ISTANBUL, TURKIYE – One of the richest histories of any city on earth. Wondrous places of worship. Remarkable food. Some of the world’s most interesting markets. And hotels for every budget. I recently spent eight days in Istanbul for a board meeting and then a full convention of the Society of American Travel Writers, and got to check out several hotels and some wonderful restaurants. I also had walking tours that included the Aya (also known as Hagia) Sophia, the amazing Basilica Cisterns, the Spice Bazaar, the sparkling, new Galataport shopping/dining/cruise port, and outside glimpses of the Blue Mosque and Read more
Europe
Canadians just can’t get enough of the U.S. in general, and Florida in particular. Leading global travel app Skyscanner has revealed the top destinations with the largest year-over-year increase that Canadian snowbirds are flocking to this winter, as well as valuable insights looking at how adults are prioritizing their travel plans. Using proprietary data, a specially commissioned survey of 2,000 travellers and trusted industry insights, Skyscanner’s exclusive data reveals the best winter travel options for Canadians for the remainder of 2024-early 2025. This winter, Canadians are looking to take flight to warmer climates, drawn to destinations that are easily accessible, Read more
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
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
