A new report on travel preferences for residents of Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa names Perth as the world’s top city, and Portugal as the most attractive country. Meanwhile, a new American Express business travel study names New Jersey, western Michigan, North Carolina, Honolulu and Sacramento, California as top emerging markets for biz travellers. This year’s Amex Trendex report reveals a surprising shift towards less traditional destinations that are becoming increasingly attractive to corporate travelers. For the first time, Amex identified five trending U.S. destinations based on commercial customer spending: Princeton, New Jersey; Durham, North Carolina; Southwest Read more
Canada
Summer may be winding down (or, to paraphrase Bob Seger, “autumn is closing in,”), but fall travel is heating up. And Expedia data shows Canadians aren’t just chasing fall colour destinations this year. From East Coast locales to overseas adventures in Asia, Expedia’s fall travel outlook dives into autumn travel trends, including the hottest destinations, best booking windows and ways to save. Canadians also are looking to book trips to Buffalo to see the Buffalo Bills of the NFL play, and to U.S. cities such as Miami to see Taylor Swift in concert. “This year, there’s no hard line when Read more
ON THE TRENT-SEVERN WATERWAY IN ONTARIO – We were pulling into a lock north of Peterborough after a few days navigating the Trent-Severn waterway in southern Ontario. We’d passed through the same lock maybe 72 hours earlier on our way north in our 42-foot Le Boat craft, and one of the Parks Canada lock workers recognized us on our return journey. “Hey, guys! It’s Jim and Barbara, right? How’d it go?” There are many things I’ll remember about our five-day, 20-lock trip on the Trent-Severn: my wife admitting she was scared to death at the idea of me piloting a Read more
The kids may be going back to school in three weeks (sorry kids), but there are still roughly 40 days of summer left in Ontario. Late August and early September are great times to visit the province, with cooler weather and fewer crowds than July or early August. Here are some top spots from my travels around the province. DURHAM REGION I had a great trip to this area two summers ago. Less than 90 minutes from Toronto, Beaverton has a wonderful spot called the Underground Bake Shop with outstanding croisstants, quiche and other treats. The Sunflower Farm is great Read more
They have an exciting few months ahead at the Muskoka Discovery Centre and onboard their ships. If you haven’t visited yet, be sure to check out the new exhibit, The Muskoka Story, and treat yourself to an afternoon cruise on Wenonah II. The Muskoka Story includes Misko-Aki, a Confluence of Cultures. The exhibit won an award for Outstanding Achievement in Exhibitions from the Canadian Museums Association (CMA). There were more than 25 organizations under consideration in a multi-juried process with criteria including potential impact and connection with community. The Muskoka Steamships and Discovery Centre in Gravenhurst, Ontario (I’m a member Read more
