No destination does Halloween like Orlando. And while you may not be thinking about trick or treats yet, the Florida theme park capital has already launched into 80 full days of seasonal celebrations, culminating in Oct. 31, and in some cases even a few days beyond.
By Michael Baginski/ VisitBritain’s flagship ‘Destination Britain Americas’ trade mission kicks off today as nearly 50 top trade buyers and media (including Travel Industry Today) arrive in Mexico’s Riviera Maya to connect with an equal number of British suppliers to facilitate and help grow tourism programs to Great Britain.
The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA) is reinforcing its presence in Canada with a seven-city roadshow in partnership with Air Canada. Running through Sept. 22, the SLTA team has called in Halifax, Calgary, and Edmonton, with stops still to come in Vancouver (Sept 12), Montreal (Sept 17), Toronto (Sept 19), and Windsor (Sept 22).
September ushers in crisp temperatures and a kaleidoscope of autumnal colours across the Quebec. Visitors can take in spectacular scenery at local festivals where Québec’s warm hospitality and vibrant fall foliage are on full display. Here a few to consider.
Greenland is open for tourism. Whale-watching tours, excursions to the iconic puffin island and guided charters through remote settlements are just the beginning of what the mineral-rich Arctic island has to offer visitors, say locals, who are eager to show what makes the island unique beyond a recent diplomatic dustup with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Beyond the shores and irresistible Junkanoo beats, Nassau & Paradise Island in the Bahamas offer a dynamic array of sports and leisure suitable for both accomplished athletes or those looking for just a little exercise and fun. Moreover, from golf to water sports and hiking to pickle ball there’s something for everyone. And here’s where to find it.
VisitBritain continues to raise the curtain on its ongoing international ‘Starring GREAT Britain’ marketing campaign this week at the Toronto International Film Festival. Launched earlier this year, the campaign is using the powerful draw of film and TV locations and places seen-on-screen to inspire visitors to discover more of Britain.
The federal government says the Canada Strong Pass it introduced this summer succeeded in boosting rail travel and visits to museums, historic sites and parks. The Canada Strong Pass, which took effect on June 20 and was available until Sept. 2, offered free national museum admission to children 17 and under, and a 50 per cent discount for those aged 18 to 24.
Mexico’s tourism boom shows no signs of slowing down. According to government statistics, in the first half of the year the country welcomed an unprecedented 47.4 million international visitors – a 13.8% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Of these, 23.4 million were tourists staying overnight, up 7.3% year-on-year.
A facelift that restored London’s 166-year-old Big Ben clocktower to a sparkling shine was nominated Thursday for Britain’s leading architecture award. The RIBA Stirling Prize committee said the five-year refurbishment of the tower at Parliament is “a veritable masterclass in conservation and craftsmanship” that preserves a “defining symbol of British heritage.”
It’s been a summer marked by tension for Canada and the United States, as tariff disputes and talk of Canada becoming the 51st state show few signs of fading. While that’s made some Canadians reluctant to head south of the border, it hasn’t stopped flocks of Americans from crossing north, many continuing to make Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. a key stop.
With more than 1,000 dogs in attendance, Finland’s capital, Helsinki, launched what is believed to be the world’s first sightseeing route designed especially for man’s best friend earlier this month. The “Doggy Route to Happiness” featured a canine-sized stick-built tribute to the world-famous Sibelius Monument, “a pup-up” dog café, a dedicated dog island, and even special advertising aimed at four-legged viewers.
When you take a photo of yourself, that’s a selfie. When you take a cool photo of a glacier, that’s an “Icy,” says Parks Canada, which has launched a community science program dubbed the Icy Initiative that allows park visitors to help scientists monitor glacier change over time simply by taking and submitting photos in two national and three provincial parks across the country.
For more than 150 years, horse-drawn carriages have been trotting through Manhattan’s Central Park, weathering the arrival of the automobile, years of criticism from animal rights activists and even a mayoral administration that vowed to ban the tourist activity. But now the influential nonprofit that manages the 341-hectare park – and has previously stayed out of the debate – has now thrown its support behind a proposal to wind down the industry as early as next summer.
As Syria’s world leaders continue to reestablish relations with the country’s new government after the end of 14 years of civil war, and a new US$4 billion airport expansion is in the works, experts are returning to the nation’s war-ravaged heritage sites, hoping to lay the groundwork for restoring them and reviving tourism to a country that had always been renowned as one of the most amazing places to visit in the Middle East.
Thousands of people are painting a town red with tomato pulp today (Aug. 26), flinging the fruit at one another in the 80th anniversary of Spain’s famous “Tomatina” tomato street fight. The hourlong event – and official tourist attraction – brings 120 tons of overripe tomatoes to the eastern town of Buñol, where tarp-covered buildings flank a crowd of up to 22,000 participants awaiting their ammo.
The Grande Prairie Airport – whose history spans nearly 100 years – has acted as a hub connecting not only the Peace region of Alberta but the north to the world. Its history is being explored on a set of wall panels just before the security gate in the main terminal.
With the launch of the new Antigua Racing Cup in 2026, the Antigua and Barbuda Ministry of Tourism is doubling down on the twin islands’ top-class yachting attributes and introducing a new vision that builds on the on the long-established brand of Antigua Sailing Week.
From Venice to Barcelona to Amsterdam, European cities are struggling to absorb surging numbers of tourists. Some residents in one of Paris’ most popular tourist neighbourhoods are now pushing back.
Mariah Erkloo remembers as a child watching massive, gleaming vessels glide into her hamlet of Pond Inlet, Nunavut, bringing strangers to her Arctic home for a few hours before vanishing over the horizon. It wasn’t an altogether positive experience, she recalls.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has announced a landmark collaboration with four premier New York City cultural institutions – the American Museum of Natural History, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art – that will transform the new US$4.2 billion Terminal 6 (T6) at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) into a distinctly New York arts district within the airport.
With Canadian and Mexican visits reduced to “just a drip,” tourism in Las Vegas is slumping this summer, with resorts and convention centres reporting fewer visitors compared to last year. And some officials are blaming the Trump administration’s tariffs and immigration policies for the decline.
Visit California has launched a new Accessibility Hub, a comprehensive online resource designed to empower travellers with disabilities to explore the Golden State with greater ease and confidence. The initiative supports both travellers and industry professionals with tools, tips and curated content aimed at making California more inclusive and navigable for all.
The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority (ABTA) has opened a new office in Canada with the Toronto venue having the distinction of being the destination’s first independent overseas office. On hand for the official opening last week was the twin island nation’s minister of tourism Charles ‘Max’ Fernandez, along with ABTA CEO Colin C. James.
Together with Visit Europe (European Travel Commission), New Deal Europe is launching an ambitious campaign to introduce North American tour operators and travel advisors to Europe’s culturally and naturally diverse Alps2Adriatic region of Europe. The campaign will include an extensive visit to Canada in September, including 11 cities across the country.
National galleries and museums across the country have seen a 15% in attendance so far this summer after the federal government introduced free or discounted admission through the new Canada Strong Pass. The pass, which took effect on June 20 and is available until Sept. 2, offers free national museum admission to children 17 and under, and a 50% discount for those aged 18 to 24.
A popular selfie spot for visitors to Banff National Park is being moved to what town officials say is a safer site. The two-metre-high, $350,000 sign that simply reads “Banff” was installed in 2017 on Mount Norquay Avenue, one of two entrances into the Alberta mountain park’s idyllic townsite.
A Swiss village has cashed in on a pay-for-entry turnstile used by avid tourists who flock each day to a lakeside dock featured in the hit South Korean Netflix series “Crash Landing On You,” often to snap souvenir photos.
Nunavut’s travel industry had a $823.5 million output and supported 6,322 jobs in 2024, an “impressive” result that shows that travel is increasingly becoming big business in the territory.
Organizers of the annual Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival in Vancouver say the event will be cancelled next year to make way for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after the city declined to provide permits for the festival.