Canada has, on occasion, been laughed at for being a tad on safe and conservative side of the tourism ledger. Given the climate we’re living in and the COVID-19 crisis, “safe” might be the best thing we have going for us, tourism consultant Greg Klassen says. Speaking on Hotelier Magazine’s Checking In podcast with host Rosanna Caira, Klassen said he worked for more than a decade at Destination Canada, selling the country to potential visitors. “We were always fighting this notion of Canada as a safe place,” said Klassen, a partner at Twenty31 consulting in Vancouver. “But people were going Read more
With travel at something of a standstill, I’m re-posting some prior blogs of mine. This one focuses on some marvellous, lesser-known places to explore in my home city. TORONTO – I walk up a flight of stairs and emerge into a wonderland. Swirling, intricately carved arches of brilliant white stone dance around my head. Soft blue lighting infuses the room with a deep glow, then turns green and yellow and soft orange. The light seeps around corners and plays onto brilliant white pillars that rise towards a series of equally stunning ceiling panels. I’m not a religious person, but the Read more
I’m reposting this blog as I read in Hawai’i News Now today that Kalaupapa National Historical Park on the Hawaiian island of Molokai will reopen public tours this month. The state temporarily suspended tours to the former leprosy settlement about five years ago due to the pandemic. Guided tours will begin in late September. Here’s what I wrote after a visit to the peninsula a few years ago. It was a lovely, warm day on Molokai’s Kalauapapa peninsula last July, and I was getting a tour of the area from local resident Rick Schonely. Schonely, a musician and high school sports Read more
This is a story about a glorious part of Nova Scotia that I originally had published in CAA magazine a couple years ago. Since we can’t travel right now, I’m posting some stories of mine from the past in the hopes of providing a bit of inspiration. The Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia is only a short drive from Halifax, but it’s another world. When I was there a few years ago I didn’t see a chain hotel or a franchise restaurant anywhere. What I did find were beautiful, quiet bays, goofy but inspiring folk art places and a lovely Read more
A rebound will come some day. But I think it will take quite a long time before travel is back to normal. Given what’s been happening with social or physical distancing, we’re not going to flick a switch on July 1 (or whenever) and go back to crowded airports and jam-packed airplanes. Some things will simply have to change. Writing in the Globe and Mail recently, esteemed urbanist Richard Florida talked about new ways being needed to run airport check-in counters, baggage carousels and airlines themselves. Further to that, Delta Airlines today issued a statement saying that, starting April 13 Read more
PELEE ISLAND, LAKE ERIE – I’ve only been in the Anchor and Wheel Inn restaurant for two minutes and I’m already in love. There are pirate flags and colourful, wooden fish and bright orange buoys hanging on the walls. There’s reggae music and Jimmy Buffett tunes floating over the speakers. Owner and head chef Mark Emrich walks by and I compliment him on the décor and the music. “Welcome to the Canadian Keys,” he says with a grin. Emrich loads my plate with two huge pieces of blackened pickerel, as well as steamed green beans done just right and a Read more
Since most of us aren’t travelling these days, for obvious reasons, I’m re-posting some former blogs. I reached back into the vault for this one from 2013 in the Australian Outback. Stay safe, everyone. AYERS ROCK/ULURU, Australia – Wow. I expected a few people would be in the parking lot at Uluru to watch the sun go down. I didn’t expect a Lambeau Field/Green Bay Packers NFL tailgate party. But that’s what I got. I’m staying at a wonderful resort called Longitude 131, which overlooks Uluru or Ayers Rock from a few miles away. They said they’d take us to Read more
