The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund (NOHFC) has announced significant support for the largest restoration in the 145-year history of the RMS Segwun, Canada’s iconic steamship. The fund also announced important support for the “Love Muskoka, Sustain Muskoka” exhibit at the Muskoka Steamships & Discovery Centre. Graydon Smith, MPP Parry Sound-Muskoka, and George Pirie, Minister of Northern Economic Development and Growth, visited the Muskoka Discovery Centre in Gravenhurst on Friday (Jan. 30) to announce their commitment and support through NOHFC in the amount of $830,000. This grant is a critical piece of financing in the project, which will cost more than Read more
Canada
Japan rules the tourism world. A new look at the world’s best cities gives the top spot on the podium to Osaka, with Kyoto in the bronze medal spot and five Japanese destinations/cities in the top 12 in the world. Yanolja Research recently published its Global Tourism City Attractiveness Index, which it says “objectively measures the attractiveness of global tourism cities from the perspective of tourists—the actual demand side of tourism.” This index directly reflects how tourists perceive and evaluate the appeal and popularity of tourism cities. It is derived through sentiment analysis and the measurement of positive and Read more
A record 28.2 million visitors came to Toronto in 2025, generating a record $9.1 billion in spending. Destination Toronto figures released today (Jan. 28) show overnight visits rose two per cent over last year despite a softening U.S. market. Large entertainment events such as concerts and sporting events like the Toronto Blue Jays helped the city set its new record, officials said. The $9.1 billion in direct spending exceeded the previous year’s record by four per cent, reinforcing tourism’s role as one of the city’s most important export sectors. Toronto is the most visited city in Canada. Domestic visitation remained Read more
Winter Storms Wreaking Havoc on Travel in Eastern USA and Canada; More Than 15,000 Flights Cancelled
Winter storms across wide swatches of the eastern United States and Canada, as well as a bone-chilling polar vortex, have sparked one of the worst travel weekends in recent history. More than 10,000 flights in and out of the United States had been cancelled for today (Sunday, Jan. 25) as of 9 a.m. ET. If you figure only 100 people per flight, that’s a million passengers left stranded on a single day. More than 4,000 flights in the US were cancelled on Saturday, and nearly 2,000 have already been kyboshed for tomorrow (Monday). There are reports of major power outages Read more
Bloomberg recently came out with nice recommendations on great places to travel in 2026. Among their suggestions were Taipei, Corsica, Lake Louise, San Francisco and Scotland. I’m a big fan of Corsica, a French island in the Mediterranean I visited back in 2009. The food (especially the wine, cheese and seafood) is quite good, the coastline magical, and the surprisingly rugged mountains great for hiking. Bloomberg noted a growth in new boutique hotels and called the island “the perfect blend between private luxury and uncrowded, European summer bliss.” Notwithstanding those comments, I’d aim for a visit in late April or Read more
