Canadians’ holiday travel budgets are more than double what they were last year, a trend that bodes well for airlines and the tourism industry. IBM’s Holiday Shopping and Travel Report finds that, in response to economic disruption and financial strain, Canadian consumers are rethinking their wish lists, with many diverting their holiday budgets from shopping to travel. This holiday season, Canadians are more concerned about rising costs and inflation (64%) than COVID-19 (56%), and they are recalibrating their celebration plans accordingly. – Compared to last year, Canadians’ holiday travel budgets are up by 131%, significantly higher than the global average Read more
Canada
After a brief hiatus, Air Canada enRoute is thrilled to present the anticipated Top 10 list of Canada’s Best New Restaurants, with Toronto’s Restaurant 20 Victoria taking the number one spot. Toronto also had the number three spot (MIMI Chinese) and number seven spot (Fonda Balam). Calgary had two restaurants in the top 10, Major Tom and Một Tô. Led by chef Julie Hyde, Restaurant 20 Victoria features an upfront bar area for à la carte plates and an elegant dining room and patio for the six-course tasting menu. In second place, Montreal’s Mastard showcases Quebec terroir with fresh seasonal Read more
American Express Travel today released its 2023 Trending Destinations list, which features the 10 most popular places for travel in the next year based on Card Member booking data. It’s a mix of tried-and-true and lesser-known destinations around the world. The 2023 Trending Destinations are: Copenhagen, Denmark; Florida Keys, Florida; Istanbul, Turkey; Lisbon, Portugal; Mexico City, Mexico; Montenegro; Paris, France; Sydney, Australia; Woodstock, Vermont; and Yakuve Island, Fiji. American Express travel consultants have helped narrow down the top places to go and what to do with 3-day weekend itineraries for each of the 2023 Trending Destinations, highlighting where jet setters Read more
WestJet today celebrated the highly anticipated inaugural flight between Winnipeg and Los Angeles. The departure of flight WS1315 at 7 a.m. local time marked a major milestone for Manitoba’s tourism, trade and business sectors as Winnipeg gains a seamless four-hour link to the globally renowned film and entertainment mecca. “With a thriving film and television industry, our Manitoban guests and partners have long awaited this integral connection and will benefit substantially from convenient flights between both cities,” said John Weatherill, WestJet Chief Commercial Officer. “As the only airline providing direct connectivity between Winnipeg and Los Angeles, this route not only Read more
Canadian residents returned from over 3.7 million trips abroad in August 2022, more than four times as many trips as were taken in August 2021. StatsCan says Canadian trips abroad were up 340.4% in August compared to last year. Still, the August 2022 figure was only 63.4% of the level in August 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. In the month of August 752,900 Canadian residents returned from visiting overseas, more than double from the same month in 2021 (341,700). During the same month, travel to U.S. increased six-fold over AUG 2021. StatsCan said the number of international arrivals to Canada Read more
