Destinations

FAM-TASTIC SEATTLE: New specialist program offers essential knowledge, chance to win trip

Travel advisors who complete Visit Seattle’s new online training program by July 1 will have a chance to win one of three spots on a FAM trip to the Emerald City scheduled for early October. The free interactive program is designed to equip travel professionals with in-depth knowledge and skills they can use to showcase the city’s exceptional experiences to their clients and to do so backed by an official “Seattle Certified” designation.

CANADA COMPASS: Festivals adds colour to Quebec summer

From stargazing in a Dark Sky Reserve to wrangling brook trout (or bulls), Québec’s most unconventional festivals offer memorable ways to experience the province’s landscapes, culture, and sense of fun this summer. Here are four festivals of notes catering to diverse and unique interests.

TOURISTS EAGER TO RE-VISIT VIETNAM’S TROUBLED PAST

Hamburger Hill, Hue, the Ia Drang Valley, Khe Sanh: Some remember the Vietnam War battles from the headlines of the 1960s and 1970s, others from movies and history books. And thousands of Americans and Vietnamese know them as the graveyards of loved ones who died fighting more than a half-century ago.

CARIBBEAN NEEDS MORE FLIGHTS FROM CANADA

By Michael Baginski/    Despite a 16 percent increased forecast for flights to the Caribbean from Canada this summer, a new study says lift from this country to the region is not keeping up with travel demand that is peaking due in part to travellers seeking alternatives to travel to the U.S.

NEW HOLOCAUST MUSEUM HONOURS OSCAR SCHINDLER

A dilapidated industrial site in the Czech Republic where German businessman Oskar Schindler saved 1,200 Jews during the World War II is coming back to life. The site, a former textile factory in the town of Brněnec, about 160 km. east of Prague, was stolen by the Nazis from its Jewish owners in 1938 and turned into a concentration camp. In May it welcomed the first visitors to the Museum of Survivors dedicated to the Holocaust and the history of Jews in this part of Europe.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS: Caribbean courts Canadians amid US ‘crisis’

By Michael Baginski/   Many Caribbean nations are looking further north than usual for visitors as economic turmoil threatens the United States and wary (and aggrieved) Canadians look for alternative destinations to the U.S. for their summer holidays.

PUTTING ON A SHOW: Rendez-vous Canada kicks off in Winnipeg

Rendez-vous Canada (RVC), Canada’s largest tourism tradeshow, kicks off today (May 27) in Winnipeg, bringing together 500 Canadian tourism businesses and more than 400 buyers from 22 international markets – including Destination Canada’s nine key markets – to showcase Canada to the world for the rest of the week. The event is expected to generate tens of millions in sales.

UP IN SMOKE: Why Nevada weed tourism hasn’t taken root

Cannabis lounges were once seen as a promising new frontier in Nevada’s legal marijuana industry – the bedrock of a new Amsterdam-like weed tourism district in a Sin City on the cutting edge of hospitality innovation.

HAVANA’S UNEXPECTED DIGITAL RESTAURANT, WITH A ROBOT WAITRESS

Even as Cuba struggles with power outages and technological scarcity, Havana’s Doña Alicia restaurant has leaped into the 21st century with digital menus, Alexa-enabled assistance, touchless bathrooms and even a food-delivering robot.

LOS CABOS MARKS CANADIAN MILESTONE

Canadian arrivals in Los Cabos have jumped over 12% in the first two months of 2025 compared to the same period last year, making Canada the fastest-growing international market for the Pacific Mexican destination.

CANADA COMPASS: Top summer roadtripping routes in Quebec

Québec’s country roads are brimming with regional flavours, scenic landscapes and local culture. Here are four signature tourist routes and itineraries that encourage visitors to chart a course by car (or bike) and discover the sights and flavours of the province.

CULTURE COMES ALIVE IN JAMAICA

“Out of Many, One People” isn’t just a motto in Jamaica, it perfectly describes this vibrant yet laidback country at its core. Influenced by far-flung destinations such as Africa, Europe and Asia, the destination has a culture that is truly unlike any other. These influences are put on display at various events throughout the year, allowing vacationers to get a firsthand look at Jamaica’s colourful culture and the magic that one can find there.

CANADIANS HELP DRIVE CARIBBEAN TOURISM GROWTH

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).

CANADA COMPASS: Whistler Blackcomb Epic Pass covers summer and winter

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 – WHERE CULTURES AND LOVE MEET

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.

NEPAL HOMESTAYS CONNECT WITH COMMUNITIES

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’. 

CANADA COMPASS: How to tiptoe through Ottawa’s tulips this year

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.

GIANT GANDALF STATUES SET TO FLY (YOU FOOLS) FROM NZ AIRPORT

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.

A WORLDPRIDE PRIMER: DC event set to celebrate LGBTQ+ unity, diversity, and resilience

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.

CANADA COMPASS: What to do in The Soo

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.

CANADA COMPASS:  New hotel openings and expansions across Québec

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.

SWEDEN MAKES CASE FOR ‘COOLCATIONS’

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.

THE TRAIN STOPS HERE: Orient Express opens first-ever hotel

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.

COLOMBIA’S BACK, HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF A VISIT IN 2025

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.

SUMMER IN SWITZERLAND: 10 reasons 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 TAKES ON TURKS AND CAICOS TRADE ACCOUNT IN CANADA

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.

EARTHQUAKE-PROOFING THE HAGIA SOPHIA

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.

CANADA COMPASS: McMichael gallery looks to the future

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.

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