The new Canada Strong pass was unveiled last week, providing Canadians and visitors alike with free access to national parks and historic sites this summer, plus great deals on national museums and significant VIA RAIL discounts. I did a series of interviews on the pass last Thursday for CBC radio stations across the country, talking about how the pass works and whether it’s a good idea. Here’s a synopsis. How exactly does this pass work, and where? I think the most obvious deal for people when they first hear about this is that all Canadian national parks are free until Read more
The people who run the Global Liveability Index have come out with an exhaustive ranking of world cities. The top ten list is dominated by Europe and Australia, but Canada placed four cities in the top 20, which is nothing to sneeze at. According to Time Out, The Global Liveability Index rated more than 170 world cities based on five major factors. They are stability (such as the threat of conflict or prevalence of petty crime); healthcare (availability of over-the-counter drugs, quality of public healthcare); culture and environment (temperatures, levels of censorship); education (availability and quality of private education) and Read more
Air Canada has been named Best Airline in North America for the second year in a row. It also has cracked the world’s top 20 airlines, coming in 19th in the highly reputable Skytrax World Airline Awards. Air Canada came home with nine major awards this year: Best Airline in North America Most Family Friendly Airline in North America Best Premium Economy Class Onboard Catering in North America Best Business Class Onboard Catering in North America Best Cabin Crew in North America Best Cabin Crew in Canada Best Business Class Lounge North America (Toronto Pearson) Best Business Class Airline Lounge Read more
Brand USA, the people in charge of marketing the U.S. to the world, have a new campaign called “America the Beautiful.” The announcement, made today at the U.S. Travel Association’s IPW event in Chicago, includes the launch of a new global tourism campaign, America the Beautiful, and the introduction of a dedicated digital hub, AmericaTheBeautiful.com. The campaign aims to showcase the diversity and richness of U.S. destinations and encourage international travel to the United States in 2025 and beyond. Brand USA also outlined key milestones shaping the coming decade — including America250 (celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S.), the Read more
The Canadian government is making national parks free this summer for all visitors, as well as providing free admission to national museums, national marine conservation areas and national historic sites administered by Parks Canada. Ottawa also is making it easier to see the country by train, with free travel on VIA Rail for kids aged 17 and under if accompanied by an adult, and a 25% discount for those aged 18 to 24. On top of that, the government is providing a 25% discount on camping fees for Parks Canada properties. “This summer, Canadians can enjoy the very best Canada Read more
Sometimes I wonder about people. I was looking at my Threads social media account yesterday ,where I saw that someone worried about the demonstrations in Los Angeles asked if it was safe to visit Monterey, California. What?? Has this person ever looked at an atlas or a map? Did they bother to look at the map on their phone to see where Monterey is? Folks, it’s a good five-plus hours from L.A. to Monterey, which is a sleepy, tourist town known for its aquarium and lovely waterfront. Of course, it’s safe to visit Monterey. It’s like asking if it’s safe Read more
MSN.com has a very useful story on where the Canadian dollar goes the farthest. Knowing your foreign currency exchange rates is a great way to save money, as some destinations might surprise you in terms of their value. Many Canadians are avoiding the US these days for political reasons, but also because the dollar is still quite low. As of June 16 ,the Canadian dollar is still down at 74cents US, which means a US dollar will cost you at least $1.35. That’s not so bad in, say, Kentucky or New Mexico, but it could make a trip to a Read more
