French reportage St Barh

[Max1030]

The island of luxury: golden lives in St. Barth

Published on 7 June 2026 at 18:23

https://www.tf1info.fr/voyages/vide...-vies-dorees-a-saint-barth-64955-2445920.html

The French island of the Caribbean has never attracted so many wealthy tourists. In its festive restaurants, some bottles of champagne sell several tens of thousands of euros. But this tourist prosperity and the noise that comes with it have made St. Barth lose its intimate and confidential side. As for Johnny Hallyday fans, they are always willing to save for years to come and gather at their idol’s grave.

 

[cassidain]

The French island of the Caribbean has never attracted so many wealthy tourists.

the world has never had so many wealthy tourists. number of billionaires up 13% in 2025 alone . . . just as an example.

 

[cec1]

Aaaha! and the 13% seems to be primarily AI driven (not a surprise).

Number of billionaires globally soars by 13% amid AI shares boom

Billionaires’ wealth grew by 25% on average in the year ended in April, research from Swiss bank UBS finds

www.theguardian.com

From AI:
"Driven by an influx of high-net-worth travelers in the past year, the island saw a 5.6% increase in accommodation tax revenue to €15.9 million in recent reporting. Superyacht visits also surged, with the festive season seeing a 33% year-on-year increase in mega-yachts. The island also saw overall tourism increase, welcoming nearly 293,000 visitors, an approximate 10% volume increase."

 

[Dennis]

And contrast to the article about housing. As a famous forum poster has said: Le Sigh.

 

[cassidain]

the world has never had so many wealthy tourists. number of billionaires up 13% in 2025 alone . . . just as an example.

"The United States added 441,078 new millionaires in 2025 — more than 1,200 a day and nearly half of all new millionaires worldwide — marking the fastest expansion of seven-figure wealth on record"