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November 2017

This item appeared earlier on Postmedia/Sun Media websites in Canada. The Caribbean is open for business. Yes, there was damage to a number of islands from hurricanes over the past couple months. Canadian airlines have pretty much shut down winter service to battered St. Maarten. Puerto Rico is still in bad shape, as is Barbuda, Dominica and parts of other islands. But there was little or no damage to most major Caribbean destinations, including Jamaica, The Bahamas, Barbados, Antigua and the Cayman Islands. In destinations that were hit, work is proceeding nicely and many hotels and resorts have already re-opened. Read more

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“The first time I went to the area a friend showed me Sebastian’s Inlet. It was so pretty. And then there was a quiet, almost private beach with manatees.” “I fell in love.” Lori Booker is communications director for the Orlando-Melbourne International Airport, a growing facility that’s becoming a popular way for Canadians to fly to central Florida. Porter Airlines flies to Orlando-Melbourne on a seasonal basis from Toronto, as well as from Windsor and Ottawa. “It’s a wonderful way to fly,” Booker told me on a visit to Toronto last week. “You get great service and wide, leather seats Read more

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This just came in on Friday afternoon: Disney is offering 20-25% off for some tickets for Canadians. With Canadian visits down in Florida the last year or two, the state has been struggling to lure folks from north of the border. They recently launched a program that offers substantial discounts to Canadians who buy various packages. And now comes the Disney deal. For Walt Disney World in Florida, Canadian residents can save 20% on advance purchase of 4-Day or longer Magic Your Way Tickets until Feb. 10, 2018. For Disneyland in California, Canadians save 25% on advance prrchase of 3-Day Read more

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Residence Inn by Marriott has always been a great spot for folks who want spacious hotel suites for longer-term stays. But now they’re giving the properties a millennial-friendly, social spin. Hotel officials were in Toronto Wednesday night to show off their “Inn the Mix” program, which provides “social hours” with local beer and wine and cool food options at Residence Inn properties. “Millenials are travelling more for business,” said Diane Mayer, vice president and global brand manager for Residence Inn, Towne Place Suites, Protea and Marriott Executive Apartments. “They’re used to having social time so we wanted a program with Read more

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The newest version of the Best Cities in the World report by the respected Resonance Consulting group has been released, and it’s another feather in Toronto’s proverbial cap. The latest Resonance report puts Toronto squarely at #13 on the planet, ahead of such renowned cities as Sydney (25), San Diego (20), and Vancouver (29). Here’s what the report said about Toronto: “Canada’s largest city has always been a hedge for people and capital—from English companies moving here in the ‘70s from Francophone Montréal to immigrants seeking a foothold to start a better life. The thing about welcoming everyone is that Read more

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