I like to talk about great places to go, but sometimes it’s good to warn people about places they might want to avoid. Not because they’re bad, but because they can get pretty overrun with visitors in the height of tourist season.
MSN has an interesting list of 16 places that really don’t need more tourists. Of course, these places have become popular for a reason, so my advice would be go if you wish, but try to visit in the shoulder season or off-season. Not only will your experience be more pleasant, but you’ll also likely save a ton of money.
A canal in Amsterdam. Adrien Olichon/Unsplash Photo.
Anyhow, here’s the MSN list of 16 overcrowded places you might want to avoid this year:
- Venice
- Santorini
- Machu Picchu
- Barcelona
- The Amalfi Coast, Italy
- Bali
- Amsterdam
- The Great Barrier Reef
- Iceland
- Maya Bay, Thailand
- Dubrovnik
- Cinque Terre, Italy
- Kyoto
- Galapagos Islands
- Hallstatt, Austria
- Phi Phi Islands, Thailand
NEW BRUNSWICK TOURISM SIGNS ON WITH TORONTO BLUE JAYS
The government of New Brunswick has signed a partnership with the Toronto Blue Jays that will help promote New Brunswick as a tourism destination to the team’s audience in Ontario and across Canada.
Checking the tides on the Bay of Fundy is an amazing experience in New Brunswick. DESTINATION CANADA PHOTO
“This exciting new partnership supports the success of our tourism strategy, Fresh Perspective, aimed at increasing our annual tourism revenues to $3.7 billion by 2031,” said Tourism, Heritage and Culture Minister Isabelle Thériault. “Investing in this partnership will help showcase New Brunswick and establish it as a world-class destination.”
I had a tremendous visit to New Brunswick a few years ago, a trip that included outstanding food, beautiful seaside village, amazing kayaking and a great drive along the Acadian Coast. Summer is great for New Brunswick beaches, and also for fresh lobster.
CANADIANS STILL SHUNNING U.S.; EUROPE GETTING MORE ATTENTION
A terrific insightful report from DCI (Development Counsellors International) finds that Canadians are, indeed, turning their attention away from visiting the US and are looking harder at visits to Europe, as well as South America.
The report finds that 40% of Canadians were interested in visiting the States in 2023. But that figure this year has dropped to 21%.
DCI attributes the drop to “trade tensions, tariff disputes and political rhetoric around Canadian sovereignty,” which pretty much sums it up.
Stockholm, Sweden. Raphael Andres/Unsplash Photo
With the US falling down the charts, DCI finds that Canadian interest in visiting Western Europe rose from 27% in 2023 to 31% this year. Interest in Southern Europe rose from 17% to 21%, while interest in Northern Europe (perhaps due to cooler weather) increased from 13% to 19%. The percentage of Canadians expressing interest in Central/Eastern Europe rose from 16 in 2023 to 19 this year.
The study also found more interest in visiting South America, with the percentage rising from nine in 2023 to 12 this year.
ABC ADDITIONS: AIR TRANSAT ADDING ARUBA, BARBADOS AND CABO
Air Transat is adding more sunshine to its winter 2026-2027 program with the introduction of three new destinations from Montreal: Oranjestad, Aruba, Bridgetown, Barbados, and San José del Cabo, Mexico.
Transat will operate two flights per week from Montreal to Barbados starting Dec. 13, with one flight per week to Arubs beginning Dec. 12 and one flight per week to San Jose del Cabo starting Dec. 10.
O2 Beach Club and Spa, Barbados. PHOTO COURTESY O2 BEACH CLUB & SPA
AIR CANADA SEAT SALE EXTENDED, PLUS A LOOK AT THEIR NEW CABINS
Air Canada has extended its summer seat sale, including flights to Vancouver, Montego Bay, Los Angeles, London, Athens, Buenos Aires, Delhi and Shanghai. You can pay with your credit care, or use those Aeroplan points you’ve been piling up. Click here for details.
Canada’s largest airline also is offering a look at its new cabin layouts for the Airbus A321XLR aircraft (it took position of its first one this week) and the Boeing 787-10. Click here for a link.
NICE SAN FRANCISCO TRAVEL PIECE
I was happy to see my friends at Travel Life run a nice story on how to spend a couple of great days in San Francisco, including The Ferry Building (spectacular food), Pier 39 (ideal family spot with a pack of barking sea lions), Golden Gate Park, and more. There are also great hotel and restaurant recommendations for one of the food cities in North America. Check their story out here.
