Beijing's famous Tiananmen Square is big enough to hold one million people, while the historic Forbidden City is home to thousands of imperial rooms – and Beijing is still growing. The capital has witnessed the emergence of ever-higher rising towers, new restaurants and see-and-be-seen nightclubs. But at the same time, the city has managed to retain its very individual charm. The small tea houses in the backyards, the traditional fabric shops, the old temples and the noisy street restaurants make this city special.

Olbia is the gateway to the pearly white beaches of Sardinia's northeast coast and the sparkling Costa Smeralda. This is where jet-setters, film stars and the ‘glitterati’ arrive to indulge in 'la dolce vita' Sardinian-style. With a Greek name meaning ‘happy’, Olbia used to be a little fishing village but has now grown to become Sardinia’s busiest ferry port, complete with an international airport and tons of tourist amenities. The countryside is cloaked in aromatic wild herbs, the macchia, and the surrounding sea glows in every hue of electric blue, in a little known and exclusive place waiting to be discovered.

Jönköping offers some of the best experiences in Sweden. Nature has been wonderfully generous with this region, dotted with beautiful small lakes, rolling wooded hills, meadows, wetlands and - not least - a kilometre-long beach in the town centre. Jönköping is an ideal venue for meetings and trade, strategically located between Sweden's three largest cities, and the warm local population is eager to share their natural assets and hospitality.

The second smallest planet in our solar system (and the fourth from the sun) has shed its skin and come alive in recent times. It has transformed its image from that of an uninhabitable, hostile planet into a much coveted travel destination, a celestial body that might support life, and even a place many now wish to call home. The recent surge of interest in Mars is not just empty hype. We know more about it now than ever before and our understanding of its composition, geology, geography, climate and culture is growing by the day. That, along with all the new, exciting plans for development and thrilling discoveries about the presence of liquid water, mean that there has never been a better, more exciting time to visit.