Oxford Economics comes out with a yearly, scientific study of the world’s best cities. The group analyzes a city’s economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance and combines them into an overall score. It’s probably no surprise that Western democracies score well, but you might be surprised (a bit) by the number four entry on the list. Note, also, that Canadian cities did quite well, as did the major cities in Europe, the U.S.A. (especially California), and Australia. New Zealand also has a couple entries. Here’s the top 25 for this year. New York City London Paris Seattle Read more
Europe
It’s that time of year again. No, not autumn leaves tumbling to the ground or skeletons hanging from the neighbours tree, but travel list time! Lonely Planet got things started this week with their look at 50 top places in th world to visit in 2027. It’s a nice list that includes some of my fave spots. Here’s a look at a few of their options, followed by the full top 50. FRENCH POLYNESIA – One of my fave places in the world, with dreamy, tropical landscapes, amazing food and welcoming locals with great stories to tell. The main island Read more
MSN Travel has an excellent story on its website that shows off some of the best small towns and cities of Europe. The story lists a smaller city or village in all 46 member countries, so you’ll find something in all your favourite destinations, including Italy, France, England, Portugal and Croatia. I must admit there are several I’d never heard of but look fabulous, such as Dinant, Belgium, Vianden, Luxembourg and Castle Combe in the delightful Cotswolds area of England, where I spent some time a few years ago. Others I know (Colmar, France, Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland and Atrani, Italy, as Read more
New routes to China, Ireland, France, Croatia, and Norway. New daytime flights from Toronto to London. And more flights to Shanghai, Lima and Tenerife. Air Canada today (Sept. 3, 2026) announced a significant expansion of its global network for Summer 2027, adding five new international destinations and seven new routes, along with increased schedules on key routes. From its Vancouver trans-Pacific hub, Air Canada will be launching year-round services to Guangzhou, China. From its Toronto global hub, Air Canada will begin service to Oslo, Norway; Shannon, Ireland; and Nice, France, while resuming the London Heathrow Daytripper, boosting its Shanghai flights Read more
More than nine in 10 visitors to the FIFA World Cup 2026 Toronto said they are likely to return to Ontario for a leisure trip within the next two years, according to a visitor intercept study released today (Sept. 2) by Destination Ontario. Conducted in partnership with Destination Toronto and Context Research Group Inc., the study surveyed visitors during the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Toronto and found high visitor satisfaction, positive perceptions of Ontario and strong intent to return. It remains to be seen if those opinions translate into actual visits, but it’s quite encouraging to see numbers like Read more
