Portugal is seeing a tourism boom, but Hawaii is slow to recover from pre-pandemic numbers. I also have a look at the best travel reward credit cards, the top places for women over 50 to travel this year, and most iconic foods from countries around the world. PORTUGAL TOURISM SPIRALS UPWARD Portugal brought in more money than ever before from tourism in 2023, and the country’s tourism boom shows no signs of slowing down. Tourism revenue increased to more than $36.5 billion CAD in 2023 compared to $30.8 billion the previous year, Secretary of State for Tourism, Read more
U.S.A.
A new study rates Canada as the second-best country on earth for 2023, behind only Switzerland. The study, conducted by global marketing and communications services company WPP and The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, looked at 73 country attributes; terms that can be used to describe a country and that are also relevant to the success of a modern nation. Various attributes and nations were presented in a survey of more than 17,000 people from across the globe from March 17 to June 12. Each country was then scored on each of the 73 country attributes based on Read more
I had some wonderful visits in the U.S. and Canada this year, including a monumental train trip from Colorado to Utah, a wonderful six days in Prince Edward Island and great stays in Los Angeles, southwest Ontario, southern Florida and northern California. I also got to visit one of my fave islands, Molokai, and spent four nice but sobering days on Maui to see how they’re recovering from the devastating and still unfathomable wildfires. It wasn’t all pretty, but I had many a remarkable experience and more than a few great meals along the way. Thanks to everyone who helped Read more
There’s a new action plan to boost Maui’s economy following the deadly August wildfires. The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority Board of Directors has furthered its ongoing commitment to mālama (care for) Maui and support the island’s recovery by approving an immediate six-month action plan for 2024 to help address major challenges confronting residents, small businesses, visitor industry providers, Maui’s economy, and families seeking housing. The action plan is designed to fulfill tourism’s responsibilities in alliance with the leadership established by Governor Josh Green, M.D. and within the broader scope of Maui’s recovery efforts being conducted by the State Department of Business, Read more
A new study by photo wall art creator StoryBoards revealed that Italy is the most popular destination for a Christmas trip for Americans. The study analyzed travel-related keywords such as “flights”, “restaurants”, “ski facilities”, and more next to 43 popular vacation destinations to discover where Americans are interested in spending their holidays the most. Italy takes the crown with almost 93,000 average searches from September to December 2023. One of the most popular destinations for Americans all year long, Italy can be especially magical during the winter months and Christmas, with markets scattered around the country, as well as offering Read more
