Canada represents a high-value long-haul market and a strategic source of demand beyond Europe’s peak summer months, particularly during the shoulder season, according to a new study, presented during European Tourism Association (ETOA) webinar series on North America outbound markets.
Sunwing Vacations Group is extending its pause of operations to Cuba for the summer season to include Varadero (VRA) and Cayo Coco (CCC). As such, all operations in Cuba have been cancelled from June 20 through Oct. 9, 2026 (inclusive) for all gateways/airports across its three brands: Sunwing Vacations, WestJet Vacations and Vacances WestJet Quebec.
Pacific-Asian inbound travel is poised to exceed pre-pandemic levels starting this year, and reach 761.2 million visitors by 2028, according to the latest forecast from the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).
Grenada pairs classic Caribbean beauty with a safe, welcoming atmosphere that makes it easy for travellers to settle in and explore. Known for its relaxed pace and varied landscapes, the island offers a seamless blend of coastal calm, nature and light adventure. From soft-sand shores to forested hills, memorable experiences are always close at hand.
The Dominican Republic hosted its fourth signature Trade Show in Miami last wee with more than 1,200 travel industry professionals from the U.S., Canada, and Latin America in attendance.
Citing growing interest in travel to the North, the Government of the Northwest Territories reported an increase in annual passenger traffic at Yellowknife Airport for 2025 when compared to the previous year.
By MICHAEL BAGINSKI/ More than 70 members of the Canadian travel trade turned out – or up, more accurately – for a Bermuda Tourism Authority event at the top of the CN Tower last week that, fittingly, offered the latest updates on what continues to make the mid-Atlantic island a top travel destination.
By MICHAEL BAGINSKI/ Grenada Tourism Authority director of sales Sekou Stroude was holding forth at an event in chilly Toronto last week when he surmised that many of those in the audience might just be wondering, “Why am I here in this cold?”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.