A new study by photo wall art creator StoryBoards revealed that Italy is the most popular destination for a Christmas trip for Americans. The study analyzed travel-related keywords such as “flights”, “restaurants”, “ski facilities”, and more next to 43 popular vacation destinations to discover where Americans are interested in spending their holidays the most. Italy takes the crown with almost 93,000 average searches from September to December 2023. One of the most popular destinations for Americans all year long, Italy can be especially magical during the winter months and Christmas, with markets scattered around the country, as well as offering Read more
Caribbean
I had some great visits outside of Canada and the U.S. this year, visiting Sydney, Tasmania, Western Australia, Dominica, Puerto Rico, Martinique, Scotland and England. Here are some highlights. BEST RENTAL CAR EMPLOYEE My reservation was all messed up and the Budget Rental Car counter was closed when I landed at the airport in Esperance, Western Australia. I called the phone number for after hours help and reached a very kind woman named Hope. She was about to head off to a gender reveal party but said she could drive out and get my car set up for me, which Read more
Canadian tourism is bouncing back, a new report says. I also have travel news from WestJet (a new Caribbean destination), Porter Airlines, Air Canada and Accor hotels worldwide. CANADIAN TOURISM REBOUND Destination Canada’s latest report says total tourism revenue across the country is set to exceed 2019 levels. The report states that tourism will generate $109.5 billion by the end of 2023. This represents the recovery of the tourism sector from the COVID-19 pandemic, one year earlier than projected. Tourism generated $105 billion in 2019. The current growth trajectory for Canada is $140 billion in revenues by 2030, the report Read more
Two men were charged with the murder of Quebec entrepreneur Daniel Langlois and his partner, Dominique Marchand, in a court in Dominica Wednesday morning. The CBC reports that Jonathan Lehrer and Robert Snyder briefly appeared in the courtroom, both in handcuffs. Neither is said to have entered a plea. The Daily Mail said Lehrer, 57, has been charged with the Canadian couple’s murder – along with Snyder, another non-national. The bodies of Langlois and Marchand were found in a burnt-out car last Friday in Dominica, the Caribbean island nation where the couple had lived since 1997. They opened the posh, environmentally-friendly Read more
A couple weeks ago I published my list of top 10 places to go in 2024. It seems the people at AFAR magazine and I think a lot alike. I put Toronto, Paris and Detroit in my top 10, and both cities are in the AFAR top 24. I also am high on, and have written in the past about, several other destinations on the AFAR list, including Sydney, Los Angeles, Texas Hill Country, Valencia, Manchester (England) and St. Kitts. Here is the top 24 from AFAR: Fiji Sydney, Australia Tangier, Morocco Texas Hill Country Rome Macchu Picchu Martha’s Vineyard, Read more
