The latest study of world cities by Resonance Consultancy names London, New York City and Paris as the top three cities on the planet. Toronto was the only Canadian city in the top 25, placing 17th for the second year in a row. Resonance, which has been conducting this study for years, looked at everything from culture and education to shopping and neighborhoods and came up with their top 25 for the world. London was cited for its energy, projects and people. As the “capital of capitals” negotiates the uncharted terrain of a post-Brexit world, for now it still reigns Read more

I love lists. Partly because, as someone told me in high school, I sometimes like to argue just for the sake of it. I’d like to think I’ve mellowed since my school days, but I still shake my head at some of the travel lists that get passed around. This time I’m questioning, albeit only a little, a list of the world’s most beautiful cities from the folks at Flight Network. The study was based on input from top travel writers, bloggers and travel agents around the globe, they said. (I believe they may have asked me to participate, but Read more

This is somewhat alarming. But probably not surprising. A study released today by the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) finds that more than half of Canadians (56%) still don’t know they have new rights as air travellers. New protection laws were announced by the government of Canada six months ago, and a new set of rules comes into effect on Sunday, Dec. 15. Canadians often complain about unfair treatment by the airlines, but they’re seemingly unaware that there are new laws in place to answer some of their concerns. “It is clear that the government and the airlines need to do Read more

You can tell a lot about a place by the bulletin boards or the signs in the window of their local coffee shop. Are there are ads for organic soy milk? Goat yoga? A concert starring a KISS cover band? At the Pastry Peddler in Millbrook, a small community a few minutes southwest of Peterborough, the messages in the window seemed all about community; “Support local farmers.” “Thank a Quilter Day.” “Port Hope Fair.” I liked it already. And then I stepped inside and found beautiful, wood floors, soaring ceilings, bicycles hanging from the walls, local art on display, and Read more

A new study shows the true power of tourism in Toronto. As anyone who checks in on this site now and then can attest, I’m a big believer in tourism as an economic driver, and it’s a constant source of amazement to me that our federal and provincial governments show little interest in the subject, and that they consistently underplay the importance of tourism by giving the tourism ministry job to relative unknowns in Cabinet and by giving them titles like “Minister of Suburban Architecture, TimBit Regulation and Tourism.” So, I’m hoping that Mayor Tory and Premier Ford and Prime Read more

Spain, Edmonton, Aruba and Universal Studios Hollywood wouldn’t seem to have a lot in common. But the latest report from the folks at Expedia Canada says those are some of the hottest places for Canadians using Expedia to book their trips. When it comes to analyzing travel trends, Expedia has a leg up. Being one of the world’s largest online travel brands means being able to uncover themes across air travel, hotel stays, searches and bookings, even experiences – all in the pursuit of arming Canadian travellers with everything they need to travel smarter in 2020. And today the results Read more