Destinations


  • CANADA COMPASS:  New hotel openings and expansions across Québec
    by Staff Writer - 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’
    by Staff Writer - 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
    by Staff Writer - 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
    by Staff Writer - 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
    by Staff Writer - 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
    by Staff Writer - 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
    by Staff Writer - 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
    by Staff Writer - 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.

  • VENICE RE-INSTATES ENTRY FEE: Breaking down the city’s rampant overtourism
    by Staff Writer - Venice began charging day-trippers to the famed canal city an arrivals tax for the second year on the weekend, a measure to combat the overtourism that officials say is putting the city's UNESCO World Cultural Heritage status at risk. But opponents of the day-tripper fee say it has done nothing to discourage visits. Here’s a look at Venice’s battle with overtourism by the numbers.

  • CANADA COMPASS: Ontario’s unique cruising options
    by Staff Writer - With staycations increasingly on the agenda for many Canadians this summer, City Cruises Canada says there’s no better time to check out its offerings in Ontario, which feature sightseeing experiences in Niagara, Toronto, and along the St. Lawrence, including dining options and private event tours.

  • SWEDEN’S EPIC MOOSE MIGRATION – AND HOW TO WATCH AT HOME
    by Staff Writer - Before Swedish slow TV hit “The Great Moose Migration” began airing Tuesday, Ulla Malmgren stocked up on coffee and prepared meals so she doesn't miss a moment of the 20-day, 24-hour event. “Sleep? Forget it. I don’t sleep,” she said.

  • ROLLING OUT THE RED CARPET: California governor appeals directly to Canadians
    by Michael Baginski - By Michael Baginski/     Acknowledging that “you-know-who is trying to stir things up back in D.C.,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom is urging Canadians not to let that “ruin” their beach plans and instead come back to a state he maintains is not only 2,000 miles away from the capital, but also “a world away in mindset.” 

  • GET OUT THE JAM: JTB bash celebrates 70th anniversary in Toronto
    by Michael Baginski - By Michael Baginski/    With “passion, pride, and a whole heap of island magic,” the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) celebrated in true Jamaican fashion its 70th anniversary at a gala event in Toronto Monday night with 150 partners and “extended family” at a Harbourfront venue.

  • IT’S NOT US, IT’S YOU: Overseas visitors also shunning US
    by Staff Writer - The U.S. expected 2025 to be a big travel year, but overseas visitors – angered by Trump – are heading elsewhere. The number of international visitors to the United States jumped in 2024, and some forecasts predicted arrivals from abroad this year would reach pre-COVID levels.

  • THE FINAL FRONTIER: Space tourists complete historic mission
    by Staff Writer - Looking to really, truly get away from it all in these turbulent times? Four space tourists who orbited the north and south poles did just that earlier this month before returning to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific to end their historic, privately funded polar tour.

  • ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA UPDATE ARRIVALS PROTOCOLS
    by Staff Writer - Antigua and Barbuda launched a “modern” digital arrival and departure system designed to help visitors get from gate to beach faster when arriving in the Caribbean islands. Accessible through ArriveAntigua.com, the new protocols are in effect at V.C. Bird International Airport and will be expanded to seaports arrivals and private jets in the future.

  • THAILAND INTRODUCES NEW DIGITAL ENTRY CARD
    by Staff Writer - Starting May 1, 2025, all non-Thai nationals entering Thailand by air, land, or sea must complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) online within three days before arrival. The new system replaces the traditional paper-based disembarkation form required for all foreign arrivals.

  • EXODUS CONTEST REVEALS NORTH AMERICANS’ FAVOURITE DESTINATION
    by Staff Writer - Throughout March, Exodus Adventures channeled its inner sports fan to find North Americans’ favourite destination. Based on college basketball brackets for March Madness, the guided tour company’s ‘Ultimate Travel Showdown’ featured 16 of the world's most popular destinations with voters narrowing the field in head-to-head competitions each week.

  • ARUBA’S WILDLIFE WONDERS
    by Staff Writer - While Aruba’s all-inclusive resorts boast some of the most breathtaking hotel grounds, for many, true adventure lies beyond the property lines. With its unique desert-like terrain and a coastline that spans kilometres, Aruba’s incredible landscape offers an ideal paradise where nature’s beauty is always front and centre.

  • CANADIANS SEE THE LIGHT: Why the time is right for Morocco
    by Michael Baginski - By Michael Baginski/   More than a hundred travel advisors turned out Monday night in Toronto for a gala event hosted by the Moroccan National Tourist Office (MNTO), clearly demonstrating enthusiasm for a destination that is growing in stature for Canadians.