In move that will benefit millions of travellers annually, Romania and Bulgaria partially joined Europe’s ID-check-free travel zone on Sunday, marking a new step in the two countries’ integration with the European Union.
Is it the most queried question in travel? “Do they have pickleball?” With this in mind, the Antigua and Barbuda has served up a list of places in the twin Caribbean island nation where visitors can grab a paddle and have a “slamming good time with the warm sun shining down and the gentle Caribbean breeze on your face.”
For the Paris Olympics, it could almost be a new sport: Score points by hunting down mosaics that a mystery artist who calls himself “Invader” has cemented to walls across France’s capital, the world, and even had carried aloft to the International Space Station.
Niagara Falls is bracing for its largest influx of tourists in its history with more than a million people expected to flock to the city for next week’s total solar eclipse. A state of emergency has already been declared for Niagara Region on April 8, though Niagara Falls’ mayor is urging visitors to prepare for, not avoid, the spectacle.
Dubai welcomed more tourists than ever before in 2023, attracting 17.15 million international overnight visitors. And they weren’t all rich and famous – a perception that Visit Dubai is eager to dispel, urging the trade to consider that “If you think you know Dubai, think again!”
The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) is inviting travel advisors from across the Greater Toronto Area to experience a night of destination knowledge, cultural exploration, and island hospitality during a two-part ‘Evening with Jamaica’ event series on April 16 and 17.
Allies of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Disney reached a settlement agreement Wednesday in a state court fight over how Walt Disney World is developed in the future following the takeover of the theme park resort’s government by the Florida governor.
Accompanied by key suppliers from New Zealand, the South Pacific country’s national carrier called in Toronto and Calgary this week as part of a North American mission designed to “harness everything New Zealand… and bring a touch of New Zealand” to the trade.
France’s capital resurrected a 110-year-old race for its servers Sunday. The dash through central Paris celebrated the dexterous and, yes, by their own admission, sometimes famously moody men and women without whom France wouldn’t be France.
Port Everglades, the world’s third largest cruise port, is among the top gateways for Canadians heading off on a Caribbean cruise vacation. And located only 15 minutes from downtown Fort Lauderdale – and even less from the airport – it’s perfectly positioned for clients who want to add on extra time in sophisticated and fun South Florida to their cruise vacation.
Travel professionals can discover special deals and not-to-be-missed attractions now that Visit Lauderdale, the official destination marketing organization for Greater Fort Lauderdale, has launched its new VIP Passport for travel advisors.
Greater Fort Lauderdale’s tropical paradise offers a sweet retreat for all who visit. Better still, there are countless free ways to explore local gems, annual events, and worldclass art venues and attractions, no matter the interest or party size.
On March 24, 80 years ago, in one of the most ingenious and audacious acts of defiance of World War II, 76 prisoners of war tunneled out of a German POW camp into a snowy forest. For most of the escapees, it ended tragically. Three made it to safety, but the others were recaptured and 50 of them were executed.
Canadian arrivals numbers to the Caribbean reached 88.1 percent of pre-pandemic levels in 2023. And with an estimated three million tourist visits by the end of the year, the performance of Canada represented a whopping 46.1 percent increase over 2022, according to the Caribbean Tourism Organization.
Cuba is renowned for its sandy beaches, but there’s more: unlimited opportunities for adventure and discovery lie just beyond the shore. From calm, shallow waters that are ideal conditions for a family swim to sunken shipwrecks on the ocean floor waiting for the true adventurer, the Caribbean Sea offers unforgettable experiences above and below the surface.
From chocolate to new luxury in London, plus world-class sports and brand-new cultural hubs, there’s no shortage of hot new openings and fresh takes on traditional classics on display in Britain this summer. Here’s a quick look at 10 to-do tips to help a make a visit in 2024 even more memorable.
As Jamaica prepares to host global delegates at the Caribbean’s pre-eminent travel trade event, Caribbean Travel Marketplace, in May, the country’s tourism minister has declared a new benchmark for tourism metrics: 2023. “Normally we talk about 2019 (before the pandemic), as being the benchmark,” Edmund Barlett said during a zoom event ahead of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s 42 annual event. “Now we have changed that. 2023 is the new benchmark for Jamaica’s tourism.”
G Adventures will soon be offering an extended program of trips to Bosnia and Herzegovina that are designed to support local communities, while showcasing the Balkan nation’s distinctive culture, nature and heritage.
Since the age of four, when my mother first played the irrepressible song “Off to Dublin in the Green” by an obscure group called The Abbey Tavern Singers, I’ve been hooked on traditional Irish folk music.
Whether it’s green beer, a drop of Irish whiskey or a pot of poitín, having a drink on St Patrick’s Day (or anytime really in Ireland) is considered the norm. And while far be it from us to be thinking about not drinking while in the haze of St. Patrick’s Days (it’s a weekend, really, not a day), it does happen we’re told.
Japan’s ancient capital of Kyoto, long a popular destination for tourists, is closing off some private-property alleys in its famous geisha district because of complaints about misbehaving visitors. Tourists crowd the narrow, quaint streets of the area called Gion, often following tour guides who show people around and lecture for long hours, local district official Isokazu Ota says, adding, “We are going to put up signs in April that tell tourists to stay out of our private streets.”
For many Canadians, no vacation is made complete without adding a sprinkle of adventure to their days in paradise. From history and culture to marine life and picturesque ocean views, the top-selling sun destination of Cuba is full of unique experiences that travellers of all kinds will love and can only get in this beautiful country.
Florida’s rubbery, slow-moving sea cows are beloved by all who are fortunate enough to meet them. Manatees widely roam the waters of Florida from April through October, though when the heat hasn’t hit full on, they still hang out in places like freshwater Florida Springs, where the temperatures remain constant throughout the year.
A steady increase in Canadian visitations to the Cayman islands – including a record-breaking Q1 and best-ever March – has prompted a boost in airlift to the Caribbean destination with additional flight frequencies by both Air Canada and WestJet.
For those whose bucket list is beckoning, there may be no better time to travel to Egypt – a destination that our recent Goway FAM group found utterly unaffected by the ongoing situation in Gaza, but which is nevertheless experiencing a dip in tourism that has created an unintended silver lining of fewer fellow visitors for those who do go.
The Brightline rail service, which connects central and south Florida, has announced its next stop: Stuart in Martin County. The new location – on the Sunshine State’s Treasure Coast half-way between Miami and Orlando – was chosen after a review of five proposals in the area.
The Turks and Caicos Islands has emerged as the best-performing destination in the Americas for 2023, according to the latest UN Tourism Barometer, with the Caribbean nation seeing an arrivals jump 127% since (pre-pandemic) 2019.
The famed – and troubled – Miami Seaquarium, an old-Florida style tourist attraction that was used as a setting in the “Flipper” TV show and more recently home to Lolita, the beloved Orca that died last year, is being evicted from the waterfront property it leases from Miami-Dade County.
With the pandemic firmly behind it, Japan is uniformly rated as one of 2024’s most desired destinations, and one of the most tantalizing features of a visit is seeing sakura – cherry blossoms – which paint the landscape in cities and countryside a magnificent pale pink from March through May.
Visit California has officially revealed its new ‘Ultimate Playground’ global brand platform, the state’s first brand evolution in more than a decade. Launched this week with the “Let’s Play” global campaign, the Ultimate Playground aims to inspire global travellers, including Canadians, to stay and play in California on their next holiday.