Thank you, Taylor Thanks in part to Taylor Swift’s concerts in the city last fall, tourists spent $8.8 billion in Toronto last year, the highest level of visitor spending ever recorded in the city. The nine million overnight visitors to Toronto last year are the most since the pandemic, though still 600,000 fewer than the number of visitors welcomed in 2019, according to the year-end report Toronto’s Visitor Economy: 2024 Market Performance Highlights published today by Destination Toronto.  “Toronto’s visitor economy is proving once again to be an engine for the city, drawing almost 9 billion dollars of new money Read more

My wife and I recently spent four days on Maui, seeing how things are going in the wake of the devastating Lahaina fires and checking out new (to us) hotels and restaurants. I’m happy to say that things are moving along, although not at the pace some would hope. New homes are being built in Lahaina, and there’s a new restaurant in the north end of town, where a cluster of waterfront buildings and the Lahaina Cannery Mall escaped the deadly fires. The second night of our visit, my wife and I ate dinner at the wonderful Star Noodle, which Read more

The 2025 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards for 2025 are out, and some of the big winners include The Big Apple, London, Hawaii, Vancouver and California. Each year, Tripadvisor pores over millions of reviews shared by a global community of travelers to uncover the most trusted recommendations, helping future explorers create unforgettable memories on their next adventure. This year, readers chose London as world’s best city, New York City as the top metropolis in the United States, and Vancouver as the best city in Canada. The best hotel in the U.S. for this year is the Shore Hotel in Santa Monica, Read more

A new poll suggests Canadian travel to the U.S. could drop as much as 21% with Donald Trump as president. Narrative Research asked Canadians what impact Trump’s election (he gets sworn into office for a second term on Monday) will have on personal travel to the United States within the next year. Nearly three in 10 Canadians surveyed (29%) said they expect to travel less, while eight per cent said they expect to travel more to the States. Just under one half (45%) said they expect to travel to the U.S. the same amount, Narrative officials said the expected net Read more

Los Angeles area residents who lost their homes to the wildfires can apply for a hotel voucher to stay free at Hilton properties for up to seven nights, officials announced this week. According to MSN, Hilton, American Express and 211 LA announced plans to provide the vouchers, making 20,000 hotel room nights available. Residents can apply to 211 LA for housing assistance at bit.ly/211-Emergency-Services-Request. “We are deeply grateful to Hilton and American Express for their emergency support during this heartbreaking time,” Maribel Marin, executive director of 211 LA, said in a statement. “Their generosity in providing shelter to those who have Read more

More than 40 million Americans visited Europe last year, checking out amazing cities, fascinating history, cultural icons and dazzling landscapes. In 2024, the number of US travelers visiting Europe surged, with 40.2 million Americans flying to the continent. As travelers increasingly seek out unique destinations, certain European countries have seen a rise in popularity, with Western and Central Europe emerging as key favorites. Here’s the top 10, according to Travel and Tour World: United Kingdom  I’ve been lucky enough to visit all of them, and they’re terrific. England is, of course, home to London, which is one of the great Read more