A new, high-frequency rail corridor for eastern Canada, a splashy new W Hotel in Sydney, and a Jamaica travel expo for Toronto. Today’s travel notebook. HIGH-FREQUENCY RAIL BETWEEN TORONTO AND QUEBEC MOVES CLOSER I’ll believe it when I see it, but the Canadian government today announced the launch of the Request for Proposals (RFP) for what could be a future, high-speed rail project between Toronto and Quebec City. The RFP process will be ongoing until summer 2024. Following the evaluation period, the government will select the group who will become the private developer partner to work collaboratively with VIA HFR Read more

EDINBURGH – This one of the world’s great cities; a handsome, sturdy, regal place of stone and rock and history that seeps into your bones. There are also lovely gardens, sumptuous hotels, excellent food, and, yes, the odd place to try a wee sip of whisky. I recently visited for a few days and did five tours that included the Royal Mile, the Palace at HolyroodHouse, Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Yacht Britannia and a Johnnie Walker whisky experience.  Here’s a look at all five. MERCAT ROYAL MILE AND EDINBURGH CASTLE TOUR The Mercat Secrets of the Royal Mile Tour (Mercat Read more

The Israel Ministry of Tourism has issued a statement about the fighting near Gaza.   “The Israel Ministry of Tourism (IMOT) is deeply saddened by the events that took place at our southern border with Gaza on Saturday, October 7,” officials said. “As a result of the events, the government has declared a state of emergency.   “The safety and security of our visitors is our top priority, and we are working to ensure their well-being in every way possible. IMOT, in collaboration with relevant authorities, is working to assist those who wish to depart from Israel. While US carriers Read more

Airlines, cruise lines and tour operators have temporarily halted service in Israel as war rages in the Middle East. Air Canada and other major airlines have temporarily halted flights to Israel, and the Canadian government is warning citizens to avoid all but essential visits in response to the surprise Hamas attack on Israel and the Israeli government’s retaliatory strikes. Some 900 people have been killed in Israel and roughly 650 have died in Gaza due to retaliatory air strikes, CNN reports. The official government of Canada travel advisory site says Canadians should “avoid non-essential travel in Israel, the West Bank Read more

Parts of West Maui officially opened for business today. But it’s unclear if that will remain the case. Maui’s County Council unanimously passed a resolution on Friday (Oct. 6) asking Governor Josh Green to delay the opening because area residents are still traumatized by the August 8 fires that killed nearly 100 people and destroyed almost all of the town of Lahaina. “I hope that it sends a loud message,” Maui County Councilmember Tamara Paltin said in a story posted at Hawaii News Now. “We need certain things to be able to open to to tourism. We need stability of Read more

Niagara Falls, Myrtle Beach and Montana’s Glacier National Park are the top domestic destinations that Americans are searching for online, a new study says. Other top places on American travel lists are Universal Studios Orlando, Graceland and the Las Vegas Strip. The research conducted by Places To Travel analyzed Google search data for more than 100 tourist attractions in the US as well as terms related to visiting each attraction to determine which is the most Googled by residents of all 50 states. This isn’t a dreamy, “Where would you like to go” in the U.S. study, but a look Read more