There’s a new action plan to boost Maui’s economy following the deadly August wildfires. The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority Board of Directors has furthered its ongoing commitment to mālama (care for) Maui and support the island’s recovery by approving an immediate six-month action plan for 2024 to help address major challenges confronting residents, small businesses, visitor industry providers, Maui’s economy, and families seeking housing. The action plan is designed to fulfill tourism’s responsibilities in alliance with the leadership established by Governor Josh Green, M.D. and within the broader scope of Maui’s recovery efforts being conducted by the State Department of Business, Read more

A new study by photo wall art creator StoryBoards revealed that Italy is the most popular destination for a Christmas trip for Americans.  The study analyzed travel-related keywords such as “flights”, “restaurants”, “ski facilities”, and more next to 43 popular vacation destinations to discover where Americans are interested in spending their holidays the most.  Italy takes the crown with almost 93,000 average searches from September to December 2023. One of the most popular destinations for Americans all year long, Italy can be especially magical during the winter months and Christmas, with markets scattered around the country, as well as offering Read more

New research has revealed the most picturesque beaches in America, with California’s La Jolla Cove coming out on top. Florida and Hawaii also cleaned up.M The study by hotel company Westgate Resorts analyzed the number of Instagram hashtags for the most visited beaches across the country. These hashtag numbers were then compared with each beach’s length to see which beaches had the highest number of hashtags per meter. California’s La Jolla Cove takes the crown as the most Instagrammable beach in America, with a whopping 4,257 hashtags per meter. The beach has had 366,068 hashtagged Instagram posts made about it, and Read more

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