Pedestrians are getting a permanent break in Banff. Hawaii Tourism Boasts Strong Holiday Numbers. And indigenous tourism is poised for a Canadian boom. A few travel tidbits for today. BANFF PED ZONE NOW PERMANENT Banff’s popular downtown pedestrian zone is now a permanent feature in the wildly popular Alberta destination. Town officials have decided to keep the zone in place from the May long weekend to Thanksgiving weekend every year. Canadian Press reports the town decided to permanently fund the project, which began during the COVID-19 pandemic, as part of its annual operating budget. “It is, however, still unclear whether Read more
January 2024
The U.S. Travel Association has released a study that found the United States ranks 17th out of 18 top travel markets in terms of global competitiveness. Decades of underinvestment and a lack of focus and coordination from federal policymakers caused the U.S. to fall behind, while other countries actively apply robust strategies to increase travel and grow economic output, the study suggests. The study gave the U.S. a 47% score, placing 17th out of 18 countries. Only China was worse. Canada ranked fifth in the report with 59%. Finishing on top of the list was the UK (72%), followed by France, Read more
Tremendous food and wine. Super comfortable seats. And, best of all, some of the nicest crew I’ve ever spent time in the air with. My wife and I recently flew from San Francisco to Auckland and then on to Sydney with Air New Zealand. We got upgraded from Premium Economy to Business Premier about a half-hour before boarding, and were understandably thrilled. Business Premier for long-haul flights features wide, comfortable seats. We were flying at night so there was soft, purple-pink mood lighting that was very relaxing. We were given a glass of sparkling wine (I could’ve had water or Read more
A new study of downtown Toronto commerce shows the tourism industry has bounced back nicely from the pandemic. But we’re not out of the woods yet. The Toronto Star on Thursday ran a story that talked about a University of Toronto School of Cities study that looked at cellphone usage in the city centre to determine the number of daily visitors to various types of buildings. Looking at 2019 levels versus 2023, the study found that Toronto’s hospitality buildings had a 100% recovery rate in terms of visitors. The recovery rate for office buildings was only 69%, and for retail Read more
With hot new openings and under-the-radar surprises to cultural icons and globally held accolades, the reasons to jet off to Los Angeles in 2024 are endless. Beckoning travelers to discover a place where magic happens and dreams come true, the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board is spotlighting the most significant milestones and must-visit spots from the Eastside to the Westside in the year ahead. “The city of Los Angeles is undergoing transformational change that visitors and Angelenos will experience across every touchpoint in 2024, especially travelers who haven’t visited in recent years, from world-renowned dining to major developments in sports, Read more
