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U.S.A.

Nobody will ever agree – ever – with anyone else’s list. That almost goes without saying. What you think are the top 10 wines in the world are almost certainly not mine. And I’ll never understand Academy Award or Grammy Award voters. So it’s probably not surprising that I take a bit of umbrage (and that I’m also dissatisfied) with CNN’s list of the top 100 beaches of the world. Before I launch a miniature rant, let me say I’m actually pretty happy with this list. I usually think of CNN as pretty U.S. focussed, but this is a very Read more

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I’ve always loved this kind of study. Instead of looking at boring things such as the cost of a hotel room and a cab, a Washington Post blogger has used Trip Advisor data on room service costs to come up with the cost of some of the basics for room service. They looked at 15 U.S. cities and tallied up the cost of a club sandwich, a bottle of water, a bag of peanuts, a bottle of soda and an individual serving of vodka. (By individual serving they mean those tiny bottles that aren’t really a proper serving, but that’s Read more

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LAS VEGAS – She took a tumble on the trapeze. But the tattoo gun was cool. And she picked up a few magic tricks, to boot. Kayla Gregoire of Timmins recently returned from competing in Expedia.ca’s “Sinternship” program in Las Vegas, putting herself in some crazy but unforgettable situations as she and other Canadians explored awesome aspects of the city with Expedia.ca’s Las Vegas experts, on the ground locals who have been brought on board with Canada’s leading online travel provider to help craft customized travel itineraries that feature activities and attractions for every type of Vegas tourist. Gregoire said Read more

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Hotels are going the boutique route. Cruise ships are going the opposite direction. Each year, cruise ship operators seem to be upping their “mine is bigger and fancier than yours game.” And nobody does it better than Royal Caribbean. The cruise line made a big splash, as it were, with its remake of the Oasis of the Seas about five years ago. Then came its ever-so-slightly bigger sister ship, Allure of the Seas. Both ships feature seven distinct “neighbourhoods,” along with a carousel and designer shops, such as Kate Spade, and carry roughly 5,400 passengers. The Quantum of the Seas, Read more

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I’ve been saying for years now that the federal government in Ottawa doesn’t understand tourism and doesn’t give it the support it should. Now I see that MP Elizabeth May and TV comedian/pundit Rick Mercer are saying the same thing. Here’s my Globe and Mail blog from Friday, Feb. 20…. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/travel/travel-news/when-will-the-government-give-tourism-the-respect-it-deserves/article23115880/

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