National Geographic, one of the biggest names in travel, has issued a list of 26 top places to visit next year, and Canadian destinations scored big. Banff was named Readers Choice destination for next year in the magazine’s 2026 hot spot list, while Nat Geo editors put the province of Quebec and the city of Vancouver on their list. Also making the charts were Maui, Australia’s most famous Outback destination, Manila, Rio de Janeiro, the Caribbean island of Dominica, Route 66 in Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, and the Dolomites and Milan in Italy. Here’s a closer look, with comments from Nat Geo. Read more
U.S.A.
Having the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series is causing a large spike in demand for Toronto hotels. Air Canada launches new flights from Billy Bishop/Toronto Island Airport, including direct flights to New York City/La Guardia. And San Francisco opens a new “Martini Trail.” BLUE JAYS SPARK TORONTO TRAVEL SPIKE As the Toronto Blue Jays gear up for their long-awaited World Series return tomorrow (Fri, Oct 24), Toronto is seeing the impact not just on the field, but in travel demand as well. New data from Booking.com (the official accommodation partner of Major League Baseball in the U.S.) shows Read more
Kudos to Iceland, the Netherlands, Australia and Canada. Great marks for Singapore, Honolulu and San Francisco. Travel insurance provider Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection (BHTP) has released its 11th annual State of Travel Insurance Safest Destinations report, “the longest running and most trusted research project evaluating the attitudes of U.S. travelers toward travel safety and travel insurance.” The Netherlands, Australia, and Austria have been named the safest countries to visit in 2026, while Reykjavik, Copenhagen, and Zurich top the list of safest cities. Canada was named fifth safest country, which is down slightly from its third place finish last year. Montreal Read more
Expedia Group today released Unpack ’26: The Trends in Travel™. The annual global report highlights shifts in traveller behaviour and the destinations set to dominate itineraries in 2026, including several Canadian destinations and activities spotlighted throughout. It’s also got some great destinations in such places as England, Italy, Asia and Australia. From Destinations of the Year to salvaged hotels and reading retreats, to curling and farm stays, the seven trends in Unpack ’26 offer a look at the future of travel. Each trend is backed by first-party data from Expedia Group, and insights from 24,000 global travellers. Expedia — Destinations of Read more
The annual Conde Nast Readers’ Choice Awards are out for best travel of 2025, and there’s plenty of great North American and world content to check out, as well as fabulous hotels and cruises. Canada made the top 10 for best countries to visit, while New York City won kudos for its food scene and hotels. Victoria, British Columbia was named best small city in the world, Barbados made the top three for most friendly countries, and Tokyo was named world’s best food city. The top ten hotels list for Canada included 1 Hotel Toronto and, in first place, the Read more
