As Taylor Swift’s epic Eras Tour heads to Vancouver for its final three shows, Destination Vancouver and BC Pavillion Corporation (PavCo) estimate that the total economic impact in Vancouver of those three shows will be $157 million CAD. Of that, $97 million is direct spending on such things as accommodation, food and beverage, retail and transportation—more than 70% of which will be spent by out-of-town visitors. That infusion into local businesses translates into more than $27 million in total tax revenue for all three levels of government. “The announcement last November that Taylor Swift would play three nights in Vancouver Read more

World’sBestCities.com has unveiled its list of, well, the world’s top cities. To no one’s surprise, London, New York and Paris take the podium spots, followed by Tokyo and Singapore. Rounding out the top 10 were Rome, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin and Sydney. That’s six European cities in the top 10, which tells you something. In fact, I count 28 European cities in the top 100. The website says they considered a variety of factors, both the “performance and perception of cities around the world. I can’t say I fully understand the methodology, but I think they’ve missed the mark on a Read more

Looking for a hotel in Canada for an upcoming Taylor Swift show? Be prepared to pay perhaps 10 times the normal price. MSN.com reports there has been “a truly horrific surge” in hotel prices in Toronto and Vancouver when Swift is in town for her concerts. The Canadian leg of her tour kicked off last week in Toronto with three shows at Rogers Centre stadium. She has three more, starting tonight and then again Friday and Saturday night. After taking time off for U.S. Thanksgiving, and probably some Kansas City Chiefs (boo!) football, she’ll be in Vancouver Dec. 6 to Read more

Canada may be a winter wonderland, but Canadians prefer their holidays in places with turquoise seas and waving palm trees. A new study from KAYAK, the world’s leading travel search engine, finds Canadians have their eyes set on international travel this holiday season. According to an overwhelming majority (90%) of hotel and flight searches show Canadians are looking at international destinations.  Cancún, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando top their list of most popular destinations for Canadians. The list isn’t particularly different from other years, but I forgive my fellow Canadians for looking at tried-and-true vacation spots. After all, I’ll be heading Read more

AAA projects 79.9 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period*. For the first time, AAA’s forecast includes the Tuesday before and the Monday after Thanksgiving Day to better capture the flow of holiday travelers. This year’s projection of nearly 80 million travelers is an increase of 1.7 million people compared to last year and 2 million more than in 2019. “Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday for travel, and this year we’re expecting to set new records across the board, from driving to flying and cruising,” said Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Read more

City Pass Inc., the trusted leader in discounted admission tickets to the most famous attractions in North America, announces the launch of its new Los Angeles CityPASS program. With unparalleled savings of up to 48% off combined regular admission, this ticket offers access to Tinseltown’s most iconic entertainment and cultural landmarks.  With one streamlined and convenient purchase, Los Angeles CityPASS tickets allow travelers to create custom itineraries based on the attractions they wish to see. Visitors can choose from two of Hollywood’s most sought-after attractions: Universal Studios Hollywood OR Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood. Or they can choose BOTH for the ultimate behind-the-scenes access to the magic of moviemaking. Read more