Two well-known spots in Canada have made the top 10 of a new list of top natural world wonders. The folks at Kuoni Travel said they conducted a study using eye-tracking technology to find out the most “eye-catching” natural wonders on the planet. Coming in at the top of the podium was Peyto Lake, just north of Banff, Alberta. Sixth was Niagara Falls. Scoring two places in the top 10 is pretty impressive, I have to say. Great Britain scored two in the top seven, with the Jurassic Coast of England placing third and Snowdon, Wales coming in seventh. The Read more
Banff
Canada’s new federal tourism minister says Canadian tourism officials need to keep marketing Canadian domestic travel. It’s a nice thought. And he’s right. But domestic tourism can’t possibly take the place of international visitors. A recent story in the Globe and Mail noted that visitors to Ontario’s hip Prince Edward County spend an average of $74 per day. Visitors spend more than $400 per day, which is more than five times as much. This is an issue all around the world, and all across Canada. Locals who drive to a destination, say, from Calgary to Banff, might buy a family Read more
Last week I published my Jimmy Awards for best food and drinks in the abbreviated travel year of 2021. Today I focus on hotels, events, attractions, riding in 60-year-old cars, the joy of COVID tests, and great parks I never knew about. Best train experience: The Rocky Mountaineer ride from Kamloops B.C. to Banff. Truly one of the world’s great train experiences, with luxurious, glass-roof coaches and excellent food and wine. Best hotel makeover: They spent $30 million refurbishing the Sheraton Gateway Hotel at Toronto Pearson Airport, and it shows. The lobby and rooms are sleek and stylish, and there’s Read more
Business owners in Banff are urging the Canadian government to get rid of costly and cumbersome testing requirements that are scaring away vital customers. Pete Woods President and CEO of SkiBig3, which represents Mt. Norquay, Banff Sunshine and Lake Louise Ski Resort, said the government’s requirement that visitors provide a negative PCR-style COVID-19 teset result before coming into the country is scaring away international customers that Banff tourism operators rely on. Speaking on the edge of snow-packed slopes at Mt. Norquay, which opened for skiing last weekend, Woods said Ottawa needs to “remove unnecessary and redundant measures that still hang Read more
With tourism lagging badly, Europe wants more visitors. I’ve also got news about a VRBO list on where Americans are heading for the Fourth of July weekend, new funding for tourism in Alberta and cruise news from Carnival and MSC Cruises. Trudeau: Border Loosening Not Likely Soon Canadian travel and tourism leaders have been lobbying hard for a loosening of Canada’s borders to allow more international visitors. They also want fewer restrictions on intra-provincial travel. But it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen soon. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today said the federal government has to “look very carefully” at Read more
