A lot has been written about over-tourism of late. With the summer travel season just beginning, we’re likely to see more about crowding in popular parts of the world, especially Europe. The latest story on the matter comes from the legendary Cinque Terre in Italy, the five scenic villages that dot the coast east of Genoa. “Our problem isn’t overtourism but overcrowding, and during certain periods of the year,” Fabrizia Pecunia, the mayor of both Manarola and Riomaggiore, said in a story posted in The Guardian. “The main challenge is how to distribute tourism across the area, and we need Read more
Caribbean
The latest ranking of countries for travel and tourism puts Canada just outside the top 10. The 2024 Travel and Tourism Development Index from the World Economic Forum gives top spot to the United States, followed by Spain and Japan. Canada came in 11th, receiving relatively low scores for tourism infrastructure, openness to travel and tourism, cultural resources and price competitiveness. Destination Canada and the Tourism Industry Association of Canada recently stated that Canada was recently ranked 13th (in 2021), and that they aimed to get the country into the top seven by 2030. The tourism index report states Canada Read more
A record Memorial Day for travel in the United States, Bluey’s World is coming to Brisbane Australia, and how to save on great trips to Europe. I also have news about more WestJet flights to Mexico, the Caribbean and Florida, new Air Transat Club Class discounts and firework cruises coming up at Niagara Falls. A busy today for the old travel blog. RECORD MEMORIAL DAY EXPECTED IN THE U.S.A. By car, plane, rail and sea, nearly 44 million Americans plan to travel over the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, which could beat a record for the late May holiday that Read more
The cheapest cities to visit in Europe, Canadians in love with Japan, top summer travel spots for Americans and a facelift for the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto. I also have items on Via Rail, a new tourism campaign for Canada, and honours for the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. A look at what’s new in the travel and tourism world today. CHEAPEST CITIES TO VISIT IN EUROPE Europe is the favorite overseas getaway spot for American and Canadians. But it can get expensive. Yahoo and Insider Monkey have a nice list of the cheapest places to visit in Europe this summer. Read more
Time to look at some interesting lists again. Trip Advisor has a list out of the top 25 beaches in the world, and in the U.S.A. I find these fun to look at, and I will say the world list includes a ton of places I don’t know. Still, I find the trouble with these lists is that Trip Advisor clients tend to go to a lot of the “usual” places, which skews the results. There are some unexpected spots on the world list, including Zanzibar and Indonesia. But Australia only gets one spot in the top 25, and it’s Read more
