Massively successful room-renting service Airbnb is now illegal in New York City: officials say the startup violates an illegal hotel law that prevents residents from renting out their property for fewer than 29 days. Read… 5/21/13 1:00pm 5/21/13 1:00pm

Only about ten percent of the 8 million people who live in the United Arab Emirates, one of the world's wealthiest nations, are actually Emirati citizens; the rest are Western expats or Asian, African and Middle Eastern guest workers. Most locals are fans of Western pop culture, but there's one foreign form of… Read… 7/06/12 10:00am 7/06/12 10:00am

Governments are usually so boring, right? (At least on the surface.) America is such a bunch of liars. American political PR is all about paving over human weirdnesses with neutered, socially acceptable "types"—Family Mans, Soccer Moms, Joes-the-Plumber—when you know in secret these dudes are pooping in diapers (sexually… Read… 6/14/12 7:00pm 6/14/12 7:00pm

The country of Sweden is known for lutfisk, stoic, tall Nordicolk who would make perfect Die Hard villains, furniture, and getting the fuck along. Now, the country's got a new face: and she's a lesbian who drives a truck for a living. Read… 1/19/12 5:20pm 1/19/12 5:20pm

A "birthing tourism" center in Southern California has been shut down, drawing new attention to the phenomenon of affluent Chinese and Taiwanese mothers traveling to the U.S. to give birth. Read… 3/25/11 10:05am 3/25/11 10:05am

To "promote gay-friendly tourism in Mexico City," the tourism minister has offered a free honeymoon to the first gay couple to wed in Argentina, which yesterday became the first country in Latin America to legalize same-sex marriage. Discuss… 7/16/10 2:08pm 7/16/10 2:08pm

[Berlin, March 10. Image via Getty]

Forks, WA, has seen such a tourism boom from the Twilight series it's now getting a vamp-themed restaurant. What's on the menu, Jezzies? Blood? Celery stalk(er)s? The "Holy Shit, This Is My Vacation" skillet? [Hollywood Reporter] Discuss… 10/29/09 7:45pm 10/29/09 7:45pm

The Padaung, Burmese women famous for their elongated necks, are a popular tourist attraction - and some say they're basically being enslaved: Read… 8/24/09 5:30pm 8/24/09 5:30pm

Thai officals approve a "human zoo" with the famed long-necked women, many of whom are refugees from Myanmar. • Indian sex workers can now get life insurance, but their profession remains illegal. • Snickers, Doritos, and Peanut M&Ms are the most popular vending machine snacks. • A child who formed in her mother's liver… Discuss… 5/19/08 5:30pm 5/19/08 5:30pm

According to the LA Times, Mandy Gresh, 28, and her boyfriend decided to go on a little vacation to Quebec City. She booked plane tickets and a hotel room for a four-day weekend. Sounds great, right? Well, Mandy and her boyfriend had been together for six weeks. Mandy tells the paper: "I was like, 'Oh my god, the trip… Read… 4/07/08 5:00pm 4/07/08 5:00pm