As Taylor Swift’s epic Eras Tour heads to Vancouver for its final three shows, Destination Vancouver and BC Pavillion Corporation (PavCo) estimate that the total economic impact in Vancouver of those three shows will be $157 million CAD. Of that, $97 million is direct spending on such things as accommodation, food and beverage, retail and transportation—more than 70% of which will be spent by out-of-town visitors. That infusion into local businesses translates into more than $27 million in total tax revenue for all three levels of government. “The announcement last November that Taylor Swift would play three nights in Vancouver Read more
Europe
World’sBestCities.com has unveiled its list of, well, the world’s top cities. To no one’s surprise, London, New York and Paris take the podium spots, followed by Tokyo and Singapore. Rounding out the top 10 were Rome, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin and Sydney. That’s six European cities in the top 10, which tells you something. In fact, I count 28 European cities in the top 100. The website says they considered a variety of factors, both the “performance and perception of cities around the world. I can’t say I fully understand the methodology, but I think they’ve missed the mark on a Read more
Canada may be a winter wonderland, but Canadians prefer their holidays in places with turquoise seas and waving palm trees. A new study from KAYAK, the world’s leading travel search engine, finds Canadians have their eyes set on international travel this holiday season. According to an overwhelming majority (90%) of hotel and flight searches show Canadians are looking at international destinations. Cancún, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando top their list of most popular destinations for Canadians. The list isn’t particularly different from other years, but I forgive my fellow Canadians for looking at tried-and-true vacation spots. After all, I’ll be heading Read more
AAA projects 79.9 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period*. For the first time, AAA’s forecast includes the Tuesday before and the Monday after Thanksgiving Day to better capture the flow of holiday travelers. This year’s projection of nearly 80 million travelers is an increase of 1.7 million people compared to last year and 2 million more than in 2019. “Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday for travel, and this year we’re expecting to set new records across the board, from driving to flying and cruising,” said Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Read more
A new study reveals the best cities for budget travelers, and Rome ranks first for offering the most free tourist attractions. Bangkok offers the lowest average hotel price at just $8 (all figures USD) and the most affordable meal price of $3.14. Lisbon stands out with the highest weather index of 98.6, which allows visitors to enjoy outdoor activities year-round. A recent study by DIPNDIVE revealed the top ten best cities for budget travelers based on a comprehensive analysis of various key factors. The data used in this study included the number of free tourist attractions, average cost of living, meal prices at inexpensive Read more
