Singh in the lead roles. All these actors were new to the industry but the film became a blockbuster despite no superstar presence in it. 

Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety ran for a total of 63 days (nine weeks) in cinemas and was declared a blockbuster. It broke several box-office records for a low-budget film and emerged as one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films of 2018.

The success of Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety changed Kartik Aaryan’s fate and made him an overnight star, meant for mainstream cinema. Kartik Aaryan’s innocence and his comic timing were much appreciated by the audience.

Made on a meager budget of Rs 25 crore, Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety earned a whopping Rs 156 crore at the box office. Ever since the film’s success, Kartik Aaryan has not looked back. He is currently awaiting the release of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 in which he will reprise his role as Rooh Baba. The film is set to release on November 1 and will clash with Ajay Devgn’s Singham Again.

READ | ‘Is aadmi ke…’: When Rajesh Khanna was against Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan’s relationship, she predicted..

‘Wrong signs’: Scotland business leaders issue recruitment freeze alert over Rachel Reeves’ UK Budget

Business News

The chancellor is widely expected to introduce increases to employer National Insurance contributions – but businesses are warning against the proposalsScottish business leaders have claimed increasing employer National Insurance contributions in next week’s UK Budget would “send the wrong signs” and lead to widespread recruitment freezes.It has been mooted that Chancellor Rachel Reeves could announce an increase to employer contributions to National Insurance when she sets out her government’s first Budget on Wednesday. However, she has been warned any changes to National Insurance cannot be at the expense of investment and growth for businesses.UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves

How Fracking Technology Could Drive a Clean-Energy Boom

Technology

From our collaborating partner Living on Earth, public radio’s environmental news magazine, an interview by Paloma Beltran with Jamie Beard, the founder of Project InnerSpace, which aims to kickstart geothermal power generation.

Earth’s crust holds an abundant supply of heat that can be turned into electricity through geothermal technology. 

So far, geothermal power generation has been mostly limited to volcanic areas like Iceland, where that heat is easy to access. But advances in deep drilling technology are revolutionizing the field worldwide.

In 2006, research led by MIT for the national labs pointed to the huge opportunity of this deep geothermal as an always-on renewable that some say could be a game-changer for the climate. And recently, the Interior Department greenlit the massive Fervo Energy project in Utah that should produce as much as 2 gigawatts, enough to power more than 2 million homes. 

Jamie Beard is the founder of Project InnerSpace, which aims to kickstart geothermal with drilling expertise from oil and gas. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. 

Explore the latest news about what’s at stake for the climate during this election season.

Zwigato public reviews: Netizens laud Kapil Sharma’s ‘stellar performance’ as Nandita Das’ movie releases on OTT

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

‘Zwigato’, directed by Nandita Das and starring Kapil Sharma, has finally reached the masses with its OTT release on Amazon Prime Videos, and the netizens love it!Zwigato is a tale of a delivery boy played (Kapil Sharma) who lost his steady job as a factory supervisor during the Covid-19 pandemic and is struggling to make ends meet as a food delivery worker. Released in theatres in March last year, the film was well-received by critics. However, it couldn’t become a commercial hit.The digital audience lauded Comedian-actor Kapil Sharma’s “stellar performance” in the film. Social media users also praised Nandita Das for bringing “the gem” and said it was “a must-watch”.Here’s how the netizens reacted to the film:“Zwigato pivots another genre switch for Kapil Sharma! From being India’s best stand-up comedian, he moved on to anchor a long-running talk-show, and now, he plays the lead protagonist in a topically themed film with quite an ease. Keep shining,” a user said.Another said, “Kapil Sharma’s stellar performance in Zwigato resonates deeply! This thought-provoking film sheds light on the struggles of gig workers, sparking crucial conversations. A must-watch!”“Just watched Zwigato on Prime Video—what an incredible film! Absolutely loved the performances by Kapil Sharma and Shahana Goswami. Thanks to Nandita Das for bringing this gem!” said another user.Lauding the “beautiful movie”, a user said, “What a beautiful movie and beautiful ending. Well done Nandita Das. You’re a legend sir Kapil Sharma Shahana Goswami. Thank you, Prime Video.”“Finally watched Zwigato. Heartwarming film, Powerful performance by Kapil Sharma, Take a bow Kapil Bhai. Shahana Goswami Brilliant as always. Kudos to Nanditadas and TEAM Zwigato,” another user added.“Watched the movie Zwigato Portrays the online food delivery scenario of increasing riders, petrol costs, and diminishing incentives. A little offline tip can be something that we can do to support their efforts. Unemployment cannot be solved overnight,” said another user.Calling the movie “one of the feathers in crown” of Kapil Sharma, a user said, “Amazing movie and a must watch. Sad it came and gone without any notice. A beautiful story of the other side of world which is reality of some and a story for others. #kudos to the team of Zwigato.”“Kapil Sharma Sir Just finished watching your incredible performance in #Zwigato Your dedication and talent truly brought the character to life, making it a memorable experience. Keep up the amazing work—you have a fan for life,” another added.“What a Film Zwigato. A very heart touching film a common man delivery boy story, Great performance by Kapil Sharma sir you are awesome actor, Adorable Direction by Nandita Das Mam. Please watch this film everyone Zwigato,” said another.

Ajay Devgn’s next film Naam with director Anees Bazmee to release in November

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Actor Ajay Devgn’s psychological thriller Naam with director Anees Bazmee is all set to release in theatres on November 22. This will be Bazmee’s fourth collaboration with Ajay, after Hulchul, Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha, and Deewangee.The makers of Naam announced the good news with the film’s poster. The film was earlier believed to release in 2022. However, after facing multiple postponements, the movie is now set to hit the big screens on November 22.advertisementAs per reports, Naam is a psychological thriller in which a person loses his memory and embarks on a journey to find his identity. The film was shot in Switzerland and Mumbai. The film was initially supposed to have Priyanka Chopra as the female lead, but she backed out and Sameera Reddy replaced her. Naam also stars Bhumika Chawla. The upcoming film is produced by Anil Roongta. Meanwhile, Anees Bazmee is looking forward to the release of his next film Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, starring Kartik Aaryan, Triptii Dimri, Vidya Balan and Madhuri Dixit in key roles. The movie will release on November 1.Published By: Prachi aryaPublished On: Oct 26, 2024Must Watch

We do not practice parliamentary supremacy in Ghana – Political Scientist

Science and Health

A Political Scientist at the University of Ghana, Dr Joshua Jebuntie Zaato, has indicated that Ghana is not practicing a parliamentary supremacy system where the decision of Parliament is final.He says the ultimate power rests with the Constitution and the Supreme Court is the body mandated to interpret the Constitution.Speaking on the tussle that took place in Parliament over who occupies the Majority side, on TV3’s Key Points on Saturday, October 26, he said “we do not practice parliamentary supremacy in Ghana. ultimate power power does not lie with parliament, it lies with the constitution.”The Supreme Court on Friday, October 18 directed Parliament to recognise and allow the four MPs to continue to serve as lawmakers until the case is determined. This was after the Speaker had, on Thursday, October 17, declared four seats in Parliament vacant.The constituencies and the lawmakers are:1. Cynthia Morrison, the current NPP MP for Agona West constituency in the Central Region, who has filed to run as an independent candidate.2. Kwadwo Asante, the current NPP MP for the Suhum constituency in the Eastern Region, who has also filed to run as an independent candidate.3. Andrew Asiamah Amoako, currently an independent MP for the Fomena constituency in the Ashanti Region, who has filed to run in the upcoming election as a candidate for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).4. Peter Kwakye Ackah (Amenfi Central), NDC.The former Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu had petitioned the Speaker to declare the seats vacant by invoking Article 97 (1)(g) of the Constitution which stipulates that a lawmaker must vacate their seat if they leave the party under which they were elected or attempt to remain in Parliament as an independent candidate. The Majority Leader Afenyo-Markin had filed a suit at the Supreme Court against the petition filed by Haruna Iddrisu.But the National Democratic Congress (NDC) lawmakers said that they would stick to the ruling of the speaker declaring four seats vacant, a ruling that makes them the Majority in Parliament.This is despite the Supreme Court order that stays the execution of the ruling of Speaker Alban Bagbin,