The New Year brings new travel aspirations and money saving motivation. To help you manage both at the same time, the experts at Cheapflights.com, the online leader in finding and publishing travel deals, have compiled a list of 17 Ways to Save on Travel in 2017 filled with can’t-fail tips and tricks to stretch your travel dollar farther in 2017.
Starting with a currency check-up and moving through perfect planning, swap and save ideas and a round-up of other tips and tricks, Cheapflights’ list is a cheat sheet you will want to clip and save for travel planning all year round. Below is a sampling of the insider tips that will help you go farther for less in 2017:
·Fly by night (or in the early morning) – The time a flight departs can also impact the price you pay for it. Traveling at night (between 6 p.m. and midnight) or in the early morning (think first flight out) will save. A general tip to remember: fly when people would rather be sleeping. After all, families with small children aren't usually lining up to take a 4 a.m. or 11 p.m. flight. And, an added bonus for the early bird: the first flight out is the least likely to be impacted by delays.
·Clear your cache to save some cash – Internet users should delete their browser history every time they search for flights. Prices can increase based on the number of times searchers revisit a particular website.
·Compare all of your options: Don't assume going directly to the airline is the cheapest way to travel. Sometimes small travel agents use flight search sites to sell off packages and flights that people have canceled. Travel providers have more flexibility to offer discounts on flights + hotels or flights + rental cars or other packages since they’re not sharing (and thus undercutting) the specific price of a room or a seat on the plane.
·BYO - With shops and restaurants in airport departure terminals charging a premium, why not save some money by bringing your own food to eat onboard? Not only is it a sure-fire way to save money, it’s likely to be healthier too. Try our in-flight food hacks for in-flight dining at its best.
·Stay ahead of the sales – Sign up to airline and travel providers’ travel deals newsletters and be sure to follow them on social media so you’re ahead of the game when it comes to flight sales, discounts and special offers. Oftentimes, flash sales and travel deals will be announced there first.
Here are 12 more tips you can use to play and win the holiday booking game: embrace the strong dollar by choosing destinations accordingly; use ATMs overseas for the best exchange rates; double your vacation time by combining holidays and weekends; combine business trips and pleasure into bleisure trips; pick a type of trip rather than a destination; compare prices at nearby airports; travel mid week for cheaper fares; look for the best fares 50 days out from your travel; consider traveling on holidays for big savings; use travel apps to make planning and traveling go smoother; be smart about data usage on the road; and use a la carte pricing to pay for only the travel perks you want. For the entire lowdown on how to save significantly on travel throughout 2017, consult Cheapflights.com’s 17 ways to save on travel in 2017at www.cheapflights.com/news/17-travel-save-ways-2017.
About Cheapflights.com, part of the Momondo Group
Founded in 1996, Cheapflights is a leading global flight comparison and deals publishing platform. It is now a market leader in the UK, U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand generating over $3 billion in global downstream revenue for its partners as it expands into numerous other territories. More than 120 million users visit its websites and apps each year, receiving more than two billion search results a month from across 900,000 routes. The 10 million strong opt-in subscribers to the Cheapflights newsletter receive the best deals from over 120 travel businesses – for whom it has driven more than $65 million in revenue this year. Together, the Cheapflights platforms generate enough bookings for its partners to fill a Boeing 747 every five minutes.
In 2011, Cheapflights became part of the privatelyownedonline travel search and inspiration network, Momondo Group.
From the classic climes of Provence, London and the Rheingau to wild and dramatic vino-adventures in Salta, Sicily and Bulgaria, Wine Enthusiast's roundup of top spots offers something for everyone with a passport and a will to explore beyond the glass.
Cafayate | Argentina
A high-altitude enclave in Argentina, Cafayate is home to some of the world’s most exciting Malbec, magical scenery, local crafts and unique gastronomy.
Thracian Lowlands | Bulgaria
Bounded by the Black Sea to the east and Greece to the south, Bulgaria’s Thracian Valley combines archaeological wonders with modern wines.
Canary Islands | Spain
A windswept volcanic archipelago off the coast of Africa, wine from the Canary Islands has been held in high esteem since at least the time of Shakespeare.
Marlborough | New Zealand
The heartbeat of the region? Marlborough’s many cellar doors. Travel into the countryside and explore small corners of wineries to expansive restaurants.
Provence | France
A sun-kissed region in Southeastern France, Provence conjures up visions of dry rosés, olive tree groves, lavender fields and the glistening sea.
London | United Kingdom
Source: www.luxurytravelmagazine.com
A vibrant center for art and culture, London is a city where you can find wine from every country. Don’t miss trying England’s sparkling wines, either.
Calistoga | USA
Healing hot springs, mud baths, world-class resorts, restaurants and wineries are all available in Napa Valley’s northern anchor, Calistoga.
Sicily | Italy
Sitting just off the tip of the boot-shaped peninsula of Italy, Sicily offers beaches, volcanoes, ancient ruins and great wine and food.
Rheingau | Germany
Less than half an hour from Frankfurt, the villages of Rheingau dot the banks of the Rhine with historic vineyards, charming towns and wine discoveries.
Hood River | U.S.A.
Overlooking the Columbia River, Hood River is an adventure sport travel destination with access to wineries, brewpubs, cider houses and distilleries.
Photo credit: Tentuta San Michele, Sicily / Photo by Andrea Savini
The South African government just made it a bit easier to gather those documents needed when a minor is traveling to its country.
The South African Department of Home Affairs recently announced changes to South African entry requirement for minors born in the country who have a current South African passport.
According to Tim Clyde-Smith, South African Airway’s Country Manager for Australasia, people under 18 who are South African citizens and hold a valid passport will no longer require birth certificates which contain parental details to enter the country.
“This new arrangement, effective immediately, applies only to minors who have SA citizenship travelling from other countries (including Australia and New Zealand) to South Africa and who will not need the additional paperwork required until now,” Tim said.
“Those travelling and travel agents and partners should note that all other current arrangements for minors travelling remain in place and must be complied with in accordance with South African laws. If in doubt they should contact the South African High Commission in Canberra on 61 2 6272 7300 for further information,” Tim said.
Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills is an urban oasis in one of the world's most glamorous cities. Perfectly set where Wilshire and Santa Monica Boulevards meet, this elegant hotel represents the best in California lifestyle and luxury. Designed inside and out by the legendary Pierre-Yves Rochon, you'll find world-class service, lavish accommodations, and excellence in every detail. Create unforgettable memories that will last a lifetime.
In a landmark of power and prestige, Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square provides a central city location, near the Tower of London, Tower Bridge and the River Thames. The historic building – the 1922 headquarters of the Port of London Authority – also incorporates 41 Private Residences and the Ten Trinity Square Private Club, a prestigious private member's club from Reignwood, Four Seasons Hotels and Chateau Latour.
A luxury equestrian development located in DubaiLand, the Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club comprises of a 136-key St. Regis-branded hotel, 162 Andalusian-style villas and branded villas, polo club, state-of-the-art polo academy, riding school and exceptional equestrian facilities, including 520 stables.
Kokomo will open in Fiji with 21 spacious beachside pool villas, as well as a limited collection of five-bedroom hilltop private residences. Kokomo is set on a 135-acre private island – one of 10 small tropical islands set in Kadavu’s incomparable Astrolabe Reef. Guests arrive via the island’s private floatplane or helicopter and enjoy all-inclusive stays with luxury accommodations in traditional Fijian bures, gourmet cuisine, spa experience and a variety of activities and water sports, including scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming with manta rays and more.
Four Seasons will provide a world-class level of service and amenities at The Surf Club Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences, reminiscent of the era when the Duke and Duchess of Windsor frequented The Surf Club. Founded by Isadore Sharp and celebrating more than fifty years in the hospitality industry, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is renowned for anticipatory, personalized, insightful service. The staff often knows what you want even before you know you want it yourself.
Set on a nearly-untouched Caribbean island within the Christophe Harbour development on Banana Bay, Park Hyatt St. Kitts offers the unparalleled Park Hyatt experience for discerning leisure travelers to this idyllic destination in the West Indies. Slated to open during spring 2017, Park Hyatt St. Kitts will be a luxury hotel nestled on a secluded area offering golden sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters, overlooking The Narrows, a strait separating St. Kitts and the volcanic island of Nevis.
Located at just a 20 minute drive from the Jiuzhaigou UNESCO world heritage site, the 87 all-villa resort is the latest design from the famous Jaya International Design, founded by the late Jaya Ibrahim. Jaya’s approach to design searched for the beauty and serenity within each project, inspired by the local culture and geographical context; no two styles were ever the same, but always unmistakably Jaya. The Ritz-Carlton, Jiuzhaigou breathes the creativity, soul and character of both Jaya and his team continuing his path.
Opening in the spring of 2017, InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown will graze the sky at 73 stories and offer world-class guest rooms, dining and spa services, all with sustainability and Los Angeles’ indoor-outdoor lifestyle in mind. Our glass tower is located at the nexus of downtown’s historic, entertainment and sports districts — the perfect destination for business or pleasure.
It's been the buzz of Malibu for more than two years but it finally looks like Nobu's Ryokan will open beside Nobu Matsuhisa's Malibu sushi restaurant in late spring. Perched over the Pacific, the exclusive hideaway in a 9,200-square foot, two-story building will feature 11 suites and 5 oceanfront bungalows with custom teak soaking tubs, and Pacific Ocean views.
Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Spa features 201 bungalow-style guest rooms and suites that draw inspiration from the 1950s-desert art movement. Local art is woven throughout, with a rotating collection in the Guest House – a central gathering place for guests. Through the Artist in Residence program, guests learn and create alongside painters, potters, and photographers from the nearby Cattle Track community. Additional amenities include the Turquoise Pool with 13 cabanas, Palo Verde Spa & Apothecary with seven treatment rooms, a salon and private pool, and Weft & Warp Art Bar + Kitchen specializing in contemporary Sonoran cuisine and craft cocktails.
Andaz Mayakoba Resort’s breathtaking design reflects the native Mayan culture and features 214 guestrooms, including 41 luxury suites. Stimulating upscale experiences entertain guests, whether immersing in a lushly preserved mangrove environment, sunbathing in one of three outdoor pools, relaxing in the 10,000-square-foot Naum spa or unwinding on the pristine white sanded Caribbean beach. Additionally, four restaurants and bars will offer the distinguished culinary experiences for which Andaz hotels are known, and all with stunning views of the pools, lagoon, and ocean.
This new beachfront hotel and residential villa community from Auberge Resorts is nestled in the protective cove of Chileno Bay and will feature a 60-room, boutique luxury hotel and 32 contemporary two- three- and four-bedroom beach villas. Amenities include a centerpiece 138-meter swimming pool, a second pool for families, an oceanfront hot tub, fire pits, a new Tom Fazio- designed golf course, extensive spa, fitness center and movement studio with a series of classes, a kid’s club, owners lounge, and h2O Cave, the resort’s waterfront sports center.
The Scott, formerly Firesky Resort & Spa, is being re-branded in January 2017 and will undergo $15M in renovations, set to bring in Spring 2017. The 204-room resort is located in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale and embodies a vibrant, Sonoran style. The property will soon benefit from an upgraded Spanish-style lobby, new signature restaurant and bar, two lagoon-like pools, pool bar and all event spaces, to be complete in Fall 2017, just in time for peak season travel to Scottsdale. (Guest rooms and suites renovation to follow in Summer 2018.) Formerly a Kimpton Hotel, the property is now owned and operated by Classic Hotels & Resorts, based in Phoenix.
Above the Penthouses is an exclusive collection of thoughtfully crafted, ultra-luxury residential offerings on the 15th floor of the Residences at W Hollywood on Hollywood & Vine. Each boasting a unique personality and expansive views of Hollywood’s landmarks (Griffith Park Observatory, Hollywood Sign, DTLA, Capitol Records), residences feature sleek interior spaces with upscale industrial aesthetic, grand living and entertaining areas, spacious private terraces, full in-residence tech packages by BAM Luxury and more. Owners enjoy access to W’s ‘Whatever, Whenever’ residential program, 24-hour concierge, private rooftop pool deck equipped with kitchens, fire pits and outdoor seating, 24-hour state-of-the-art rooftop fitness center and dog park, private screening room and Starwood Access.
Costa Palmas is a 1000-acre private beachfront resort community located 45 minutes from Los Cabos International Airport on the East Cape of the Baja Peninsula. Home to Four Seasons Resort Los Cabos - the luxury brand's first in Cabo - Costa Palmas introduces an elemental form of luxury hospitality set among organic farms on an international marina. Thoughtfully and sensitively designed and situated along a two-mile stretch of swimmable beach, the community features a Robert Trent Jones II 18-hole golf course, 18 acres of orchards and farms, and its own beach and yacht club.
Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts has several openings in China in 2017:
Banyan Tree Jiuzhaigou (Tentative: January 1, 2017)
Located in Sichuan province in southwest of China, Banyan Tree Jiuzhaigou is nestled on a spectacular mountain setting. A 2.5-hour drive from Jiuzhaigou Huanglong Airport, the picturesque retreat is 45 minutes away from the Jiuzhaigou National Park. Banyan Tree Jiuzhaigou offers 209 rooms and suites, all with unique views, and facilities including five restaurants and bar, an award-winning spa, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, gym and entertainment center with private karaoke rooms and a Kids Club.
Banyan Tree Anji (Tentative: July 2017)
The hotel will open with 161 rooms and scenic mountain views with utmost privacy. It will focus on local organic cuisine. Facilities include all the typical things you’d expct from Banyan Tree (great spa, pools, dining, etc.), plus karaoke and a Kids Club. It is located in city of Huzhou in Zhejiang province, an area famous for its bamboo and hometown of the white tea. It is also an upcoming eco-tourism hub of the country with lots of local attractions like the Bamboo Museum Garden, Mountain Longwangshan, Tianhuangping Hydropower Station (the biggest in Asia), Chinese Bamboo Sea, Lingfeng Scenic Spot, South China Paraquat Garden, Feiyi Pagoda and Mountain Moganshan.
Angsana Zhuhai Phoenix Bay (Tentative: September 2017)
202 keys, bordering Hong Kong by sea and Macua by land, 140km from Guangzhou. The hotel will be located at the Dalang Bay Peninsula, with amazing sea views. Local attractions include Zhuhai Fisher Girl Statue, Qinglv Road, New Yuanmingyuan Garden, Pearl Land Amusement Park, Jiuzhou City, Meixi Royal Stone Archways, Huangyang Mountain, Baiteng Lake, Qi’ao Mangrove, Chime Long Resort and Ocean World, and Cruise tour around Macau.
Angsana Xishuangbanna (Tentative: Late 2017)
This region of China is home of the Dai people. The 380-room property will be located in Menghai County, with beautiful tropical scenery and ethnic cultural heritage. Local attractions include Manjinglan Tourist Villahe, Mange Buddhist temple, Jinghong Forest Park, Langcang River Bank, and Ethnic Customs Park.
Steve Kroft reports on how cash-starved countries offer citizenship for a price, creating ways to ease travel for foreigners, including those running from the law
The following script is from “Passports for Sale,” which aired on Jan. 1, 2017. Steve Kroft is the correspondent. Graham Messick and Evie Salomon, producer.
If you have been thinking about leaving the United States, moving to another country and changing your nationality, it’s never been easier to do. In this era of globalization, citizenship and passports have become just another commodity to be bought and sold on the international market. All you need is money and a willingness to contribute a few hundred thousand dollars to the treasury of a cash-starved country or acquire a piece of real estate there.
It’s called citizenship by investment and it’s become a $2 billion industry built around people looking for a change of scenery or a change of passport, a new life or maybe a new identity, a getaway from the rat race, or perhaps an escape from an ex-spouse or Interpol. In any event, it’s brought in huge amounts of revenue for the sellers and attracted among the buyers a rogue’s gallery of scoundrels, fugitives, tax cheats, and possibly much worse.
If you’re shopping for another passport, the top of the line right now is Malta. By investing a million dollars in this Mediterranean island, a Russian or Chinese or a Saudi can become a European citizen with a new EU passport that will allow them to travel just about anywhere without a visa. There are also much cheaper, less discriminating alternatives available in the Caribbean, especially on the tiny island of Dominica, where Lennox Linton is a member of Parliament.
Steve Kroft: How much does it cost to get a citizenship?
Lennox Linton: $100,000.
Steve Kroft: Do you have to come and live in Dominica?
Lennox Linton: No. No. You don’t even have to come to Dominica to get the citizenship. You pay the money from wherever you are.
Steve Kroft: Sorta just mail order citizenship?
Lennox Linton: Sort of. Something like that.
Our introduction to this world of citizenship by investment came in Dubai – the gleaming, international bazaar – that was hosting the ninth annual global citizenship conference. Gathered here were government officials, lawyers, bankers, and real estate developers who facilitate and profit from the trade of citizenship for cash.
Chris Kalin: Good evening, and a very warm welcome…
60 Minutes’ Steve Kroft, left, and Chris Kalin, chairman of Henley and Partners
CBS NEWS
This is the man who more or less invented the business: Chris Kalin, chairman of Henley and Partners, a consulting firm with offices, where else, but in Zurich, Switzerland. For a fee and healthy commissions, Kalin helps countries set up their program, rewrite their citizenship laws, and recruit people of means looking for a second, third, or fourth passport, which he sees as just another travel accessory; a passport of convenience.
Chris Kalin: You probably have more than one credit card, I would assume. And, you know, if Visa doesn’t work, Mastercard will do. So I think any wealthy person nowadays should have more than one credit card. And likewise, you’d have more than one passport.
Steve Kroft: But you need to have some money to do this?
Chris Kalin: Yes.
Steve Kroft: To be able to do this?
Chris Kalin: Yes, absolutely. It’s just for wealthy people, of course, yeah.
Quite often these wealthy customers come from politically problematic countries where their passports don’t work very well, making it difficult for them to get where they want to go. Global citizens like international lawyer Sirous Motevassel, a Middle Easterner from Iran who travels on a West Indian passport from St. Kitts and Nevis.
Steve Kroft: And where do you live?
Sirious Motevassel: I’m living in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Steve Kroft: So you’re an Iranian living in Dubai with St. Kitts citizenship.
Sirious Motevassel: Yes. Yeah.
Steve Kroft: That’s complicated.
Sirious Motevassel: Yeah. It, yeah. This is the life.
It’s the life, because Motevassel’s St. Kitts passport, available for $250,000 or a $400,000 real estate investment, allows him entry to more than 100 countries without having to get special permission. It’s a legal way to circumvent visa controls that nations set up to screen people coming into their country. But it’s also an opportunity for shady characters to mask their true identities, and avoid suspicion as they travel around the globe. The business was born here in St. Kitts when Chris Kalin struck a deal with the government a decade ago following the collapse of the islands’ sugar industry.
Since then, passports have become its major export, providing hundreds of millions of dollars in income. In fact in 2014, the last year for which there are government statistics available, 40 percent of the government’s revenue came from selling passports.
St. Kitts and Nevis passport
CBS NEWS
It’s provided St. Kitts and Nevis with hundreds of millions of dollars for infrastructure projects, private development, and tourism but a lot of the money is unaccounted for. More than 10,000 people have purchased citizenship here, but it’s almost impossible to tell who they are because the information is not public. Chris Kalin doesn’t like the words citizenship for cash, or any suggestion that all you need is money to get a passport.
Chris Kalin: You have to go through a process. You have to apply. And you have to answer a million questions. And you have to undergo a background verification. And you have, at least in the properly run programs, you have to be a reputable person. And that’s checked.
But evidently, not that carefully. About the only way to identify people who have purchased St. Kitts citizenship is if they happen to turn up on a list of international fugitives or get in trouble with the law, and St. Kitts and Nevis has more than its share for two sleepy, little islands. Its passport holders include a Canadian penny stock manipulator… a Russian wanted for bribery… a Kazak wanted for embezzlement… two Ukrainians suspected of bribing a U.N. official… and two Chinese women wanted for financial crimes.
Chris Kalin: I think it’s no secret that these islands have made decisions that are not always optimal.
Steve Kroft: They’ve taken some bozos, as you would call them?
Chris Kalin: Yes, exactly.
Steve Kroft: What about crooks?
Chris Kalin: Yes. It’s goes all the way down to crooks, yeah, absolutely. And it tended for some time to attract quite a few people that I would never let into the country. But I’m not the government of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Steve Kroft: But you set up their program.
Chris Kalin: We helped to set up the program. But, you know, as it is, advisers advise, ministers decide.
The island nation drew the ire of the U.S. Treasury Department two years ago after three suspected Iranian operatives were caught using their St. Kitts passports to launder money for banks in Tehran in violation of U.S. sanctions. It also had to recall more than 5,000 passports because they either didn’t include a place of birth or were issued to people who had changed their names. Since then a number of reforms have been made, but questions remain.
Peter Vincent: They’re not transparent programs. There are not safeguards in place.
Until 2014, Peter Vincent was the top legal adviser for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, part of the department of Homeland Security, which he says is well aware of all the vulnerabilities. In fact, the person in line to take over Homeland Security, General John F. Kelly, expressed concern in a report last year that “cash for passport programs could be exploited by criminals, terrorists or other nefarious actors.”
Steve Kroft: Does that present a security threat, do you think?
Peter Vincent: It does. In my opinion, the global community has established a very effective global security architecture to prevent terrorist attacks. I see these cash for citizenship programs as a gaping hole in that security architecture.
Government of Antigua and Barbuda’s Citizenship by Investment Unit
CBS NEWS
But it’s not stopped the programs from multiplying across the Caribbean…Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, and Antigua are all competing with St. Kitts now for customers and badly needed cash.
Gaston Browne: So what are we supposed to do? Sit back and do nothing? You tell me.
Gaston Browne, the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, says the revenue from its three-year-old program has kept the government from defaulting on its international loans and has turned the economy around. Antigua also claims to have among the strictest programs in the Caribbean. You actually have to show up here to get citizenship, albeit very briefly.
Gaston Browne: Our law provides them to spend at least five days here.
Steve Kroft: That sounds like a vacation.
Gaston Browne: Yes. I understand. But however, we have made sure that at least there must be some face-to-face contact so we know who these people are.
Steve Kroft: For five days.
Gaston Browne: Minimum.
Steve Kroft: What kinda people are you looking for?
Gaston Browne: We’re lookin’ for high net worth individuals. People who are established business people. Who are well-known. And to make sure that we get the crème de la crème.
If so, they are recruiting them in some odd places. Last summer, Antigua announced it was opening an embassy in Baghdad hoping to sell passports to Iraqis. It didn’t work out. But it’s doing better next door in Syria after hiring a relative of President Bashar Al-Assad to represent them.
Steve Kroft: Have you had any applications from Syria?
Gaston Browne: Yes. We have had applications from Syria.
Steve Kroft: And you’ve approved them.
Gaston Browne: Syria is one of the areas in which we have had some concerns but did not place it on a restricted list.
Prime Minister Browne told us instability breeds opportunity. Besides Syria, Antigua has sold citizenship to Iranians, Libyans, Pakistanis, and the people who brought condos in this half-built complex in the desert outside Dubai, 7,300 miles away from Antigua. Its website advertises, “Buy a villa in the UAE and get citizenship of Antigua.”
Steve Kroft: I mean, you said that you were looking for the crème de la crème.
Gaston Browne: Crème de la crème.
Steve Kroft: I mean, there’s a developer in Dubai.
Gaston Browne: Yes.
Steve Kroft: Sweet Homes.
Gaston Browne: Yes.
Steve Kroft: Who is advertising that he’s giving away passports to anyone who buys a condominium there.
Gaston Browne: You don’t believe that, right?
Steve Kroft: Like you open a bank account, you get a free toaster.
Gaston Browne: That is not so.
Browne dismissed the sweet homes ads as advertising hype, saying the citizenship is not free or guaranteed. Somebody has to come up with $250,000 for Antigua and condo buyers must pass a background check.
Gaston Browne: You have to go through all of the due diligence.
Steve Kroft: What kinda due diligence do you do?
Gaston Browne: Well, and that is where the crux of the matter lies.
A diplomatic passport from Dominica
CBS NEWS
The prime minister claims that the names of all applicants for Antiguan citizenship are now screened by American intelligence and law enforcement agencies, and generally speaking due diligence in the Caribbean has improved substantially since the scandals in St. Kitts. The small island offices with a few people are now backed up by international firms that take the screening to a higher level. But ultimately it’s up to each country to decide who gets a passport, and the Caribbean has a rich history of turning a blind eye to official corruption. It’s affected the way the way passports are handed out, especially diplomatic passports, that entitle the bearer to all sorts of special privileges, which Peter Vincent says represents a much more serious security threat.
Peter Vincent: The border officials at the receiving country, even without a visa, almost always admit an individual carrying a diplomatic passport. In addition, border forces are not entitled to search the luggage of diplomats like they are for regular tourists. They simply wave them through.
The sale of diplomatic passports is not part of the citizenship by investment program, but it goes on under the table, particularly in Dominica which has had a most impressive corps of dodgy diplomats.
Lennox Linton: We had a diplomatic passport in the hands of Francesco Corallo, who, at the time, was on INTERPOL’s list of most-wanted criminals.
Parliamentarian Lennox Linton says no one in Dominica had ever heard of Corallo until he was stopped by authorities in Italy.
Lennox Linton: He said, “You can’t detain me. I’m a diplomat.” They said, “Diplomat? Diplomat of where?” He said, “Dominica.”
Then there’s Dominican diplomat Alison Madueke, a former Nigerian oil minister arrested for suspected bribery and money laundering. And Rudolph King, a Bahamian fugitive from U.S. justice, who was Dominica’s ambassador to Bahrain.
Lennox Linton: What we were doing with an ambassador in Bahrain, I don’t quite know. But they seem to think that there was some benefit in there for us.
Steve Kroft: I assume that you’ve asked the prime minister…
Lennox Linton: Yes.
Steve Kroft: How he ended up appointing these people, diplomats.
Lennox Linton: Yes.
Steve Kroft: And what was the answer?
Lennox Linton: The prime minister doesn’t answer those questions.
With vast sums of money flowing into these island nations, and more and more countries selling their citizenship, there is consensus that still more oversight and transparency is needed. But privacy and secrecy have always been a major selling point for people buying multiple passports, including Chris Kalin, the man who invented the business plan.
Steve Kroft: How many do you have?
Chris Kalin: I have multiple.
Steve Kroft: So you don’t wanna tell us how many you have?
Chris Kalin: There’s a few things in my life that, that I don’t talk openly about. And I keep for myself. But I am Swiss originally and many people think I’m very Swiss and so I’ll leave it at that.
