Expedia has come out with its list of top world destinations for 2025, and there are some great picks. Here’s their top nine for the upcoming year. A Catalonian culinary haven Girona, Spain As Catalonian capital Barcelona hits the headlines for record-breaking tourism numbers, conscious travellers are keeping visits short and sweet, basing themselves primarily in nearby Girona, a hill-top medieval showstopper just 40 minutes away via the new Avlo high-speed train service. In gastronomic circles, Girona has been an insider secret for years, with 12 Michelin-starred restaurants in the region, snapping at San Sebastián’s crown as Spain’s culinary Read more
Australia/New Zealand/PAC
Travelzoo has a nice sale on Air New Zealand flights from Canada to New Zealand and to Australia. Until today (Dec. 3, 2024) at midnight, take advantage of reduced Air New Zealand fares from Vancouver. Nonstop roundtrip flights to Auckland are $1395 CAD. The sale also lets you fly to other cities in New Zealand from $99. You’ll have 18 destinations to choose from, including Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown. Travel on select dates from April–October. Air New Zealand is the only carrier offering nonstop service during this period. Travelzoo said the price saves over $600 compared to what they usually see Read more
AAA projects 79.9 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period*. For the first time, AAA’s forecast includes the Tuesday before and the Monday after Thanksgiving Day to better capture the flow of holiday travelers. This year’s projection of nearly 80 million travelers is an increase of 1.7 million people compared to last year and 2 million more than in 2019. “Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday for travel, and this year we’re expecting to set new records across the board, from driving to flying and cruising,” said Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Read more
Florida has posted a record third-quarter for tourist visits this year. Despite highly-publicized hurricanes in August and September, Visit Florida this week said 34.61 million people traveled to the Sunshine State in the third quarter of 2024, up from 33.995 million during the same period in 2023 and 34.551 million in 2022. “The hard work and resilience of Floridians have been instrumental in keeping our tourism industry strong, showcasing the best of what our state has to offer,” Visit Florida President and CEO Dana Young said in a statement. CBS News said Visit Florida estimates that 2.27 million overseas travelers Read more
Today’s post includes a look at the World’s 50 Best Beaches, with impressive showings from the U.S. Virgin Islands, Australia, Hawaii and Anguilla. I also look at the places British Airways is recommending as top destinations for 2025, and at new Air Canada routes to Europe, Asia and the U.S.A., including flights to popular spots such as Portugal and Prague. When it comes to travel, it’s pretty much impossible to come up with a definitive list of the best of anything. One could argue Paris is the best city, but how do you argue with New York or Sydney or Read more
