A new list of the top cities in the world for international travelers from the U.S. gives the inside edge to Portugal, with Spain coming in second.
Coming in at number one (a tie, actually) were Lisbon, and Porto, Portugal. I haven’t had the pleasure of visiting Porto, but I love Lisbon, which has fabulous food and great neighbourhoods to explore, including the vibrant Aflama district. There also are great beaches.
Spain had two cities in the top 10; Madrid and Seville. Sadly, I haven’t been to either.
The authors created a list of 40 major cities around the world, then ranked them by analyzing factors that matter most to first-time travelers, including safety ratings, English proficiency, and friendliness. It also took into account nightly hotel costs, historic sites, walkability, and average meal prices at local restaurants.
Lisbon, Portugal. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Here’s the full top 10 list, which was compiled by the entertainment website JB.com.
- Lisbon
- Porto (technically a tie for first)
- Prague (a delightful city)
- Seoul (never been but hear good things)
- Helsinki (ditto)
- Kyoto (utterly delightful)
- Madrid
- Budapest (outstanding city)
- Vienna (same, with far more variety than you might expect. Here’s a story of mine on Vienna).
- Seville
There were no entries for Canada or Mexico or Caribbean, so I assume this was meant to be strictly for trips outside North America. I’m also surprised that neither Sydney or Melbourne made the list. That makes no sense to me if you’re talking about places for a North American visitor to check out. Both are fascinating, beautiful, welcoming cities where a form of English (sorry, that was an attempted joke) is the official language. Also missing: London (how, I have no idea), Paris and Rome. I imagine that price was an issue for those, as well as for Sydney and Melbourne. But Vienna isn’t exactly cheap, so I don’t quite get it.
SARASOTA NAMED TOP U.S. CITY FOR VISITORS
CNN recently issued a list of the top 10 cities and towns in the U.S. for visiting this year. Coming out on top was Sarasota, a delightful city I have visited several times, most recently early in 2025. It’s a fabulous spot with great beaches and outdoor activities, a vibrant downtown, excellent shopping, wonderful art and one of Florida’s top gardens. Here’s a story I wrote after my last visit.
St. Armand’s Circle is a great dining and shopping spot in Sarasota, Florida. Visit Sarasota Photo
Oh, the other nine on the CNN list? I thought you’d never ask. Here’s the full top 10.
- Sarasota, Florida
- New Haven, Connecticut (only there once, and that was maybe 40 years ago)
- Greenville, South Carolina
- Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
- Fort Collins, Colorado
- Burlington, Vermont (very good choice)
- Juneau, Alaska (fun place to visit, for sure)
- Iowa City, Iowa
- Lawrence, Kansas
- Roanoke, Virginia
HAWAI’I TOURISM ENDS 11-YEAR-MEDIA RELATIONS DEAL WITH VOX INTERNATIONAL
On a somewhat personal note, I was very disappointed to hear today that the Hawai’i Tourism Authority has decided not to renew its contract with VoX International, the Toronto-based public relations/media relations firm that has represented Hawai’i tourism in Canada for 11 years. VoX has done an excellent job for Hawai’i, but said the authority wasn’t renewing its contract because of budget concerns. VoX said Canadian media/public relations will be handled by the Hawaii tourism team in the United States.
Waikiki Beach, Oahu, Hawai’i
I understand money may be an issue, but I think it’s a huge mistake to leave Canadian media relations in the hands of a U.S. team. Canada is a vastly different market from the U.S., perhaps now more than ever. Canadians think differently that Americans, and they travel differently. Hawai’i tourism needs all the help it can get right now, and that includes beefing up visits from Canada. It’s penny wise and pound foolish to leave the job to an American company. I will, of course, continue to work with Hawai’i tourism as it’s one of my fave places on earth. But I think it’s a poor decision that tourism officials will regret sooner versus later.
HEIVA I TAHITI FESTIVAL IS THIS MONTH
This month, Heiva i Tahiti, one of the region’s most important cultural celebrations, marks its 145th anniversary.
What makes this festival truly special is its history. When traditional Tahitian dance was banned in the 19th century, communities found ways to preserve the stories, legends and identity woven into each performance. As these traditions gradually returned to the public, Heiva i Tahiti emerged as a celebration of Polynesian heritage, resilience, and pride, and is now recognized by many as The Celebration of Life.
From now until July 18th, nearly 3,000 performers are gathering in The Islands of Tahiti to continue that legacy through weeks of dance, music, and traditional sport competitions. Many participants spend six months or more preparing for the festival, creating original choreography, music and costumes inspired by ancestral history, oral traditions and mythology.
More than just a festival, each performance is a story that refused to be forgotten, brought to stage in a colourful, powerful, and visually striking way.
Several events will be livestreamed, allowing Canadians to experience this unique cultural celebration in real time. Spectators can tune in live or explore highlights from previous years’ competitions HERE.
Additional information about this year’s program can be found HERE.
I haven’t been to the Heiva i Tahiti, but I have been to Tahiti twice and have witnessed the annual Havaiki Nui Va’a canoe race in the islands, which is like the Super Bowl or World Cup of outrigger canoeing. It’s quite something.
I have spent a fair bit of time on the main island of Tahiti, including the magnificent Tahiti Iti peninsula. I’ve also spent time on magical Bora Bora, beautiful Moorea, the incredible island of Taha’a and the superbly laid back and quiet island of Raiatea. Huahine is next on my list!
SKYSCANNER’S NEW AI TOOL
Skyscanner has launched new beta tools and updated product features to help travellers plan and book summer getaways with greater ease and confidence.
Every month, Skyscanner helps more than 160 million travellers worldwide to compare flights, accommodation and car rental options. In 2026, the company continued to innovate across its app and website, launching new features designed to make discovering, planning and booking the perfect trip easier and more budget-friendly than ever.
“For more than 20 years, innovation has been at the heart of Skyscanner’s mission to be the world’s leading travel ally,” said Bryan Batista, CEO of Skyscanner. “At a time when travellers are navigating an increasingly complex travel landscape, we’re focused on building tools that help them plan and book with confidence.
A canal in Amsterdam. Adrien Olichon/Unsplash Photo.
“We’re experimenting with how AI can make every stage of the journey simpler and more intuitive, from discovering new destinations to road trip planning. We’re also continuing to test and evolve how we present flight information, including live flight tracking and trialling mapping price insights. By combining our deep travel expertise with the latesttechnology, our goal is to support travellers in making confident decisions and creating trips that are right for them, transforming travel planning into a seamless part of the adventure.”
Skyscanner built the following tools leveraging proprietary AI technology, currently in beta testing:
Explore with AI
Available on Skyscanner’s website, Explore with AI is a travel discovery tool that helps travellers find inspiration using natural language. Instead of searching with specific destinations and dates, travellers can describe what they’re looking for, such as “help me find cheap flights to Japan in December,” and receive personalized recommendations based on their preferences.
Hit the open road with the Road Trip Planner
Designed to help travellers explore further and discover new destinations, Skyscanner’s Road trip planner creates personalized itineraries tailored to different travel styles, while helping travellers find the best car hire deal for their journey.
San Francisco Travel Association Photo
Travellers enter their car rental pick-up location, travel dates and preferred route type, then select from a range of AI-generated journey styles including Scenic Route for scenic views, Fastest Route for efficient travel, Cultural Exploration to uncover historical landmarks and local heritage,Adventure Trip for outdoor experiences, and Relaxing Getaway for slower-paced travel.
Using these preferences, the AI tool generates a customized road trip itinerary, suggesting stops, attractions and points of interest along the way, while also recommending the best car hire options to match the journey.
Along with AI discovery tools, Skyscanner is continuing to innovate with much-loved traveller features:
Flight Tracker
Skyscanner’s new real-time flight information includes departures, arrivals, flight status, gates, terminals and baggage belt details for millions of flights, helping travellers find peace of mind on the day of travel.
DROPS
Skyscanner’s app-based DROPS feature continues to highlight even more price drops for travellers looking to find the best deal for their next trip. Launched exclusively on the app, travellers can nowsee up to +822 per cent more deals a day with Skyscanner scouring 100 billion prices to find flights that have dropped by 20% or more in the last 7 days.
Stays
Skyscanner’s rebranded Stays platform offers more than five million properties globally, up from 3.5 million previously. Travellers can compare from hostels to five-star hotels, campsites to capsule accommodation and farm getaways to floating stays.
