If Australia’s current fiscal situation is “catholicism without hell” then next year could be “trial by fire.”This news comes as creditors warn Jobkeeper – as well as other financial breaks Australian businesses are currently receiving – may prove costly if not turned off quick enough.Of course, these initiatives have proven crucial in keeping the economy afloat (we would never have seen such an ASX rally otherwise). But a fallout is imminent if and when they end, AMP Financial Advisor, Andrew Heaven has told DMARGE.“JobKeeper has been an essential lifeline for local businesses during the current economic crisis created by COVID-19,” Mr. Heaven told DMARGE in July. “It has allowed businesses to keep staff on and by virtue of that, helped pump life back into the economy.”However, “once JobKeeper ends… it’s likely that there will be a flow on effect on the Australian economy, with less people working and spending money,” Mr. Heaven said. “With the unemployment rate currently sitting at 7.1 per cent, its highest level since 2001, once JobKeeper ends, it is likely that the unemployment rate will rise even higher.”Alongside this, as we chart our course out of 2020, we are going to see much upheaval. We’ve already seen the ‘work from home‘ digital revolution (or at least people’s willingness to embrace it) fast-forwarded 10 years. That’s just the beginning of the shaking of the tree.We’re currently living in an economy where a number of ‘doomed to fail’ businesses are being artificially propped up by fiscal initiatives.Specifically, Australian businesses are being allowed to operate while insolvent until September the 2nd under special pandemic provisions.Australian creditor bodies like CreditorWatch say it’s time to let them gradually expire, else “there will almost certainly be a deluge of insolvencies when the moratorium ends, prompting a catastrophic decline in business confidence and derailing any opportunity for near-term economic recovery.”“By reintroducing insolvencies, bad businesses can be weeded out as they emerge… without risking more widespread collapse of businesses, confidence, and the recovery effort,” Business Insider reports.It’s not as simple as leaving businesses out to dry. As Business Insider reports, only around half of CreditorWatch and AICM members reject the idea of extending the “safe harbour” measures.One alternative is to introduce even more targeted measures (while letting the older ones fall by the wayside), which enable good businesses, which would be flourishing were it not for the current crisis, to survive (or to seek help or closure in a dignified way).One idea that has been floated is vouchers of up to $5,000 for small business owners under significant stress to seek financial advice.Another is small business’ right to freeze debts and bills for three months or more.Another reason we shouldn’t be too quick to turn off the life support for some of these ‘zombie companies’ is that this is no normal bankruptcy situation.As Mathew Cassidy, Managing Director at Partners Wealth Group told DMARGE, “we’ve never seen a 7-8 day trading period where the stock market’s come off to the extent it has [during the original 2020 crash].”“We’ve never [even]  in our parents’ lifetimes seen an economic situation where revenue has just fallen off a cliff like this.”“In the past we’ve seen economic issues where assets have temporarily been impacted and most people have been ok because they’ve had the revenue to keep it. But this is the most historic event where revenue has dried up for a lot of people.”While no one has a crystal ball for Canberra’s future moves, Investment Manager at VFS Group in Sydney James Whelan has told DMARGE it’s entirely possible the government will just keep reaching into its pockets until the economy comes up to meet the market.Only time (and luxury watch sales) will tell.

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• Experts Reveal The Real Reason Tesla Stocks Spiked…& It’s Not Pretty

The post Zombie Companies: How They Could Wreak Havoc On Australia’s Economy appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

For almost 60 years, Arnold Schwarzenegger has been one of the world’s most prominent fitness figures. The bodybuilder, actor and politician has had one of the most unlikely career trajectories in modern history – transcending humble beginnings as the son of a policeman in rural Austria to becoming a fitness icon, film star and eventually the Governor of California. There’s no-one else quite like him.The 73-year-old doesn’t show any sign of slowing down, either. Schwarzenegger, who’s highly active on social media, regularly shares footage of his workouts and fitness advice with his millions of fans (as of September 2020, ‘the Governator’ has over 21 million Instagram followers).His latest post is par for the course – showing off a workout from the comfort of what appears to be his home office. Keeping things casual in a t-shirt, shorts and a pair of old Vans, Arnie works up a sweat with some t-bar rows while listening to some Taylor Swift (a little unexpected but we back it).

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Old, but not obsolete. T-bar rows are one of my favorite exercises. Here’s some Monday motivation!

A post shared by Arnold Schwarzenegger (@schwarzenegger) on Aug 31, 2020 at 2:54pm PDT

It’s entertaining that Arnie’s home office has more exercise equipment than most people’s home gyms. Indeed, his own home gym is a virtual fitness paradise, with more machines than a Terminator movie. Still, when you’re worth over $400 million and virtually your entire life revolves around being totally jacked, perhaps having weights in every room in your house makes sense.What’s notable about this exercise is how low-tech it is. A t-bar row machine is at its core just a few pieces of piping – nothing like the expensive, bespoke exercise machines other millionaires buy for their superyacht gyms or Mark Walhberg’s ‘recovery stimulating’ $18,000 Power Plate for example. You could make one of these t-bar machines at home with only some basic welding knowledge (or buy one for cheap).More to the point, Schwarzenegger proves that you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on fancy workout clothes in order to get the job done. If worn old slip-ons and regular skivvies are good enough for Arnie, maybe you don’t need to spend a small fortune on Lululemon.The other ‘low-tech’ form of exercise that Arnie’s a big fan of is cycling. During COVID-19, the seven-time Mr. Olympia winner has been spotted numerous times wheeling around Los Angeles on his custom fat-tire pushbike by paparazzi and fans alike. Indeed Arnie’s posted some of his on-bike antics himself on numerous occasions, extolling the virtues of cycling (and wearing a mask when you go outside during this pandemic). It’s definitely a better health move than tooling around in a ‘Schwarzenegger-spec’ Humvee, that’s for sure.

Clearly keeping things low-tech and old-school is working out well for Schwarzenegger: he’s still in impeccable shape and arguably looks better than he has for years. The salt-and-pepper beard suits him, too.Aside from his advocacy for PPE during the pandemic, Arnie’s charity After-School All-Stars recently partnered with social media giant TikTok to provide food to struggling families during COVID-19. Clearly, good karma is also essential to a tip top rig.

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• Conor McGregor’s Latest Workout Could Be Your Ticket To Lungs Of Steel
• Rising Australian Boxing Star Breaks Down How To Train Like A Fighter

The post Arnold Schwarzenegger Home Workout: Keeping It Old-School appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Since the Australian government slashed the international arrival cap from 6,500 per week to 4,000 per week in July, ‘passenger culling’ has become the airline trend du jour.

On the one hand: carriers have a vested interest in keeping customers happy. On the other: they are trying to keep afloat during the most difficult period in commercial flying’s history, amid strict government regulations.

This has led to the prioritisation of business class ticket holders, and a whole lot of bumping and shuffling.

Cue: chaos among returning Australian travellers and expats.

Australians like Jaynee Wehbe, global sales director at TRIANGL, who earlier this year was granted an exemption to leave the country to go to Ibiza and Italy on business, have been forced to book and rebook new tickets – at the pointy end – to ensure a flight home.

Jaynee told DMARGE in August: “I think 90% of the flight on the way home was business. It was easier for me to use the economy toilets rather than business that’s how empty economy was.”

“I only saw a handful of people in economy, mainly business and first class only.”

Jaynee is far from alone. Australians like Jim Collins and his family, who in July had been trying to get home (to Australia) from the UK since March, told the ABC in July, “We’ve repeatedly tried to get flights … And every time we’ve been able to do that, the flights have been cancelled.”

“We were told that the flight had been cancelled… But the flight actually went ahead.”

“Now it appears that it’s only if you can afford a first class ticket or a business class upgrade that you’re being allowed in.”

Last month, DMARGE reached out to Qatar Airways to seek comment on this phenomenon, after noticing a number of complaints (levelled at almost every airline still operating) on Twitter.

Just heard from a friend en route to Australia from U.S. that with flights limited to Sydney, Qatar Airways is only placing those who upgraded/paid for business class on those flights. Must be nice to be rich! Can you confirm this is your policy @qatarairways?

— Mike Kalenderian (@ItsMikeKay) July 8, 2020

Qatar Airways told DMARGE: “Due to the limitations on passengers travelling to Australian destinations, Qatar Airways analyses each flight on a case by case basis to ensure we facilitate onward travel to the final destination for as many passengers as possible.”

“The passenger list is continually assessed and based on a range of criteria, including compassionate and medical requests, connecting flights, booking class, party size etc. We continue to work closely with our passengers to find alternative flights if they are unable to travel on their original intended flight.”

Qatar Airways last week added to this, with a public statement highlighting the challenges passenger caps bring, and explaining how the airline is tackling them.

“Qatar Airways has been in regular communication with the Australian Government since the onset of the pandemic to provide, in addition to nine repatriation charters operated to/from Australia, extra capacity to help bring Australians home,” Qatar Airways announced.

“Due to the cap on international passengers, travelling to Australian destinations, based on limitations of quarantine facilities, Qatar Airways can only carry a limited number of passengers per day to all of its Australia destinations, resulting in thousands of Australian citizens and residents being unable to be accommodated on flights in the coming months.”

“Despite the challenges, Qatar Airways is operating a robust Australian network to five cities, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne (currently no inbound passengers permitted), Perth and Sydney to facilitate ongoing repatriation and is currently operating more flights than any other international airline.”

 

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A post shared by Qatar Airways (@qatarairways) on Aug 30, 2020 at 9:04am PDT

“Due to the dynamic nature of the pandemic, airlines operating flights to Australia have faced ever-changing restrictions, often imposed on short notice. Because of the continuous changes in restrictions as announced in Australia from time to time, passengers have experienced a cascading effect of restrictions affecting both previous existing bookings for flights scheduled during the first announced period of restrictions and new bookings that were made for flights scheduled for dates beyond the first announced restricted period, but are now included in the current extended restriction period,” Qatar Airways added.

“These combined restrictions have resulted in many passengers having their tickets rebooked onto later flights several times as demand exceeds the new caps announced.”

“With the recent extension of restrictions until late-October, Qatar Airways can only transport a maximum of approximately 4,500 passengers during this time. As a result, every day hundreds of people are advised that they cannot be accommodated on their booked flight and need to be rebooked for a later date where there may be availability. To further limit the impact of the restrictions, the airline has already stopped accepting any new bookings for flights to Australia until the current passenger cap is relaxed.”

“Qatar Airways remains disadvantaged in frequency and capacity in comparison to some airlines who have unrestricted or a large number of frequency and capacity and do not utilise in the time of need of the consumer causing further congestion and thus increasing the number of stranded consumers.”

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Ensuring the continued repatriation of passengers to Australia is becoming increasingly challenging… Given the restrictions, we cannot accommodate these passengers on an alternative flight the following day where we face the exact same issue so the problem continues to grow on a daily basis. We are working to prioritise cases that are emergencies or require urgent travel, but many cannot be immediately expedited.”

“While the airline realises the need for restrictions to limit the impact of any possible second wave of infections, many passengers will be unable to travel back to Australia for the foreseeable future.”

“Since April, we have been the leading airline carrying international traffic to and from Australia. While other airlines grounded operations, we kept flying, carrying almost 45% of international passengers in April and 34% in May, helping carry over 180,000 Australians and international travellers home. These flights have also helped maintain vital supply chains for Australian businesses with our airline carrying just over 15,000 tonnes of Australian goods since 1 March 2020. The continued operation of these flights is vital to the Australian economy as they maintain a much-needed link to the world and facilitate international exports,” Mr. Akbar Al Baker added.

To conclude, here are the key facts.

• Qatar Airways is allowed to carry a maximum of 30-50 passengers to Sydney, 40-45 to Perth, 25 to Brisbane and 60 to Adelaide each day while Melbourne remains closed to all inbound passengers.
• While emergency cases are prioritised, thousands of passengers cannot be accommodated in the coming months due to the restrictions.
• Despite other airlines suspending flights to Australia, Qatar Airways launched new services to Brisbane along with adding an extra 48,000 seats in April and May to help stranded passengers get home.

Read Next

• Why Returning Australians May Be Forced To Fly Home In Luxury
• Business Class Passengers Shocked By ‘Intense’ Treatment On Arrival In Australia

The post Australian Business Class Stampede To Continue For 'Foreseeable Future' appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

After months of speculation, Rolex – the undisputed titan of the watch world – just announced their new timepieces for 2020.The big-ticket items this year are the new steel Oyster Perpetual Submariner and Oyster Perpetual Submariner Dates. The ‘Sub’ has long been one of the Swiss brand’s most popular offerings: a hardy diving watch with a clean, much-emulated design. Indeed, if you’re thinking of a watch, there’s a good chance you’re thinking of a Sub, or one of the hundreds of watches it has inspired.

In line with current tastes, the new Sub features a larger 41mm case. It’s the first time the iconic timepiece has been offered in this size, yet the subtle redesign actually makes the 2020 Sub look slimmer than previous models, thanks to its slightly narrower lugs. The steel bracelet of ‘The Diver’s Friend’ has also been tweaked with slightly larger, yet thinner links.From a technical perspective, the new Sub is equipped with Rolex’s new in 2020 Calibre 3230. According to Rolex, this new automatic movement delivers “fundamental gains in terms of precision, power reserve, resistance to shocks and magnetic fields, convenience and reliability,” and has a power reserve of around 70 hours (almost three days – a huge increase over the 40hr reserves of previous models). Additionally, the new Submariner Date will be fitted with the still-fresh Calibre 3235, the first time this movement’s been used in the Submariner range as well.

While the classic black on black makes a return, the two new colourways that most fans will be after are the black dial, green bezel and black dial, blue bezel offerings, although the blue on blue two-tone Sub has also got tongues wagging. More to the point, two-tone watches don’t tend to shift as quickly as straight steel or gold models, so you might have a better chance of picking that one up.Rolex is a heritage brand that’s more about iteration than revolution, so that these Submariner releases feel somewhat tame is to be expected. Rolex was not particularly subtle in hinting at a new Sub this year, and watch insiders predicted that the green and blue bezels would drop well in advance of this morning’s announcements.The black/green has already been dubbed by Rolex fans as the ‘Hermit’, a portmanteau of ‘Hulk’ and ‘Kermit’ and a clear reference to those hugely popular Rolex ‘grails’. It’s sure to be a popular model, as it’s larger than the Kermit and fills the green-coloured void that’ll be left by the Hulk’s discontinuation.

Other Releases

Let’s not let the Submariner / Submariner Date distract from Rolex’s other announcements, however.Rolex released another four new 18ct white gold versions of their classic Datejust 31. The headliner features a bezel set with 46 brilliant-cut diamonds and an aubergine, sunray-finish dial, adorned with a diamond-set Roman VI. The three other models with a mint-green sunray-finish dial, white lacquer dial, and dark grey sunray-finish dial respectively all feature a classic Rolex fluted bezel – in 18ct white gold, naturally.The Sub’s not the only Rolex classic that’s seen a size upgrade. New for 2020 is a 41mm version of the entry-level Oyster Perpetual, available with either a silver or black sunray-finish dial. In addition, the smaller Oyster Perpetual 36 has been blessed with a new range of colourful and playful lacquer dials: candy pink, turquoise blue, yellow, coral red and green. The yellow in particular looks very 90s (in the best way possible) and is easily our pick of the bunch.

The haughty Sky-Dweller has also been refreshed with an Oysterflex bracelet – an innovative design constructed from flexible titanium-nickel alloy blades over-moulded with a high-performance black elastomer. It combines the weatherproof, flexible advantages of a traditional rubber strap with the durability of a metal bracelet.Perhaps what’s more surprising about this year’s releases is what hasn’t been announced. There’s been speculation that Rolex was going to discontinue their Air-King model line, but that seems not to have eventuated. The other rumour was that Rolex was going to re-release the 36mm Explorer this year – the focus of a ‘Rolex conspiracy‘ that’s seen 36mm Explorers from the 90s been bought up en masse in the UK and elsewhere. That too seems to have been rubbish, or maybe there’s something else at play…With Rolex (alongside other big names like Patek Philippe, Chopard and Chanel) having pulled out of Baselworld, this might be all we hear from the ‘Golden Crown’ this year. We’ll be sure to keep you updated with any new Rolex news in any case.

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The post Rolex Submariner 2020: Largest Model To Date, Complete With New Movement appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Emirates is known as one of the leading business classes for luxury travellers around the world. Ranked the World’s Best Airline of 2016, their hospitality and luxury cabin comforts are second to none.From their world-class Chauffeur-drive transfer service to thoughtful mini-suites, your next flight out of the country could be your most memorable one yet. But not before we teach you guys how to score the most out of your next trip in Emirates Business Class on the double-decker Airbus A380.

Exclusive Before-Flight Amenities

The Emirates Business Class experience begins with the airline’s complimentary car transfer service, Chauffeur-drive. Whether you’re landing in a new city or taking off from Sydney, a Chauffeur-drive is readily available to get you where you need to be. This service is available in upward of 70 cities around the world and booking must be down 48 hours in advance.Sydneysiders can use the luxury car service within a 40 kilometre radius of SYD. Additionally, travellers passing through Melbourne and Adelaide airports have an extended 60 kilometre range accessible to the service.Check-in for Emirates is seamless with dedicated lanes for those flying Business and First Class, as per usual. After check-in, you’re welcomed into the cosy, yet conservatively styled lounge located near Gate 58 in SYD.Your foodie soul can’t resist the premium snacks calling you from the Emirates lounge. Business Class offers delectable hot and cold treats alongside enticing breakfast options before your flight. Enjoy everything from grilled cherry tomatoes on toast with chicken sausage to Warbat Ashta and more. Artfully prepared and awaiting your arrival.Need a morning tipple? Negronis are plentiful at the lounge’s self-serve cocktail bar. Where a plethora of fine spirits and Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label are available any time of day. Pour yourself a drink and cheers to a good life.Thanks to the 2013 Emirates-Qantas partnership, Emirates Business Class travellers have access to the Qantas Business Lounge in any domestic or international airport.

Premier Upper Cabin Business Class

Emirates Business Class is located on the upper cabin of their Airbus A380. The cabin is split in two, unintentionally creating a more secluded atmosphere for rows 22-26…as well as a preferred location near the on-flight bar.Seats are configured in the 1-2-1 staggered layout, commonly found in other Airbus A380 business class cabins. The setup is ideal for travellers who prefer privacy during flight without sacrificing direct aisle access. One lavatory can be found near row 6. While the other four lavatories are available behind the bar at the back of the cabin.Each seat sports a 48” pitch and 18.5” width which is noticeably smaller than their Boeing 777 business class. However, the A380’s offer flat bed seats versus the angle lie flat you’ll find on the 777’s.Not all beds are created equal on the A380’s. Taller gentlemen, do yourselves a favour and opt for A, E, F and K seats. Their considerably longer than their accompanying seats, stretching in at 200cm versus 178cm.You’ll notice the overall cosy atmosphere of the cabin immediately after boarding. Burled walnut and gold trims provide an aire of elegance with ambient mood lights for a welcoming feel.

No Pyjamas, But Personal Minibar

Emirates Business Class seats offer more than the typical settlement albeit it’s size. Each mini-suite is equipped with an adjustable, roomy side table and mini-bar (with it’s own mood lights, of course) supplying water, juices and soft drinks. The drinks aren’t cooled. Therefore, if you’d prefer a chilled beverage, you’ll have to call for an FA.The seats offer an abundance of storage space. From a hideaway hole for phone charging to generous storage compartments which line window seats. The footrest also doubles as the undisclosed holder of shoes and all things valuable.Unfortunately, Emirates Business Class doesn’t offer pyjamas like their competing airlines. Nonetheless, business travellers are still supplied with all the necessary goods for a restful mile-high slumber. Noise cancelling headphones, a soft duvet, and earplugs to mitigate noisy foot traffic and chatty folks.The large and thoughtful supply of men’s luxe toiletries will keep you refreshed after a lengthy flight. Take to a quick shave with Gilette shaving foam and quality razor and moisturise with complimentary Bvlgari lotions and aftershaves available in your kit.Seat adjustment is controlled manually or by an in-suite wireless tablet. From here, travellers are able to alter seat positioning, deploy massage feature, manage lighting and control the entertainment system.

Best Seats In The House

Frequent business class travellers have reluctantly sat in the best and worst seats around. Light sleepers need certain localities with minimal foot traffic and privacy, while others prefer added storage space for their goods.For those who want the best seats in Emirates Business Class, opt for 23A and 23K. They provide additional legroom and feel sizable granted their location behind bulkhead. Although it’s located in the back cabin near the bar, it’s a relatively quiet ride.A20 is solid behind-the-wing seat and suitable for those who want easy access to the window storage compartments. Travelling couples should opt for E & F seats for discrete canoodling and easy conversation.

Seats You’ll Want To Avoid

Don’t fall prey to the devilish lure of row 7’s extra legroom. Besides being located near the galley, you’re planted right on the wing with limited views. Window seats 7A & K also lack needed privacy with their exposure to the aisle.Silent seekers should steer clear of row 26 for it’s proximity to the bar as well as all four bathrooms. Bassinets are secured ahead of seats 6D, 6G, 22D and 22G.

Best In-Flight Entertainment System

Emirates Business Class employs one of the best inflight entertainment systems called ICE. Standing for Information, Communications, Entertainment. Access new-release and classic flicks, binge-worthy telly and rhythmic worldly tunes all from it’s user-friendly platform. The 17-inch display is touchscreen and can be operated by the standard systems controller or the tablet device exclusive to business travellers.One seriously cool feature in the entertainment system is the ability to see outside the airplane from your seat. Emirates installed cameras in the tail, underside and nose of the plane for a one-of-a-kind aerial viewing party for all passengers.All seats are fit with USB ports and AC power outlets for charging up smartphones and laptops. FAs have multi-country adaptors on board should your flight not host the specific plug-ins you need.

Wholesome Meals With Extra Chocolate

Before take-off you’ll be gracefully adorned by an inflight menu, wine list and glass of Moët. The wine menu observes each wines tasting notes alongside composition and pairing for your meal.After your glass of bubbly comes warm nuts and an apéritif with choice of Campari Bitters or Martini Vermouth, offered Dry or Sweet for good measure. Followed by a prawn and cha soba salad appetiser with a zesty wasabi-yuzu dressing.Dinner options range from lamb to roast chicken, but most importantly…  the Chicken Schnitzel Sandwich by chef Neil Perry. A classic chicken schnitzel enrobed by sourdough ciabatta and Swiss Cheese. A signature meal borrowed from their partner airline Qantas.Choose from one … or two of Emirates chocolate focused desserts. Boasting a decadent chocolate torte, a lovely fruit tart with chocolate or a luxury hot chocolate for an alternative nightcap.Should you arise early, snacks are available before breakfast including seasonal fruit, bread with jam and butter and yoghurt. After your Bailey-ridden coffee, opt for a hot meal of egg soufflés, ricotta-filled crepes and of course…more breakfast breads and butter.

Fleeting Words

The hype of flying Emirates Business Class on the Airbus A380 is seriously justified. From your personal chauffeur pick-up to onboard bar and lounge, Emirates radiates in hospitality departure to arrival. For comfortable lie-flat seats, endless servings of Moet and the best entertainment system around, look to Emirates Business Class on your next flight from Sydney.Book Now

How Emirates Is Responding In 2020

2020 has been the most challenging year in aviation history for practically every airline. Emirates has been one of the few carriers (alongside the likes of Qatar Airways) that consistently continued to fly long haul even during the peak of the pandemic related pinching, helping essential medical personnel and business travellers get where they needed to be, as well as helping repatriate stranded expats around the globe.As the demand for holiday making has slowly crept back, Emirates has been used by leisure travellers too (and continues to be one of the airlines of choice for the Australia-Europe corridor).Emirates’ base in Dubai enables it to continue operations to a wide range of destinations, despite a much reduced global demand for flights.Though some premium perks were modified (and temporarily removed) in early 2020 due to social distancing and hygiene restrictions, Emirates began reinstating them in July, as well as introducing some enticing travel initiatives, like paying for travellers’ hotel quarantine.

Emirates Business Class FAQ

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The post How To Get More From Your Next Emirates A380 Business Class Flight appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Parisans love their cafés. And we’re not just talking crema: we’re talking tables, chairs, the whole croissant and kaboodle. But they’re not the only ones with a bean scene. In cities like Sydney, Australia, where there are rapidly growing foodie movements, many citizens now look upon what used to be a revered institution – the café au lait – with disdain, believing their coffee to be the best in the world.That said, tourists worldwide – Australians included – still look to the French café (if not coffee) experience with reverence, despite most Antipodes arrogantly (but not always incorrectly) asserting Parisian coffee tastes like burnt dishwater. Likewise, across the pond, many Americans still see France as a rite of passage, not just because of the museums and art galleries, but due to the al fresco culture and gastronomy, best experienced with a croissant in one hand and a noisette in the other.RELATED: Secrets To Dressing Like A Parisian When You’re Not OneBut other than our historical and cultural projections, what makes the French café experience so popular? One Paris-based photographer Patrick Colpron recently took to Instagram with an image (and caption) we believe sheds light on this question.

 

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Lorette & Les Garçons, Café life is when you just take the time to love a little instead of rushing from place to place. It is when you can afford to wait 15-20 minutes to have your order taken for a simple coffee and another 15-20 minutes to have it brought to you. The time it takes to fully enjoy the simple pleasure of another person’s company, a fresh newspaper or a good book. Made with a Canon EOS R and a Canon RF 15-35/2.8 #thisisparis always something new to discover, taste and experience #paris #topparisphoto #topfrancephoto #topeuropephoto #hello_france #super_france #igersfrance #visitfrance #merveillesdefrance #parisjetaime #parismonamour #parigi #igersparis #tlpicks #passionpassport #iamatraveler #mylittleparis #culturetrip #beautifuldestinations #parisobviously #canon #canoneosr #canonrf1535lism #canonfrance

A post shared by Patrick Colpron (@patrickcolpron) on Jul 22, 2020 at 10:07pm PDT

“Lorette & Les Garçons, Café life is when you just take the time to love a little instead of rushing from place to place. It is when you can afford to wait 15-20 minutes to have your order taken for a simple coffee and another 15-20 minutes to have it brought to you. The time it takes to fully enjoy the simple pleasure of another person’s company, a fresh newspaper or a good book.”

“Always something new to discover, taste and experience.”

Sounds simple but it’s a world away from the takeaway piccolos of Sydney or the laptop filled Starbucks’ of Los Angeles.Despite the health risks of travelling at a time like this, many argue now could be the best period in history to visit Paris, with Politico reporting a 16 million drop in tourists and the WSJ writing that with such a decline in customers, “even waiters are friendly.”Maybe as life gets ever more complicated, and global events threaten to raise the blood pressure of even the most well-adjusted individuals, we could all benefit from getting back to basics.Your coffee and newspaper await.

Read Next

• Defiant Photo Suggests France’s ‘Flirty’ Culture Hasn’t Changed Since Lockdown
• The Truth About Why Parisians Are Rude To Tourists 
• The Embarrassing Mistake Every Tourist Makes In Paris

The post France Café Culture: World Beating Secret Revealed appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The economic (and literal) Grim Reaper of 2020 has swung its scythe deep into the heart of luxury brands.While virtually every industry in today’s globally interconnected economy has been affected by the COVID-19 crisis, luxury brands have been hit particularly hard. It’s understandable, really: right now people are much more concerned with buying face masks and alcohol during lockdown than fancy bags or jewellery.On top of that, retail is a total a no-go thanks to The Bat Kiss – an essential part of the whole luxury experience – and while online retail is doing well, many would question the ‘point’ of buying luxury goods right now… People are staying inside so there’s less of an audience for your new Louis Vuitton flex, so why invest your hard-earned coin?Indeed, luxury goods sales (or the lack thereof) are perhaps one of the best indicators for the global economic outlook. The stock markets might be defying logic but the quarterly reports from the world’s biggest luxury retailers aren’t: things are looking grim for the luxury sector right now, as things are for many businesses.RELATED: Why Luxury Goods May Be A Better Economic Indicator Than The Stock MarketMany observers have commented on the rise of ‘revenge buying’, particularly in China. The idea goes that because luxury consumers were ‘shopping-starved’ during the first stages of quarantine, they’re now overcompensating by splurging more than usual, CNBC reported in May. It’s a narrative that has some factual basis, inasmuch as Chinese retail did see a spike once restrictions eased in the world’s most populous country.However, it’s also a narrative that casts doubt at some of the Western preconceptions about the Chinese nouveau riche – tropes which as The Pandemic drags on, have revealed themselves to be less and less accurate.

 

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A post shared by Chopard Official (@chopard) on Jul 7, 2020 at 1:09am PDT

Chinese luxury buyers, particularly younger buyers (Gen X, Millennials & Gen Z) exhibit a far more mature approach to purchasing luxury goods than popular culture would suggest, Vogue Business relates. This is reflected in luxury sales figures out of China, which reflect a far more conservative (and realistic) approach to retail among Chinese consumers than the wild sprees of ‘revenge buying’ many predicted.While brand recognition is still a huge driving factor for buyers, Chinese luxury consumers are increasingly choosing luxury brands because they generally weather fashion trends as opposed to riding them. Of course, collections change every season, bringing with them new modes and ideas, but the core collections of any luxury brand – whether we’re talking about Gucci belts or Rolls-Royce Phantoms – stay timeless (and desirable).Moreover, luxury staples like Hermes bags, Bally shoes, fine cognac or a ‘grail’ Rolex not only withstand changing tastes but can be genuinely valuable investments – if maintained properly. Indeed, Hermes’ famous Birkin is demonstrably a safer and more profitable investment than gold, according to Baghunter. It’s how the rich get richer, and might just be one way Australians can make their money work harder for themselves: by pursuing more unconventional investment opportunities, such as luxury goods.The other big takeaway from Vogue’s research is that Chinese luxury consumers perhaps aren’t all the cash cows that reactionary elements in the Australian media would lead us to believe. Vogue reveals that a shockingly large number of Chinese consumers they surveyed are going into debt to afford their luxury preferences, many taking loans and falling into unhealthy patterns of overconsumption.Many Australians picture middle or upper-class Chinese as having nearly endless reserves of cash to spend on luxury labels, but the truth is far more mundane – and worrying. It’s a lesson that Australians should be quick to take heed of, especially in 2020: don’t live beyond your means, and don’t chase luxury goods if you can’t afford them.In essence: Chinese tastes are becoming more mature, but a minority are obsessed with just chasing a luxury lifestyle, to the point of financial ruin… Which is true of basically every luxury market. More to the point, while China is unlikely to be the golden goose luxury brands were hoping for in 2020, luxury brands still need to invest in understanding the Chinese market. You can’t ignore 1.4 billion people.

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The post Luxury Chinese Consumers Myths appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

2020 has reminded us we’re all cogs nature can crunch. No longer is ‘epidemiology’ a Black Death buzz word; we’re living through a real-life pandemic. Besides the health implications, this comes with more social and political turmoil than you can throw a prosecco protest at (don’t believe us? Check out these extraordinary Manhattan scenes or how Bondi became Sydney media’s perennial punching bag).Speaking of pitting Australians against one another, one Melbourne based writer, artist and Twitter user – @sarahtakesfotos – appears to have sprung The Herald Sun for making beachgoers look closer together than they really are.Ms. Walker says she was at Ocean Grove, a beachside town outside of Melbourne’s metropolitan area (and thus subject to stage 3, not 4, restrictions), on Saturday, where she saw a photographer carrying “a monopod and a lens the side of a toddler” towards the beach.

So @theheraldsun is running this image of the beach at Ocean Grove yesterday. Looks insanely packed, right? Terrifying. Well, time for a lesson in the impact of lenses on a photo. [Thread]. pic.twitter.com/3ZrIKwNwuZ

— Sarah Walker (@sarahtakesfotos) August 30, 2020

Suspecting what might happen next, she snapped a few photos of her own of the scene.When The Herald Sun ran their pictures of Ocean Beach, Ms. Walker was able to compare and contrast.“This is what the beach actually looked like at the exact time that press photographer was taking those images,” Ms. Walker captioned her photos. “Busy, but not nearly so frightening.”

“Ocean Grove was packed yesterday. But for the most part, people were doing a very impressive job of keeping socially distanced. The police were there keeping an eye on things.”

“The lens natively compresses the distance between objects. By shooting down the beach, it makes the people look very, very close together,” Ms. Walker added.

Shots like the one in the Herald Sun don’t happen by accident. Nobody goes out shooting with a lens that big unless their photo editor has specifically asked for a shot designed to rile people up. People say that the camera doesn’t lie. It’s not true.

— Sarah Walker (@sarahtakesfotos) August 30, 2020

This isn’t the first time this year a photographer has taken issue with certain outlets’ squishy shots (not all media outlets are like this by the way – to see where your favourite news source sits on the ‘bias chart,’ click here).

 

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I’d say it was pretty mellow at Manly yesterday, I guess it depends where you look. Find some space to yourself out there to stretch swim, surf, etc, there’s plenty of it. Just make sure your space is not too close to mine ok?). NOTE: No incriminating zoom lenses were used in these photographs @newscomauhq | #lifeatdawn

A post shared by Sprout Daily (@sproutdaily) on Apr 3, 2020 at 9:18pm PDT

Manly-based photographer @sproutdaily threw shade in April, writing the following of an easy-going Sunday: “I’d say it was pretty mellow at Manly yesterday. I guess it depends where you look.”

“NOTE: No incriminating zoom lenses were used in these photographs.”

The post split opinion, with one commenter writing: “Still too many people out in Manly. Stay home to save lives. The more people go out the longer this will linger.”Most agreed with @sproutdaily though:

“Too many sensationalised articles making non beach communities jealous and upset.”“That beat up yesterday! Those photos looked remarkably similar to some from a few weeks ago.”“Fake news yesterday at Manly.”“It’s the media, and people who drive over on the weekend who are the problem.”“The Telegraph had a telephoto lens squashing everyone close together yesterday.”

This plays into a broader debate around social accountability vs. whether media outlets should be shaming communities at such a precipitous time – not to mention whether it makes any sense at all to refer to ‘the media’ as one singular beast (hint: it doesn’t).

Danish news site reminds people of being skeptical of how news photographers take pictures. Here is the same place, one picture taken with a zoom lense, and the other with a wide-angle lense: https://t.co/lPMJDHXOfD pic.twitter.com/mOSpiFEsDx

— Thomas Baekdal (@baekdal) April 26, 2020

Though this is a phenomenon seen around the world (as seen above, media analyst Thomas Baekdal pointed the same thing out in Copenhagen in April), it is particularly pronounced in Australia – particularly Sydney – where the media loves to play off the so called ‘latte line.’

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The post Stop Shaming Australia’s Coastal Towns appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Tourists are returning to Bulgaria for the top tourist months of July and August.This year though, it’s a trickle not a waterfall. The demographic has also shifted, with hotel bookings down by some 90% at the start of August, and most visitors being Bulgarian, Czech, Polish or Romanian.“The British tourists who would normally be thronging the fine golden sands are nowhere to be seen, while the occasional Czech, Polish or Romanian family scurries to the beach through the deserted alleys or enjoy having a hotel pool to themselves,” Euractiv reports.CNN Travel reports that “for more than a century, Bulgaria has had little trouble enticing people to its beach resorts scattered along the Black Sea coast.”For the first time in a long time that is no longer the case with (from a revenue point of view) dismally few city-breakers currently enjoying Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital, and Plovdiv, the 2019 European Capital of Culture (not to mention the beachy getaways littered along The Black Sea).The situation is so dire the managing boards of tourist organizations and universities have signed a Charter of Bulgarian Tourism, the gist of which is “a restart of Bulgarian tourism is needed.”Like Amsterdam, Bulgaria is taking this chance to reconsider the bigger picture of how it wants its tourism industry to look.As we come out of this challenging time, there will be various factors that jig Bulgarian tourism back into action. One of them may end up coming from an unlikely place. That source? Twitter user @BasedBulgaria, which describes itself as Bulgarian conservative (and supporter of Eurosceptic political group Europe of Nations).Despite the user’s cynical political views, @BasedBulgaria may have just done The Wanderlust Machine an unintended favour.

Sunny Beach, Bulgaria. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. pic.twitter.com/qUhQkgYWso

— Based Bulgaria (@BasedBulgaria) August 28, 2020

Based Bulgaria on Saturday took to Twitter, it appears, to complain about mass tourism in Bulgaria (specifically on Sunny Beach), calling it a “wretched hive of scum and villainy.”However, other Twitter users’ responses to his post suggest he may have just sold the Bulgarian beachside experience better than any tourism campaign…

Ukrainian dancers in Sunny Beach. pic.twitter.com/0NIf9JVPQf

— Based Bulgaria (@BasedBulgaria) August 28, 2020

“Damn. You do know that millions are going to have to visit now, don’t you. You’ve sold it better than any tourist board could ever do,” one wrote.

 

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A post shared by Sunny Beach Bulgaria (@sunnybeachofficial) on Jan 12, 2016 at 12:42am PST

Other cast aspersions about the Russian mafia, beachfront development controversy and bemoaned the days this wasn’t such a ‘worst kept secret’ as ‘hidden gem.’

Went there a few years ago. Felt like I was in an episode of Land of the Giants, Russian and Bulgarian mafia everywhere, sure they even have their own hotel on the beach that nobody else can go near! Never again..

— Justin (@justinstewart74) August 28, 2020

Another comment suggests Sunny Beach has been an interesting place to visit since the 70s:

“Lol. Went there on family summer hols when it first opened up to tourism. Late 70s? Had a policeman point a gun at me after buying peaches off a street seller and also went to a fish restaurant only to find that when we ordered, fish was ‘off’.”

For those looking for a more relaxed place to visit (i.e. you’d rather check out a UNESCO attraction than a beachfront bar), Sunny Beach is located next to Nessebar, the crown jewel of Bulgarian coastal escapes.

 

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A post shared by Elena Sholokhova (@uvidim_mir) on Aug 12, 2020 at 10:54am PDT

This tiny ancient treasure trove is located at the end of a narrow strip of land and offers tourists the chance to explore “cobbled streets, centuries of history and… the fascinating legacies from ancient Greece and the Byzantine and Ottoman empires,” (CNN Travel).

“Seemingly wherever one walks in this UNESCO-listed town there’s a Byzantine church in picturesque states of ruin. One, the 14th-century Church of Christ Pantocrator, now houses a museum of antique maps. Meanwhile, the Church of St Stephen contains dazzling 16th-century frescoes and icons.”

“To delve further into Nessebar’s story, there’s the Archaeological Museum, which, despite being built in the 1990s, has been designed sympathetically in honey-colored stone,” CNN Travel adds.As for who can currently visit: citizens of the European Union at the time of writing are allowed entry, as well as other approved countries (see the full list here). Visitors from the United States have been banned until the 31st of August 2020 and it remains to be seen whether the ban will be lifted or extended (for more information consult the US embassy website).

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The post Bulgaria Tourism: One Photo To Make You Go appeared first on DMARGE Australia.