Travel and Tour World has a new list out of the top 30 countries in the Americas and the Caribbean for beach lovers. I would perhaps argue that a few of the placements are a tad off-base, but it’s a pretty solid list. Here’s what they came up with, along with a note or two from yours truly. Mexico (I haven’t seen enough of the country to say, but I’ve been to fine beaches on the Riviera Maya and in Los Cabos) USA (It’s hard to dispute a country that offers up Hawaii, Florida, California, Oregon, the Carolinas, Puerto Rico, Read more
U.S.A.
Statistics show Canadians are slowly but steadily increasing their visits to the U.S. And a new poll suggests anti-U.S. sentiment is on the wane with Canadian travellers. But a full recovery is still a ways away. Statistics Canada says Canadians returned from 2.3 million trips to the U.S. in July, up 10.2% from the same month in 2025. That marks the fourth consecutive month of year-over-year growth for U.S. travel from Canada. Stats Can said return automobile trips rose 12.8% last month, but air trips dropped 1.4%. Their July travel report found that, while return trips by car were Read more
Fancy hotel rooms don’t necessarily equate with luxury. A new Vrbo/Harris poll of some 1,700 travellers from the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe and Australia finds that travellers place greater value on the consistent delivery of the fundamentals. In an increasingly competitive market, mastering the basics can be more important to travellers than offering additional amenities or elaborate in-home experiences. The poll asked for travel opinions for people who have stayed in a vacation rental and found that 86% would pay more for a place to stay that had a higher-quality listing. Respondents made it overwhelmingly clear that quality is not Read more
Canadians claim to be the best hotel guests in the world. But they’re still swiping the odd hotel bathrobe or smuggling food from the breakfast buffet. A study by Hotels.Com found that 88% of Canadians consider themselves considerate guests, and that 44% of Canadians voted themselves the most courteous guests in the world, while ranking Americans as the rudest hotel guests (42%). Yet 27% of Canadians admit they sometimes smuggle food from the breakfast buffet or swipe hotel bathrobes and slippers. How Canada Ranks the World’ Most Polite Guests, by Country Canada – 44% Japan – 22% Sweden – 11% Read more
Tomorrow (Aug. 8) marks three years since fires destroyed the small Maui city of Lahaina, and damaged other homes on the island. More than 100 people were killed in the tragedy, which wiped out almost all of the historic city, which was once capital of the kingdom of Hawaii. It’s a place I’ve visited at least 70 or 80 times over the 50-plus years I’ve been visiting the islands, and it’s a place I dearly loved. It’s been a very slow process to rebuild the city, but there have been signs of progress of late. The harbour reopened some months Read more
