I had some great visits outside of Canada and the U.S. this year, visiting Sydney, Tasmania, Western Australia, Dominica, Puerto Rico, Martinique, Scotland and England. Here are some highlights. BEST RENTAL CAR EMPLOYEE My reservation was all messed up and the Budget Rental Car counter was closed when I landed at the airport in Esperance, Western Australia. I called the phone number for after hours help and reached a very kind woman named Hope. She was about to head off to a gender reveal party but said she could drive out and get my car set up for me, which Read more

Canada’s largest and busiest airport says it’s ready for the upcoming holiday travel season and is sharing tips to help passengers make their way smoothly through Toronto Pearson.  Pearson, as well as Vancouver/YVR and other Canadian airports, ran into plenty of winter issues last year. “The holidays are an exciting time, and Toronto Pearson is proud to play a big part in connecting people with loved ones around the world,” said Deborah Flint, President and CEO, Greater Toronto Airports Authority. “This year, we’ve taken significant steps to enhance our winter operational capabilities to prepare for the holidays. “The GTAA is Read more

The Big Apple, and sunny destinations such as Orlando and Hawai’i are top of mind for travellers, a new study from Hilton says. According to recent data from Hilton.com, the top searched destinations for stays of 5 days or more between December 23 and January 1 are as follows: New York City Experience the best of the holiday season in the Big Apple at the 1920’s classic landmark hotel Martinique New York on Broadway, Curio Collection by Hilton. The hotel is conveniently located in the heart of midtown, offering unparalleled access to all of NYC’s famous holiday happenings. Guests can Read more

Air Canada is adding direct flights to Tulum, Mexico, as well as Charleston, South Carolina. It’s also adding flights from Montreal to both Austin and St. Louis and increasing frequencies on key Canadian domestic routes and early resumption of popular seasonal routes, including Toronto-Victoria. Air Canada today announced it is boosting its North American network capacity for summer 2024 with the addition of two new destinations, five new routes, increased flight frequencies on key routes, and earlier resumption of popular seasonal routes in response to projected demand. Air Canada becomes the first Canadian airline to offer service to Tulum, with flights Read more

Canadians and other visitors continue to rate Hawaii as a top destination The Hawaiʻi Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism recently released the results of its Third Quarter Visitor Satisfaction and Activity Survey for 2023, which found that at least 95% of visitors from each geographic region surveyed rated the Hawaiian Islands as “excellent” or “above average” when it comes to offering a variety of experiences. Meanwhile, the majority of those surveyed ranked Hawai‘i as either “excellent” or “above average” in the number of different or unique experiences offered. Overall satisfaction levels among visitors from all markets surveyed remained Read more

Canadian tourism is bouncing back, a new report says. I also have travel news from WestJet (a new Caribbean destination), Porter Airlines, Air Canada and Accor hotels worldwide. CANADIAN TOURISM REBOUND Destination Canada’s latest report says total tourism revenue across the country is set to exceed 2019 levels. The report states that tourism will generate $109.5 billion by the end of 2023. This represents the recovery of the tourism sector from the COVID-19 pandemic, one year earlier than projected. Tourism generated $105 billion in 2019. The current growth trajectory for Canada is $140 billion in revenues by 2030, the report Read more