IL is a publishing company and basically what they have been marketing for 30 years or so is a retirement dream 'You look out your window, past your gardener, who is busily pruning the lemon, cherry, and fig trees?amidst the splendor of gardenias, hibiscus, and hollyhocks. The sky is clear blue. The sea is a deeper blue, sparkling with sunlight. A gentle breeze comes drifting in from the ocean, clean and refreshing, as your maid brings you breakfast in bed. For a moment, you think you have died and gone to heaven. But this paradise is real. And affordable. In fact, it costs only half as much to live this dream lifestyle?as it would to stay in your own home!' That sort of thing.
It isn't just for intending expats, however, it is also for voyeurs
: 'You see, INTERNATIONAL LIVING is entertaining as well as informative. It can bring you the excitement and glamour of living and traveling in foreign countries
even if you never leave your armchair.' (emboldening mine)
They market via subscription to magazines, books, conferences about relocating in 'exotic' locations, membership of select groups within their IL fraternity ( e.g. everything they have/will ever publish for US$4995). To further the dream they will tell you how to make money in your chosen location (viz. they sell you a travel writers'/photographers' course), how to invest with their affiliates (i.e. a multi-currency investment course which they sell) and as mountain annie said, real estate opportunities mainly geared to future gain, like the one which on paper gained 1,340% in a month (really, it's on their website
).
I offered them one of my articles once (for free, which confused them because they pay for stuff) but it was unacceptable probably because it was too geared to telling it like it is in the DR. However, I don't do fiction :cheeky:. They did send their people here back in 2006 I think it was, but I suspect they didn't find the DR easy so it has never featured highly in anything they have ever marketed. Nothing like an actual visit to conjure up some reality................
As to their abilities to carry out a piece of global research such as the title indicates, I'll let others be the judge since I haven't actually read it.