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
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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
Happy Canada Day to all my friends and family! I was going through my emails on this lovely summer’s day in Toronto and spotted a new study from the Canada Goose clothing company that says 95 per cent of Canadians are proud of their country, which is great. The study also found that 64 per cent of Americans have considered moving north of the border, which I suppose means I was ahead of the curve by 38 years and two months, having landed on these shores via my Honda Accord hatchback on May 1, 1981, following a drive from my Read more
Newly refreshed rooms. A real sense of history. And a tremendous location. The Hotel Pennsylvania has been one of the top places to stay in New York City for decades, and it shows no signs of slowing down in its 100th anniversary year. I recently was in town for a night and managed my first-ever stay at the hotel, located on 7th Avenue and 32nd Street; directly across from Madison Square Garden and Penn Station. It may not be the centre of the universe, but darned if it doesn’t feel like it. They’ve refurbished a number of rooms and have Read more
If you love Kauai as much as I do, there’s great news. The Kauai Department of Land and Natural Resources says Ha’ena State Park, the incredible Kalalau Trail and Napali Coast State Wilderness Park will re-open in early to mid-June. They also say the north shore section of the Kuhio Highway is set to open May 1. The north shore of Kauai was hit by massive flooding in April of 2018, with significant damage to the Kuhio Highway west of Hanalei. In a story posted at www.thegardenisland.com, one local says the five landslides that took place on the 11-mile Kalalau Read more
