Gastronomy and cooking were on the front burner this week during the annual visit by a representative from the Florida Keys to Montreal and Toronto, the latter including a trade event featuring a cooking demonstration by Key West chef Paul Menta at the Dish Cooking School.
Perched on two fingers on the roof of the city art gallery in Wellington, New Zealand, the giant hand with an unsmiling human face has loomed over the city for five years. Some found “Quasi” disturbing, and now, after five years of provoking controversy and myriad emotions – from horror and revulsion to delight – among residents, the sculpture has been removed taken to a new home.
The news rippled through Treasure Island, Fla., almost like a third storm: The mayor planned to move off the barrier island a month after Hurricane Helene flooded tens of thousands of homes along the Gulf Coast and two weeks after Hurricane Milton also ravaged the state.
From koalas to kangaroos, Australia’s unusual wildlife has long-captivated North American travellers. To find out which animals people want to encounter most, experts at UK-based tour operator Audley Travel analyzed Google Search data, revealing quokkas as top of the list, with wombats and platypuses rounding out the top three.
Royal Caribbean Group has confirmed it is buying the Port of Costa Maya in Quintana Roo, Mexico. The deal is reported to be worth nearly US $300 million and includes adjacent land at Mahahual. The cruise company plans major upgrades at the port and surrounding infrastructure.
In Wrexham, the ‘Rob and Ryan effect’ goes beyond the soccer club the Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought and revived, as tourism and investments grow in the small Welsh city, which has rapidly become one of Britain’s most unlikely tourist hot spots.
The world’s second Sphere will be built in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates following the opening of the first in Las Vegas. The attraction will be located in a prime spot in the city and echo the scale of the Sphere in the US and is expected to be a major year-round draw for both residents and visitors from around the world.
With the popular “Yellowstone” series set to return this fall, America’s majestic wild west will again be in the spotlight, inspiring many to seek not only the great outdoors, but an authentic western experience. And where better to do so than a dude ranch?
The German National Tourist Office (GNTO) in Canada will be closing due to significant budget cuts affecting operations in 2025. This decision involves the closure of six offices worldwide, including Canada.
Building on the success of last year’s pilot Tourism Corridor Strategy Program, which aims to accelerate destination development across provincial and territorial boundaries. Destination Canada has announced the launch of four new tourism corridors bringing together tourism organizations to develop new journeys for travellers to explore. The program is a key initiative of Destination Canada’s 2030 Tourism Strategy with its goal to propel Canada back into the Top 7 global tourism destinations.
VisitBritain has relaunched its travel advisor training program, BritAgent PRO Sales Companion, now with enhanced mobile sales enablement through TravPRO Mobile. The revamped program provides travel advisors with resources to effectively promote destinations across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
US Travel wants to play ball with Canadians. And hockey. Plus, all the other sports and entertainment offerings, like concerts (can you say Taylor Swift?). That was the theme for last week’s Discover America Day Canada, an annual accounting of travel affairs south of the border as revealed by a couple of dozen partners ranging from all corners of the country.
Explore Louisiana recently concluded a successful Western Canada Roadshow, bringing a taste of Louisiana to travel advisors, media, and tour operator partners in Vancouver and Calgary regions.
Snow fell on Hawaii’s tallest peak this week, briefly turning the mountaintop into a winter wonderland. The summit area of Mauna Kea on the Big Island got five centimetres of white powder. Hawaii is better known for its warm weather, beaches and rainforests. But it’s not unusual for snow to fall at the higher elevations on Mauna Kea during the wetter, winter months.
The St. Kitts Tourism Authority recently hosted the fifth instalment of its culinary event, “Savour St. Kitts”, designed to help travel advisors learn more about the destination’s diverse culinary experiences. The interactive event, held this year at Capra’s Kitchen in Port Credit, Ont., was at maximum capacity as agents crowded in to have their chance to cook Kittitian inspired dishes, side-by-side with celebrity chef, Massimo Capra.
With interest in the US presidency currently at fever pitch, a new attraction in Washington DC has opened, offering the next best thing to being in the Oval Office: an identical replica of President Joe Biden ‘s office, right down to his desk, the armchairs in front of the fireplace and the weathered family Bible resting on a side table.
Tourism officials on Florida’s Gulf Coast say one of the ways concerned people can help the area recover from recent hurricanes Helene and Milton is to visit as tourists. The tourism promotion agency for the St. Petersburg-Clearwater area said in a news release that 80% of hotels and businesses in the area are open for business, even as clean-up and recovery continues.
A popular selfie spot for visitors to Banff National Park has become a victim of its own success. The two-metre-high, $350,000 “Banff” sign was installed in 2017 on Mount Norquay Avenue, one of two entrances into the Alberta mountain park’s idyllic townsite. But the narrow two-lane road, which runs from the Mount Norquay Ski Resort seven kilometres away, is fraught with traffic jams, even between the peak tourist seasons of winter and summer.
Ontario’s government wants to transform the Niagara region into a “Las Vegas of the North.” The grand plan, which promises to “put Niagara region on the map,” encompasses more casinos, hotels, an amusement park, cruise ships, and even an international airport.
Tourists are once again climbing the steps of Manhattan’s beehive-shaped Vessel sculpture after it reopened in mid October for the first time in three years, now with netting aimed at decreasing the risk of suicides like the ones that forced its closure.
Venice will extend its day-tripper tax through next year, increasing the number of days on which tourists have to pay to enter the city and doubling the fee to 10 euros ($10.80) for last-minute visitors, city officials said last week. Mayor Luigi Brugnaro stressed that the tax aims to help the city and its citizens battle overtourism and avoid huge influxes of visitors during crowded holidays and weekends.
The inaugural One Caribbean Canada + USA Virtual Trade Show will take place on Wed., Oct. 30, designed to provided travel advisors with the opportunity to learn about unique destinations, discover hidden gems, and explore special promotions available exclusively to travel advisors.
Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand are popular among Canadians in the summer, and certainly during Spring Break season in the late winter/early spring when warm weather and sandy beaches beckon families looking to escape the cold and snow at home. But city tourism officials maintain that Fall may be the best time of all to visit the South Carolina destination.
There’s no place like Myrtle Beach for golf. From the South Carolina destination’s 90-plus courses to its world-renowned mini golf trail, and now the Tiger Wood PopStroke venture, it’s no wonder the city has been called ‘The Golf Capital of the World.’ Indeed, about three million rounds of golf a year are played there.
It’s never to early to start planning for Can-Am Days, Myrtle Beach’s annual festival of friendship for its Canadian visitors. So, mark the calendar, the 64th annual event will take place March 8-16, 2025.
The Alberta and federal governments are putting a combined $5.5 million toward attracting tourists to the Rocky Mountain town of Jasper, Alta., after the July wildfire that destroyed one-third of the town, including multiple hotels and 800 housing units. Year-round tourism is Jasper’s main economic driver as close to 2.5 million people visited the surrounding national park last year alone.
When a hurricane sets its sights on Florida, storm-weary residents may think of catastrophic wind, hammering rain and dangerous storm surge. Mounds of sand swallowing their homes? Not so much. Yet, that’s the reality for some after Hurricanes Helene and Milton clobbered Florida’s Gulf Coast with back-to-back hits in less than two weeks.
Starting Dec. 1, Canadian citizens will again be able to obtain their Egyptian visa upon arrival in the country, or electronically, reversing a controversial pre-entry requirement implemented by the Middle Eastern country last October that forced applicants to obtain their documents via mail from Egyptian consulates in Ottawa or Montreal.
The Grenada Tourism Authority reports that new direct service by WestJet from Toronto to Grenada will start Dec. 15 and operate weekly until April 27, 2025. Flights to ‘the Spice Island’ are now open for booking.
When in Africa, you’ll often hear passing reference to Zimbabwe’s outstanding hospitality, and there’s nowhere better to appreciate it than at the iconic World Heritage Site of Victoria Falls. Everyone smiles warmly and greets you like an old friend – they’re all genuinely delightful. And how could they not be, living at a World Heritage site?