Toronto has once again set a new visitor record with 28.1 million visitors in the city, topping 2018’s 27.5 million visitors.* Visitors to Toronto spent $6.7 billion in the destination in 2019, including restaurants, attractions, transportation, retail and accommodations – nearly $200 million more than in 2018. The new visitor numbers showcase the strength of Toronto’s visitor economy that experienced a decade of growth with more than 4 million more visitors added over 10 years. “Toronto’s visitor economy continues to be an economic engine for the city, and that benefits all of us. This is a sector of Toronto’s economy Read more
A great Mrs. Maisel tour. Amazing food. And a gorgeous day in Central Park. I was in New York City recently for travel meetings that were part of a great, annual event called International Media Marketplace. Always enjoy meeting with tourism folks and getting new ideas for stories, so thank you to everyone who took the time for a talk. And thanks to Destination Canada and Visit California for great evening receptions, too! I don’t want to go to NYC for just meetings, so we usually stay the weekend after IMM and do some walking about and touring. This year, Read more
DUNEDIN, FLORIDA – Workers with neon yellow and Florida orange vests scurry past the dark blue seats before stopping to consult blueprints. Hammers clang off hard metal under the sun of a warm February day, and the beeps from the trucks and construction vehicles is a constant din. If you walked past the Blue Jays spring training stadium in this Instagram-worthy seaside town west of Tampa, you’d be forgiven if you thought the facility was some time away from completion. Outside the stadium, which has been given a $102 million US renovation/expansion and re-christened as TD Ballpark, a visitor early Read more
NEW YORK CITY – They’re everywhere these days; hotels that go out of their way and go way too far to try to prove they’re hip and millennial friendly. You know the ones I mean; the places with all the flashing lights, lobbies without any place to sit and goofy signs on the door of your room that say things like “Hey, dummy, the toilet is over THERE.” My wife and I recently got to spend two nights at the Kixby hotel in the lower part of midtown Manhattan (45 West 35th St.), where the attitude is a little more Read more
I get a lot of pretty boring press releases across my desk every day. But this one I like; a look at some places in the world that haven’t yet been overrun by tourists with selfie sticks. It’s from the folks at Intrepid Travel, who run great trips all around the world and know a thing or two about over-tourism. Here’s what they sent along today. I’d add a few other places to the list if anyone asked me, including The Azores (think Portugal meets Ireland meets Hawaii), Slovenia in Europe, Western Australia, the Hawaiian island of Molokai and, here Read more
As someone who has covered Canadian tourism full time for a dozen years now, this is great news. Northwest Territories, which hasn’t been terribly active in seeking visitors over the years, has launched a new campaign based on the theme “NWT Will Change You.” And they’ve hired Punch Canada, a major public relations/marketing firm, to help out. I think it’s terrific, as this an area of Canada just waiting to be explored. I must confess I haven’t been. I’ve talked with their tourism reps before but it never quite seemed to happen. But I’ve always thought it would be a Read more
There are lots of streets called Broadway. But Broadway in New York is a theatrical state of mind as much as it is a road. If you take a tour of any kind in the city, chances are the person leading the way will be a part-time actress, actor or singer; someone trying to earn their chops and make it to the top. Seeing a show on Broadway is one of the best things to do in New York City, where you’ll find massive marquees advertising everything from sensitive, historical dramas to over-the-top musicals, and everything in between. And it’s Read more
