By Michael Baginski/ With Canadian visitations rebounding and a continued strong interest from the U.S., the Caribbean tourism sector is continuing robust recovery and expansion, according to the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO).
Following a colder-than-usual winter, Niagara City Cruises has launched its 2025 ‘Voyage to the Falls boat tour,’ welcoming guests back to one of Niagara’s most iconic experiences.
Dubbed North America’s ‘most beautiful’ mountain resort, Whistler Blackcomb opens this weekend (May 16) for the summer season. And with features including the continent’s largest bike park, sightseeing trails with amazing vistas, ancient glaciers, and alpine lakes and wildflowers, Vail Resorts notes that the destination is not just for winter experiences.
Jamaica is a wealth of blended identities – from the Taíno indigenous community to the incorporation of immigrants throughout the centuries. Now, an incredibly popular location for destination weddings, travellers who wish to plan a South Asian wedding can easily honour their own heritage and simultaneously the heritage of the island playing host.
Three new trips showcasing the cultural and natural beauty of Nepal have been announced by Community Homestay Network, a leading homestay and immersive local experiences operator in Nepal, which has been named one of TIME’s ‘World’s Greatest Places of 2025’.
Lawmakers in Hawaii have passed a first-of-its-kind legislation that will increase the state’s lodging tax to raise money for environmental protection and strengthening defenses against climate change-fueled natural disasters.
Residents and visitors alike can tiptoe through the tulips in Ottawa starting today (May 9) as the the Canadian Tulip Festival returns for its 73rd year. The free event will run for 11 days and feature over 300,000 blooming tulips in 26 gardens, alongside a vibrant lineup of events for all ages.
For more than a decade, passengers at New Zealand ’s Wellington Airport have boarded flights below the figures of two giant, hovering eagles from the Hobbit films, one bearing a bellowing wizard Gandalf. But today (Friday) the majestic creatures, which underscore the capital city’s connection to Peter Jackson ’s “Lord of the Rings” and Hobbit films – a niche dubbed “Tolkien tourism” – are departing the terminal for good, Wellington Airport says.
By Bryen Dunn/ Washington, D.C. is set to hold WorldPride this year, with events happening throughout the month of May, leading up to the final weekend of parties, parades, and politics taking place throughout the city from June 6 to 8. The event is expected to draw millions of attendees, both local, out of state, and out of country.
As the launching point for the famed Agawa Canyon Tour Train, Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., has long held a prominent place in the province’s tourism landscape, not least with international visitors. But with many in this country seeking homegrown options this summer, the city sees an opportunity to attract even more Canadians to the northern Ontario destination, perched at the central point between lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron.
Spring’s hotel headlines point to thoughtful growth in the industry, with new openings, innovative ownership models, and seasonal experiences that reflect evolving traveller priorities such as design, connection and a sense of place. Here are five highlights of note.
As global heatwaves push summer travellers to reconsider their go-to getaways, coolcations are on the rise. Choosing milder destinations over blazing heat, more travellers are seeking out temperate escapes, with the Nordics fast emerging as a frontrunner for summer 2025.
Famed rail operator Orient Express has opened its first hotel. Located in Rome, the Orient Express La Minerva reflects the company’s iconic history and refined approach to travel as befitting its home in a revived a 17th-century palazzo in a city that has been an essential stop for Orient Express travellers dating back to 1883.
In 2024, Colombia welcomed a record-breaking 6.7 million international visitors – an increase of around 8.5% from the previous year. So, with the South American country fully back on the tourism map, the president of ProColombia, the promotion agency of Colombia, weighs in on where – and when – to visit in 2025.
There is so much going in Switzerland this summer that a recent annual briefing from Switzerland Tourism stretched to 33 pages. From annual festival favourites to milestone anniversaries, and hotel happenings and touring tidbits to cultural can’t-misses, there’s literally something for everyone. But we don’t have the space, nor you the time, to list them all – myswitzerland.com does that – so we’ve settled on 10 items of interest guaranteed to make your clients yodel.
VoX International Inc. has been named Canadian representation for Experience Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI), the official destination marketing and management organization (DMMO) for the Caribbean islands.
Turkey has begun a new phase in sweeping restorations of the nearly 1,500-year-old Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, focusing on preserving the monument’s historic domes from the threat of earthquakes. Officials say the project will include reinforcing Hagia Sophia’s main dome and half domes, but will remain accessible to visitors during the work.
The Ontario government is investing up to $50 million over three years to update and expand the McMichael Canadian Art Collection (McMichael) facility and grounds in Kleinburg, Ont. (just north of Toronto). The capital funding is dedicated to preserving one of the country’s largest collections of Canadian – including Group of Seven – and Indigenous art for future generations.
Venice began charging day-trippers to the famed canal city an arrivals tax for the second year on the weekend, a measure to combat the overtourism that officials say is putting the city’s UNESCO World Cultural Heritage status at risk. But opponents of the day-tripper fee say it has done nothing to discourage visits. Here’s a look at Venice’s battle with overtourism by the numbers.
With staycations increasingly on the agenda for many Canadians this summer, City Cruises Canada says there’s no better time to check out its offerings in Ontario, which feature sightseeing experiences in Niagara, Toronto, and along the St. Lawrence, including dining options and private event tours.
Before Swedish slow TV hit “The Great Moose Migration” began airing Tuesday, Ulla Malmgren stocked up on coffee and prepared meals so she doesn’t miss a moment of the 20-day, 24-hour event. “Sleep? Forget it. I don’t sleep,” she said.
By Michael Baginski/ Acknowledging that “you-know-who is trying to stir things up back in D.C.,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom is urging Canadians not to let that “ruin” their beach plans and instead come back to a state he maintains is not only 2,000 miles away from the capital, but also “a world away in mindset.”
By Michael Baginski/ With “passion, pride, and a whole heap of island magic,” the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) celebrated in true Jamaican fashion its 70th anniversary at a gala event in Toronto Monday night with 150 partners and “extended family” at a Harbourfront venue.
The U.S. expected 2025 to be a big travel year, but overseas visitors – angered by Trump – are heading elsewhere. The number of international visitors to the United States jumped in 2024, and some forecasts predicted arrivals from abroad this year would reach pre-COVID levels.
Looking to really, truly get away from it all in these turbulent times? Four space tourists who orbited the north and south poles did just that earlier this month before returning to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific to end their historic, privately funded polar tour.
Antigua and Barbuda launched a “modern” digital arrival and departure system designed to help visitors get from gate to beach faster when arriving in the Caribbean islands. Accessible through ArriveAntigua.com, the new protocols are in effect at V.C. Bird International Airport and will be expanded to seaports arrivals and private jets in the future.
Starting May 1, 2025, all non-Thai nationals entering Thailand by air, land, or sea must complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) online within three days before arrival. The new system replaces the traditional paper-based disembarkation form required for all foreign arrivals.
Throughout March, Exodus Adventures channeled its inner sports fan to find North Americans’ favourite destination. Based on college basketball brackets for March Madness, the guided tour company’s ‘Ultimate Travel Showdown’ featured 16 of the world’s most popular destinations with voters narrowing the field in head-to-head competitions each week.
While Aruba’s all-inclusive resorts boast some of the most breathtaking hotel grounds, for many, true adventure lies beyond the property lines. With its unique desert-like terrain and a coastline that spans kilometres, Aruba’s incredible landscape offers an ideal paradise where nature’s beauty is always front and centre.
By Michael Baginski/ More than a hundred travel advisors turned out Monday night in Toronto for a gala event hosted by the Moroccan National Tourist Office (MNTO), clearly demonstrating enthusiasm for a destination that is growing in stature for Canadians.