CUBA TOURIST BOARD TO HOLD HYBRID TOURISM SHOW
With a theme of “Resilience and Renewal,” the Cuba Tourist Board is set to host a hybrid version of its International Tourism Fair, FITCuba 2026 and members of the Canadian trade are invited to attend.
Destinations
40TH ANNIVERSARY: Canada Place – more than a cruise terminal
Canada Place is celebrating 40 years as one of Canada’s most recognizable landmarks on Vancouver’s waterfront. Since opening on May 2, 1986, as the Canada Pavilion for Expo 86, it has become a popular destination for residents and visitors, a venue for major public events, and home to the Port of Vancouver’s award-winning cruise terminal, which is the largest in Canada.
CANADA COMPASS: Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump having a moment
A UNESCO World Heritage Site in Alberta is enjoying a recent uptick in interest spurred by a random shout out on a popular American television show – and its head of marketing hopes that curiosity translates into a bustling summer season.
DOING IT DIFFERENTLY: Agents get – and give – the goods on Guadeloupe
By MICHAEL BAGINSKI/ In late March, the Guadeloupe Tourism Committee (GTC) hosted five accomplished travel advisors from Ontario to help them get to know the Caribbean islands intimately and in person – and to share what they learned as the French-Caribbean destination continues to make inroads in English-speaking Canada.
CANADA SETS ALL-TIME CAYMAN RECORD
The Cayman Islands welcomed over 49,000 stayover visitors in February, representing a 10.1% increase year over year and marking the second-strongest February on record. Canada led February’s performance and continued its record-setting momentum with double-digit percentage increases in stayover visitation for the fourth consecutive month.
SLIP SLIDING AWAY: Canadian Caribbean visits dip in 2025
Caribbean tourism continued its expansion in 2025, recording a 2.5% increase in international stay-over arrivals to an estimated 35 million visits, according to the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO). However, a decline in Canadian arrivals tempered the gains.
WHAT’S COOKING IN ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA?: Culinary month tourism initiative set to simmer
By MICHAEL BAGINSKI/ May will see the return of Antigua and Barbuda Culinary Month, a tourism initiative that continues to grow with a focus on local Antiguan and Barbudan food and chefs alongside guest chefs who are exclusively of Caribbean heritage.
GUADELOUPE, EH!: An English-speaking guide to a French Caribbean gem
By MICHAEL BAGINSKI/ Start with the name. It’s Guad-el-oup – which is to say, not Guad-a -loup-eh (a city in Mexico). You could call it “the biggest small island in the Caribbean,” as some inhabitants boast, or, better still, just call it Gwada, as the locals do in their creole dialect.
WIN A SWEDISH ISLAND: It could be all yours for a year
With over 267,000 islands, Sweden has more islands than any other country on Earth – islands that are defined by calm, rest, clean air and restorative nature, large or small, set in the sea or emerging from a lake. With a rethinking of what luxury means, Sweden is now offering five of them for free to use and care for during a year.
JAPAN’S LUXURY HOTEL RENAISSANCE: Four landmark openings shaping 2026
By CINDY-LOU DALE/ Japan’s hospitality sector is entering a defining new phase. After years of recalibration following the pandemic, the country’s luxury hotel pipeline for 2026 reveals a confident, carefully considered return to growth – one that prioritises cultural sensitivity, adaptive reuse and regional diversification over sheer scale.
AFTER THE FLOOD: North shore Oahu returning to normal
Following the recent storms that brought flooding to parts of the Hawai’i, the historic town of Haleʻiwa, is moving forward as shops and restaurants reopen – and visitors are being welcomed back, says state tourism officials.
ALBERTA AIMS TO LEAD IN INDIGENOUS TOURISM
Alberta says it is aiming to be an “iconic” leader in indigenous tourism by helping support and build a vibrant sector and promoting the province as a destination for both Canadians and international visitors.
TRENDING DESTINATIONS: What’s in the mix in 2026
From Bhutan to Vietnam, Kensington has issued a list of top trending destinations based on internal data and insights from its team. The findings reflect continued demand for the the appeal of lesser-known destinations, a growing desire for personalized and exclusive experiences, a preference for more seamless travel, and the desire for more private, highly customized itineraries.
THE VEGAS BUFFET WILL NEVER DIE: But it costs a lot more
Eighty years ago, the first Las Vegas buffet opened with the $1 western-themed Buckaroo Buffet that offered cold cuts and cheese. Today, visitors can drop $175 on luxury buffets with lobster tail, prime rib and limitless drinks.
GANDER AIRPORT LOUNGE RECOGNIZED AS HISTORIC GEM
Positioned at the “crossroads of the world,” the sprawling international lounge inside Gander airport – a facility that was opened by Queen Elizabeth and at one time used by dozens of celebrities and global VIPs, from The Beatles to Fidel Castro – has been officially recognized as a heritage structure.
A FOWL PROBLEM: Wild chickens no little concern in Hawaii
The crowing starts well before the sun rises over Mason Aiona’s home in Hawaii. But the 3 a.m. rooster alarm isn’t what bothers the retiree the most. It’s spending most of the day shooing away wild chickens that dig holes in his yard, listening to constant squawking and feather-flapping, and scolding people who feed the feral birds at a park steps from his house.
NASSAU & PARADISE ISLAND: Where shopping has its own rhythm
Nassau & Paradise Island is synonymous with sun, sand and surf, still there’s always time for shopping. And where better than the Bahamian capital, where palm trees line the streets, the air hums with Junkanoo rhythms, and the ocean breeze carries a sense of joy you can feel in your bones.
MORE THAN GAMING: Discovering Nevada beyond the Vegas Strip
By MICHAEL BAGINSKI /- Travel Nevada and its partners showed Canadians how to “Get a Little Out There” with a cross-country road show to Toronto, Montreal and Calgary last week, engaging with travel advisors and trade partners, as well as exhibiting at the Calgary Outdoor Adventure & Travel Show.
NORTHERN REFLECTIONS: Territorial tourism associations see strength in numbers
A memorandum of understand (MOU) recently signed amongst tourism associations from the three territories will ensure northern travel businesses can collaborate and share industry knowledge, according to the president and CEO of Travel Nunavut.
LOS CABOS CALLING CANADA: Record lift cements status as core market
By MICHAEL BAGINSKI/ With record visitations by Canadians in 2025 and this country accounting for 9.3% of all international visitors to Los Cabos, Canada has become the second-largest international source market for the west coast Mexican destination (after the U.S.), say tourism officials. And with airlift continuing to grow, there is no end in sight.
CHILL LIKE A FINN: Visit Finland offers a free 7-day trip for those looking for a digital detox
Finland has once again been ranked the happiest country in the world in the United Nations’ World Happiness Report 2026, marking the ninth consecutive year the Nordic nation has topped the global ranking. (Canada ranked 25th). This year, the message from Finland is simple: happiness starts with switching off, preferably somewhere by a lake and far away from notifications.
MODERN TECH REVEALS ANCIENT ROME: Livestream tour allows hidden home to ‘open’ to tourists
Perhaps signifying a new trending in touring, one of the best-preserved ancient Roman homes on the Palatine Hill is now open to the public for the first time, albeit via a livestreamed tour of its hard-to-reach underground frescoes and mosaics.
READY FOR SOME SUNSHINE: DR lays out the welcome mat
By JEN SAVEDRA/ 2026 is proving to be an exceptional year for the Dominican Republic, with official data showing that an amazing 1.22 million visitors arrived in January alone. This “unprecedented surge” represents an 8.7% increase over the previous year, and a 61% increase compared to pre-pandemic levels.
SUNWING SHINES SPOTLIGHT ON FAMILY-FRIENDLY CANCUN
With family travel continuing to trend for spring and summer vacations, Sunwing Vacations is spotlighting some of its favourite family-friendly all-inclusive resort options in Cancún available to book now.
JAPAN – WITH A CHERRRY ON TOP: Where and when to see this season’s best blossoms
As spring unfolds across Japan, the nation’s most beloved seasonal spectacle – cherry blossoms (sakura) – progresses northward from the southern islands toward the country’s cooler regions. While the earliest petals have already appeared in parts of Kyushu and Shikoku, the peak of blooming is advancing steadily through central and northern Japan, with many regions just entering their most anticipated viewing period.
BLUE TRUMPS RED IN FLORIDA TOWN: Jays fans help keep Dunedin economy afloat during turbulent times for tourism
The Toronto Blue Jays have made Dunedin, Fla., into a virtual oasis during turbulent economic times in Florida. Canadians’ broad grassroots boycott of the United States has had a massive impact on the tourism industry, especially in states like Florida. But Dunedin, home of the Blue Jays’ spring training facility, seems to be have been spared thanks to the loyalty of Canadian baseball fans.
FRENCH FLAIR: Destination France 2026 roadshow continues across Canada
Following its launch in Vancouver, Atout France and Air France’s Destination France 2026 annual tour rolled into Toronto Tuesday with over 30 French and local exhibitors in attendance. The event featured a trade show that generated over 386 face-to-face meetings with travel advisors designed to strengthen connections and deepen knowledge of France’s tourism leading to new or renewed itineraries and travel products for Canadian travellers.
FRIENDSHIP FESTIVAL: Myrtle Beach kicks off annual Can-Am Days
Visit Myrtle Beach has rolled out the welcome mat this week for Canadian visitors. Each March, Myrtle Beach honours its long-standing friendship with its snowbird neighbours during Can-Am Days, a tradition that has welcomed generations of Canadians to the Grand Strand for more than 60 years.
CANADA COMPASS: Quebec sugar shacks to suit every taste
Springtime is Québec’s sweetest season as the province welcomes visitors to its famed cabanes à sucre to sample glistening maple syrup, decadent meals, and authentic French-Canadian hospitality. Québec is home to more than 100 sugar shacks that offer distinctly unique sweet escapes for various types of travellers.
CANADIAN HEARTS IN SAN FRANCISCO: City rolls out red carpet for hosted travel trade mission
In a strategic departure from its traditional international sales missions, the San Francisco Travel Association (SFTA) brought the Canadian travel trade directly to the California city ahead of the 2026 spring and summer travel season.