Record 2023 Tourism Numbers for Portugal – Hawaii Still Waiting for Rebound – Top Places For Women Travelers This Year – Best Travel Credit Cards

Portugal is seeing a tourism boom, but Hawaii is slow to recover from pre-pandemic numbers. I also have a look at the best travel reward credit cards, the top places for women over 50 to travel this year, and most iconic foods from countries around the world.

 

PORTUGAL TOURISM SPIRALS UPWARD

 

Portugal brought in more money than ever before from tourism in 2023, and the country’s tourism boom shows no signs of slowing down.

 

Tourism revenue increased to more than $36.5 billion CAD in 2023 compared to $30.8 billion the previous year, Secretary of State for Tourism, Trade and Services Nuno Fazenda said in comments to reporters in Lisbon on Wednesday, BNN Bloomberg reports. That’s a remarkable increase of 18.5% Overnight stays also rose by 10.5% last year.

 

“It was the best year in the history of tourism in Portugal,” Fazenda said, adding, “In 2024, we are going to grow even more than in 2023.”

 

Tourists from Great Britain, France, Spain and Germany were responsible for a grat portion of the increase. Fazenda also noted increased visitation from North America and Brazil.

 

The secretary spoke on the sidelines of a conference in Lisbon in which officials debuted a new campaign called “It’s not tourism. it’s Futourism.” Its aim is to promote sustainable tourism that benefits local communities year-round.

 

 

Not only is Portugal wildly popular, it’s also relatively cheap compared to many European countries. And it’s got a climate that’s very agreeable for Canadians, with pleasant temperatures pretty much year-round. I did some noodling around on the Internet and found the average daily high in January in Lisbon is around 13C. By March it’s up to 19C. It would be cooler up north but warmer in the south around the Algarve.

Lisbon is a tremendous city, with great (and relatively cheap) food, lively plazas and great neighborhoods to explore, including Alfama, a wondrous, hilly area that takes you up to Castelo Sao Jorge.

There’s also a tremendous variety of things to see and do in Portugal, from cultural sites in Lisbon and Porto to wineries in the Douro Valley and hiking and golf in the sunny Algarve. My wife and I rented an apartment with friends in Burgau a few years ago and had a wonderful time, taking our morning coffee and breakfast in a lively, outdoor cafe near the water, hiking along glorious, oceanside cliffs and dining on fabulous, fresh seafood at night.

 

The Azores also make a tremendous spot for lovers of the outdoors. There’s also great food; including seafood, amazing steaks and fresh, local cheese. Bonus: it’s less than a six-hour flight from Toronto to Ponta Delgada on the Azorean island of Sao Miguel.

TOP TRAVEL REWARDS CREDIT CARDS IN CANADA FOR 2024

Rewards Canada has issued its annual list of the best travel reward credit cards for 2024. Here are their top choices.

Overall Travel Rewards Card: American Express Cobalt Card

Travel Points Credit Card with annual fee: Scotiabank Gold American Express Card

No Fee Travel Rewards Credit Card: American Express Green Card

Airline Credit Card: TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card

Hybrid Credit Card (Flexible Currency): American Express Cobalt Card

No Foreign Transaction Fee Credit Card: Scotiabank Gold American Express Card

Ultra Premium Credit Card: The Platinum Card from American Express

Small Business Travel Rewards Credit Card: American Express Business Edge Card

 

JOURNEYWOMAN’s TOP 30 PLACES FOR WOMEN OVER 50 TO TRAVEL THIS YEAR

 

Here’s another good item. JourneyWoman, an excellent publication edited by fellow Society of American Travel Writers member Carolyn Ray, has come up with a list of the top 30 less-travelled places in the world for women over 50 to visit this year. The list was created by JourneyWoman’s team of seasoned travel writers and is based on their own, personal travel experiences.

The 30 Less-Travelled Places for Women in 2024 include:

• North America (8): The Arctic*, Banff, Alberta; Yarmouth, Nova Scotia; Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec/Ontario; Cedar City, Utah; Finger Lakes, New York; Maui, Hawaii and Oaxaca, Mexico;
• Asia/Oceania (5): Hiroshima, Japan; Kerala, South India; Bora Bora, Tahiti; Perth, Australia and Northland, New Zealand;
• Africa and the Middle East (7): Istanbul, Turkiye; Cairo, Egypt; Petra, Jordan; Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda; Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE); Cape Town, South Africa and Zanzibar, Tanzania;
• Caribbean (2): Bequia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Martinique (French Overseas Territory);
• South America (2): The Ecuadorian Andes and Medellín, Colombia;
• Europe (5): Haugesund, Norway; the Basque Region, France; Splitska, Brac, Croatia; Málaga, Spain; Edinburgh, Scotland; and The Arctic*.
• Last but not least (1), our 30th destination is an invitation for women to travel in their own backyard.

“In 2024, we want to inspire our global audience of women 50+ to rediscover travel as an adventure,” said Ray, Editor and CEO, JourneyWoman. “We hope our list of unique and meaningful places helps women to think differently not just about where we travel but also how we travel, with a sense of purpose and intention.”

I’ll second the notion for Banff and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Of course, I’ll always opt for Maui, but given the fires last August I think it’s more important than ever to visit responsibly and support the local tourism economy.

I like the mention of Edinburgh, as my wife (who fits the over 50 category by the way) and I were there in September and had a marvellous time. I’ll also echo Perth, where we both visited just last month. It’s a very cool, underrated city with great food, amazing beaches and fun neighborhoods to explore, including historic Fremantle.

As well, here’s a link to a trip my wife and I took to Bora Bora, which also made the JourneyWoman list.

COOL NEW HOTELS AROUND THE WORLD

Thanks to Karryon.com for compiling this list of cool new hotels around the world for 2024. The list includes the 1 Hotel Melbourne, The Standard in Singapore, The Mandarin Oriental Mayfair in London, the Aman Nai Lert in Bangkok, and the reopening of the legendary Waldorf-Astoria in New York City, which looks totally fabulous.

HAWAII TOURISM SLOW TO REBOUND

A report  says there were 10.4 million visitors to Hawaii, spending an estimated $17.7 billion before the pandemic. That figure will reach 9.8 million visitors in 2024 and rise to 10.1 million in 2025, according to the forecast

Dr. Eugene Tian, economic research administrator at the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, shared the viewport at the Senate Ways and Means Committee, according to the website TheCenterSquare.com.

“We will not recover until after 2026 according to our estimates,” Tian said.

Some Hawaiians are suggesting that 10 million visitors is something of a sweet spot and that, while more spending is welcome, they would prefer not to go over 10 million year visits.

TOP FOODS BY COUNTRY AROUND THE WORLD

Here’s a fun item, a look at iconic food items in countries around the world.

Travel insurance specialists InsureandGo looked at the number of Tik Tok hashtags for food items in various countries and came up with a list of what foods were mentioned most. Here’s a look at the results for 15 countries. If you’re wondering, Canada’s top food item was the Beaver Tail, a sugary pastry that’s said to resemble the tail of Canada’s national animal. For Singapore, it was the delicious dish called laksa, and for New Zealand it was whitebait fritters. The nod for the UK naturally went to fish and chips, while Belgium’s top dish is moules frites (send some over any time, by the way).

The Top 15 Dishes Worldwide

1. Ramen, Japan – 16.5 billion views
2. Hot Dogs, USA – 10.2 billion views (the best are still Casper’s in the East San Francisco Bay Area, in my humble opinion).
3. Churrasco, Brazil – 8.3 billion views
4. Bubble Tea, Taiwan – 8.1 billion views
5. Bakso, Indonesia – 5.6 billion views
6. Kimchi, South Korea – 5 billion views
7. Döner, Turkey – 4.9 billion views
8. Asado, Argentina – 4.3 billion views
9. Chicharron, Spain – 3.2 billion views
10. Tamales, Mexico – 2.9 billion views
11. Sinigang, Philippines – 2.7 billion views
12. Fufu, Ghana – 2.6 billion views
13. Caviar, Russia – 2.6 billion views
14. Pho, Vietnam – 2.3 billion views
15. Ceviche, Peru – 2.2 billion views