Aw shucks, folks; we’re speechless. A new study from the folks at usjetcost.com finds that Americans rate Canada as the country with the nicest, most welcoming locals. They also rated Canadians as the second nicest tourists in the U.S.. I’m personally baffled by this, but a majority of Americans in the study said the British are the most annoying tourists, with 31% of respondents naming them as the most bothersome. Next were Germans (16%) and Brazilians (13). I get that Americans overthrew the British government a couple hundred years ago because of taxes and the high cost of tea and Read more
U.S.A.
This story appeared on Sunday, Oct. 13 in the Los Angeles Times travel section, which requires a subscription to read. I’m providing a link to the story here but also printing the story on my own site for ease of reading. Here’s the LA Times link: https://www.latimes.com/travel/story/2019-10-12/ On Lana’i, they’re putting the finishing touches on a multimillion-dollar remake of the old Four Seasons Lodge at Koele, which is being turned into a sumptuous spa and wellness retreat and is set to open November 1st. Its sister hotel, Four Seasons Lana’i, has rooms that start at about $1,000 USD a night. Read more
I first visited Molokai maybe 20 years ago. It was just for a getaway night for my wife and I, who were on vacation on Maui with my family, and I don’t remember a lot. The weather wasn’t the best but it was quiet and restful. I went back for a day trip with my sister five years later and rented a car, so we were able to enjoy the drive to the Halawa Valley and got to briefly check out the valley and the pretty bay and beach. I went back for a travel story in the Toronto Star Read more
There’s been a good deal of attention paid to how the ongoing trade wars and increasing political hostility between the U.S. and China and between Canada and China is hurting the economies of both the U.S. and Canada. What I hadn’t seen until today is something that focusses on how travel and tourism are being affected. A report on CBS News paints a troubling picture that should have American tourism folks pretty scared. I also found a Statistics Canada study from this week that shows Canadians also are being hurt. The CBS News item quotes a study from Tourism Economics, Read more
This item originally appeared at aarp.org/travel, where I’ve been publishing a variety of stories. Maui is a magnificent part of the Hawaiian Islands, with wondrous beaches, posh resorts, sensual hula shows and Instagram-worthy coastlines. Those memories can be expensive if you’re not careful. Luckily, however, there are lots of great free and extremely affordable ways to enjoy the island. Here are some tips from a 20-time-plus visitor. GO IN THE SHOULDER SEASON Summer is pricey as kids are out of school and many families want a beach holiday. Winter is expensive as snowbirds are anxious to flee the cold. I Read more
