We all love beautiful water photos, so here’s something to think about, and perhaps even plan a trip around.
A new analysis by GoPro Alternatives, an action camera comparison site, examined the world’s top water destinations based on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube posts.
Here’s their top 10:
1. Mauritius
2. Maui
3. Niagara Falls
4. Amalfi Coast, Italy
5. Kauai
6. Curacao
7. Bora Bora (Tahiti)
8. Florida Keys
9. Blue Lagoon, Iceland
10. Phi Phi Islands, Thailand
A lagoon tour in Bora Bora, Tahiti. Jim Byers Photo
As a Canadian, I love seeing Niagara Falls on the list. As a passionate Hawai’i fan, I love seeing Maui and Kauai (I visited both in January of this year) in the top 10. And as a lover of Tahiti and Florida, I enjoy seeing the Florida Keys and sensational Bora Bora on the list.
TOP USA VRBO DESTINATIONS
The San Diego coastline is especially beguiling around La Jolla. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Vrbo, which I used to book a fabulous apartment in Rome last year has a new list of its top trending destinations. Their top ten list is as follows: Rosemary Beach, Florida; Maui, Hawaii; Gulf Shores, Alabama; Gatlinburg, Tennessee; Scottsdale, Arizona; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; San Diego, California; and Breckenridge, Colorado. I don’t know Rosemary Beach, but it’s on the Florida panhandle, which is famous for sugary, white sand beaches. I also enjoy Myrtle Beach and adore San Diego and Scottsdale. Canadians aren’t booking many US trips right now, but they’re all great spots for Americans to visit and for Canadians to consider for a trip down the road.
AIR CANADA DOUBLES DOWN ON GRENADA
Grand Anse Beach in Grenada. Hugh Whyte/Unsplash Photo
The Grenada Tourism Authority says Air Canada will begin expanded, seasonal non-stop service between Toronto and Grenada, with the addition of a second weekly flight on 02JUN, 2025. The new Monday service will complement the existing Sunday flight and run through 31AUG, 2025.
“The increased capacity provides greater flexibility for Canadian travellers; whether families making the most of school holidays, adventure seekers drawn to Grenada’s lush rainforests and reefs, or culture lovers eager to experience Spicemas, the island’s vibrant carnival celebration in August,” the GTA said.
“To further entice travellers, Grenadian hotels are offering exclusive summer deals for the Canadian market. Sandals Grenada, for example, is offering up to CAD$1,300 off select vacation packages.”
WESTJET BOOSTS DOMESTIC SERVICE: MORE FLIGHTS IN AND OUT OF HALIFAX
Halifax has one of the prettiest waterfronts in Canada. JIM BYERS PHOTO
WestJet is riding the Canadian staycation wave by expanding domestic capacity and boosting service to Halifax, with new non-stop service to Halifax from Vancouver, Regina and Saskatoon.
The Vancouver-Halifax route begins Canada Day, July 1, and features four flights a week. Flights to Halifax from Saskatoon begin June 28 (once a week) and flights from Regina start June 29 (also once a week).
In addition, new flights between Winnipeg and St. John’s have been added to the summer schedule, with two flights a week beginning July 1.
WestJet is also increasing frequency on its Halifax flights from Winnipeg and Edmonton, as well as between Calgary and Deer Lake.
“These routes bring greater choice to our guests across the country and make it easier for Canadians to access our expanding transatlantic network from Halifax and St. John’s,” said John Weatherill, WestJet Executive Vice-President and Chief Commercial Officer. “As demand for summer travel continues to evolve, we are focused on flying people where they want to go, whether it’s reuniting with loved ones in the prairies, exploring new sights in the Maritimes or seamlessly connecting to Europe.”
“The domestic service enhancements are strategically designed to facilitate seamless, one-stop connectivity to WestJet’s direct flights from Halifax and St. John’s to Europe, including Barcelona, Paris, Amsterdam, Dublin, Edinburgh and London, offering more options for guests looking to explore across the Atlantic,” WestJet said.
It’s great for people heading to Europe, but also nice to have more flights to Halifax, especially from a big city such as Vancouver. Halifax is a tremendous and, to me, underrated Canadian city that deserves more attention. “We continue to see significant growth in the industry, including a significant number of new hotels being built over the past few years,” Ross Jefferson, President and CEO of Discover Halifax, told me. “We believe the growth is coming from a number of markets, including overseas and domestic markets.
VISIT CALIFORNIA DECRIES DROP IN CANADIAN VISITORS
I mentioned the Visit California “We Love Canada” campaign in this space last week. On April 23, Visit California president and CEO Caroline Beteta held a Zoom chat for people in the tourism industry in California titled “Travel in the Time of Tariffs.”
Beteta said the tariffs are causing a lot of trouble for tourism across the US.
“These times are very tumultuous for our industry,” she said.
Air arrivals to California from Canada are down 15.5% in March. It was worse for many other countries; Mexico air arrivals were down 24.2%, while arrivals from the UK were down 22.1% and arrivals from Germany down 26.2%.
Beteta said Visit California is tracking foreign currency issues and economic pressures, a shift in consumer sentiment, and safety/security issues and assessing their impact on tourism to the state.
“We’re tracking all these impacts across our top international markets in total, but it’s really Canada where we see these challenges the most pronounced.”
The Canadian dollar is up a bit lately, but was below 70 cents USD a few weeks ago. Consumer sentiment in Canada also is an issue when President Donald Trump talks about tough tariffs and having Canada become a 51st state, she said.
Beteta said safety and security is an issue that’s been overblown by the media. A few incidents have dominated the headlines, “but right now we know of zero reports of tourists with valid visas being denied entry or detained when arriving at a California airport.”
California governor Gavin Newsom joined the Zoom call and said his state welcomes visitors with “an open hand, not a closed fist.”
The Golden State is the most diverse state in the US and welcomes people of every kind, he said.
Visit California is working on a campaign to tell Canadians how much they matter, and hotels and resorts will have deals for Canadians.
“We care,” Newsom said. “We understand the anxiety and stress and all the emotional discontent that has been advanced when you belittle people, when you talk down to people, when you try to assert yourself and do things to people and talk about the 51st state and talking down to the former Prime Minister of Canada. That’s not who we are. We’re the most diverse state in the world’s most diverse democracy.
“When you come to California you fit in, whatever your walk of life is, whatever your background is, you fit in and find a place where you feel at home.”
“As the global environment shifts, the California brand remains our greatest asset and positions us to carry through the turbulence,” Beteta said. “Years of sustained investment have built a strong, distinct identity that stands apart from the broader US narrative.”
