I don’t always agree with magazines that publish top destination lists. Sometimes they seem rather contrived, as if they’re trying to show off. But the latest one from Conde Nast Traveler hits the mark pretty well. The magazine asked travel experts to name the top island getaway places in the world, and they listed a half-dozen of my personal faves. Vancouver Island was cited for whale watching and other activities. “There’s far more to Vancouver Island than Victoria. One of my favorite places on the island is Tofino, a small town on the far west coast about halfway up the island Read more
February 2023
On the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic, Puerto Rico is reporting peaks in incoming travelers, record revenues and more local tourism employees than ever before in its history. Puerto Rico’s unique appeal as a U.S. territory with an unparalleled cultural flair, natural wonders and warm “Boricua” spirit continues to allure travelers, contributing to the Island’s tourism successes in 2022, which include: More than 5.1 million passengers arrived at the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, a 6.5% increase from 2021. Approximately $8.9 billion in revenue was generated by travel and tourism, a 39% increase over the previous high in 2019. (Tourism Economics) The island Read more
U.S. President Joe Biden wants American lawmakers to limit certain airline and hotel fees. Speaking before a session of the White House Competition Committee, Biden said Congress should restrict airline seat-assignment fees imposed on families trying to sit together, so-called resort fees that many hotels now tack on to the bill, excessive service charges on tickets for concerts and sporting events, and fees to switch or cancel internet, cable or cellphone service. These unfair fees add up,” he said. “Some airlines charge extra to pick your seat, including for parents who just want to sit next to their child on Read more
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA – Canadians are flocking back to Florida in near-record numbers. Following nearly three years of declining numbers, Canadian visits to Florida are very nearly back to 2019 levels, tourism officials have announced. Speaking to media at this year’s Florida Huddle tourism event in West Palm Beach, VISIT FLORIDA executives said a surge in Canadian visits to the Sunshine State last fall resulted in 1.04 million visits from Canada. That’s just 4.5% below the fourth quarter figure of 1.09 million for 2019. It’s also the first quarter since the start of the pandemic that saw Florida attract Read more
The Trudeau government is extending its testing requirements for visitors arriving in Canada from China and Hong Kong. Ottawa last night (Feb. 2) put out the following statement: In response to the increasing spread of COVID-19 and its variants in the People’s Republic of China and limited epidemiological and viral genomic sequence data available on these cases, the Government of Canada announced temporary pre-boarding test requirements and arrival screening effective January 5, 2023, for most travellers arriving on flights originating from the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong or Macao. On February 4, 2023, at 12:01 a.m. EST, we are Read more
