Canadians are checking out the beauty of Brazil, the marvels of Montego Bay and the lush nature on Kauai, says a new study from KAYAK. A look at the top trending destinations (those with the biggest increase in traffic) for the upcoming holiday season shows a whopping 53% rise in interest in Montego Bay, Jamaica; the largest percentage increase of any destination in the study. Next was Kauai, perhaps the most lush and natural of the Hawaiian Islands, and vibrant Sao Paulo, Brazil, both with a growth of 49%. Not only does KAYAK keep track of the destinations Canadians are Read more
Canada
This item appeared in Sun Media and Postmedia publications in Canada earlier this week… PORT REXTON, NEWFOUNDLAND – It starts innocently enough; an easy walk on relatively flat land through a thick forest. But as I start a steady, moderate climb it gets interesting. The trees get gnarlier, with deep pine/juniper smells and plants with small red berries and what looks like a Newfoundland version of Spanish moss in the trees. Suddenly off to my left I spot an opening in the forest and walk over to a fence near a cliff. I look down at a vast sea of Read more
Sometimes a silver medal is pretty darn good. Especially when you’re competing against the entire world. British Airways has released a list of its top destinations for 2018, and Toronto came second. The only destination ranked higher for British visitors was the Seychelles, and it’s hard to compete with an island chain that beautiful. The British Airways website talked about Toronto and Vancouver are both great cities, but that the Ontario capital gained the edge (sorry, British Columbia!). “Toronto and Vancouver are competing for Canada’s tourist crown. According to British Airways, Toronto takes it in 2018,” the story said. “That’s Read more
It’s a tough act to balance. Canadian destinations and cities around the world want tourists to come and fill the coffers of local hotels and businesses. But sometimes it’s too much. If you’ve been following the news, you might have seen protests in Barcelona, where locals recently protested the annual onslaught of tourists from Britain and other countries, who party all night in Las Ramblas after jetting in on cheap flights from the likes of Ryanair with money in their pockets. Venice also has complained, as has Iceland. Today I read a story about similar sentiments in beautiful Amsterdam, where Read more
Go west, young man is a famous quote about the settling of the American West, a call for folks in the crowded Eastern United States to pack up for California and other, less crowded areas to the west. It could well be the slogan for air transportation in the crowded southern Ontario market. There’s been talk for years of building a Toronto Pearson relief airport in Pickering. That could still happen. But, in the meantime, airline folks are answering the call to avoid Pearson congestion (and high fees) by inducing folks to fly out of Hamilton and Kitchener-Waterloo, both an Read more
