MAKING AMERICA COWBOY AGAIN: Amarillo, Texas embraces a different vibe
by Michael Baginski - By MICHAEL BAGINSKI/ Never mind MAGA, Amarillo, Texas has embraced a different vibe: Make America Cowboy Again. Located in the heart of the state’s northern Panhandle, the city is having a moment in the West Texas sun thanks in part to the booming interest in western and cowboy culture generated by the hit TV show “Yellowstone.”
YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE UNTRUTH: U.S. Travel boss says ‘misperceptions’ behind downturn, Trump has done some good
by Staff Writer - By MICHAEL BAGINSKI/ Despite a precipitous drop in the number of international visitors to the U.S. – not least from Canada – U.S. Travel Association president and CEO Geoff Freeman says there are many misperceptions and “untruths” about travel to the country amongst travellers, and that the Trump administration has actually done plenty of good to boost the country’s travel industry.
NIAGARA HYATT TO REFLECTS RYTHYM OF THE REGION
by Staff Writer - At the gateway to Old Town Niagara-on-the-Lake, The Clayfield will be a new option for visitors to one of Canada’s prettiest towns when it opens in late summer as part of Hyatt’s Unbound Collection, a curated portfolio of independent hotels recognized for their strong sense of identity and place.
THE BEET GOES ON: ‘Completely ridiculous’ Lithuania festival has global appeal
by Staff Writer - A festival honouring Lithuania’s iconic cold beet soup brought tens of thousands of visitors Saturday to its capital city, which was fully decked out in pink. The colourful three-day Vilnius Pink Soup Fest featured a synchronized “Pink Break” lunch of revellers from across the globe all sharing in the beet soup, known as šaltibarščiai (also called cold borscht) sitting at long tables.
FORT LAUDERDALE LEAVES LASTING IMPRESSION: Wows travel trade at IPW event
by Michael Baginski - By MICHAEL BAGINSKI/ At IPW – U.S. Travel’s biggest event of the year – it’s the host destination that always resonates with regular attendees long after the business part of the signature trade show ends. News comes and goes year after year, and meetings have a business-as-usual demeanor, but it’s the events and galas, the weather, the food, the vibe, that stick.
WHY I’M TRAVELLING TO CUBA NOW
by Staff Writer - By JEFF MCDONALD/ Unless there are flight cancellations, by the time you read this, I’ll be in eastern Cuba in the country’s second biggest city, Santiago de Cuba. Why travel to Cuba now, with the much-publicized fuel shortages and power outages? Several reasons. 
CREATURE COMFORT: Unique jellyfish museum a gem in South Florida
by Staff Writer - Visitors to the Jellyfish Museum in Pompano Beach, Fla. – the first attraction in the United States dedicated entirely to unique ocean creatures – invites visitors to the Greater Fort Lauderdale and South Florida to explore the beauty and mystery of the fascinating marine creatures through glowing aquariums, immersive exhibits, and interactive displays.
RESCUES ON THE RISE: Parks Canada urges caution
by Staff Writer - Parks Canada is urging tourists and hikers to exercise caution this spring and summer and ensure they are properly prepared for backcountry travel as search and rescue crews respond to an increasing number of incidents across the mountain parks.
WHAT’S NEW AND NOTEWORTHY IN GREATER FORT LAUDERDALE
by Staff Writer - The beauty of an ever-growing destination like Greater Fort Lauderdale is that there are always new places to try, whether it’s your first visit or your 100th. Maybe it’s a smashburger joint with a devoted following, a new hotel dotting the skyline, or a restaurant devoted entirely to caviar, the luxury delicacy taking over menus everywhere.
ELBOWS UP, ELBOW ROOM: Canadian tourism is rocking, reveals Rendez-vous Canada
by Michael Baginski - By MICHAEL BAGINSKI/ With “elbows up” tourism in full force, as well as increasing interest in Canada from abroad, Rendez-vous Canada (RVC), wraps up in Toronto today (Friday) having hosted a record number of international travel buyers and Canadian tourism sellers – a peak performance symbolized by an opening night reception attended by many of the 1,500 delegates at the top of the CN Tower.
100 REASONS TO LOVE ROUTE 66: Famed highway celebrates 100th anniversary
by Staff Writer - There are faster ways to get from Chicago to Los Angeles, but none have the allure or cultural cachet of Route 66. To John Steinbeck, it was the Mother Road that led poor farmers from Dust Bowl desperation to sunny California. To Native Americans along the route, it was an economic boon that also left scars. To Black travellers, it offered sanctuary during segregation. And to music fans, it was the place to get their kicks.
A CAVE TOO FAR: French “Banksy” transforms famous Paris bridge
by Staff Writer - He is known as the French Banksy – or simply JR. Now the artist popular across France for large-scale projects, from photographs to graffiti and street art, has transformed Paris’s most famous bridge, the bustling Pont Neuf, into a walk-through “cave.”
CANADIANS HELP FUEL BRAZIL BOOM: Best-ever arrivals part of historic results
by Staff Writer - In the first four months of 2026, Embratur says Brazil achieved the best results in the history of international tourist arrivals from 10 of the main source markets to the country. In April alone, Colombia, China, Mexico, Portugal, Peru, Canada, the UK, Chile, Australia and Uruguay sent together more than 1.1 million visitors to Brazilian destinations. The total number of arrivals in the first four months of 2026, was 4,333,423.
CANADA COMPASS: Iconic Alberta attraction not going extinct
by Staff Writer - A structural checkup on Tyra the Dinosaur has determined she's retaining water, has breathing issues, a fever and wrinkles – but is otherwise far from extinct.
JUST THE FACTS: Brand USA initiative aims to ease travel fears
by Staff Writer - By MICHAEL BAGINSKI/ Brand USA, the destination marketing organization for the United States, has launched a new initiative to encourage travel to the country while at the same combatting “misperceptions” that may give potential visitors pause.
TEMPERATURES TOPPLED IN EUROPE: Early heat wave shatters records
by Staff Writer - Temperature records toppled as a spring heat wave continued to scorch parts of Western Europe on Tuesday, triggering government warnings about risks to life. Several drownings were reported in Britain and France as people tried to cool down.
BHUTAN ‘BELIEVES’ IN TOURISM: Himalayan nation to host first travel trade show
by Staff Writer - The Kingdom of Bhutan will host its first-ever travel exhibition June 11-13 at Zhichenkhar, Thimphu, designed to facilitate tourism to the emerging “Thunder Dragon Kingdom.”
U.S. TRAVEL FACES ITS TROUBLING CANADA QUESTION
by Jen Savedra - By MICHAEL BAGINSKI/ Last year at IPW, the U.S. Travel Association ducked “the Canadian question.” In fact, it ducked the media altogether. But this year, full marks to the organization (and Brand USA) for facing the music and comprehensively answering the question that Travel Industry Today asked on behalf of all Canadians and the Canadian travel industry: “Where does Canadian travel to the U.S. stand at this moment and what do you have to say to Canadians that might make a difference?”
RECORD RENDEZ-VOUS: Canada’s top tourism trade show kicks off in Toronto
by Staff Writer - Rendez-vous Canada (RVC) kicks off today in Toronto with Canada’s largest international tourism trade show set to welcome a record number of international travel buyers and Canadian tourism sellers over the next three days.
WISH YOU WERE HERE: The Azores, a Portuguese paradise
by Staff Writer - With vibrant greenery, blooming flowers and dramatic Atlantic views around every turn, islands across the Atlantic archipelago offer a sensory escape unlike anywhere else in Europe.
