Travel + Leisure magazine readers have weighed in with their top choices for hotels and resorts in Canada, and Fairmont dominates both categories. Fairmont captured six of the top ten spots for city hotels in the Travel + Leisure poll. Toronto-based Fairmont also copped six of the top 10 spots for resort hotels. For city hotels, five of the top ten were in British Columbia, with three in Quebec and two in Ontario. For resort hotels, four were in B.C. and three each in Alberta and Quebec. I’ve managed to stay in almost all of them, so I’m adding Read more
Banff
Swoop today celebrated its first flight between Abbotsford International Airport (YXX) and Los Cabos International Airport (SJD). The ultra-low-cost airline’s inaugural service took off from Abbotsford at 9:00 a.m. PST and is scheduled to arrive at 2:55 p.m. local time. “As the country’s leading ultra-low fare airline, we’re pleased to add another warm-weather getaway option for residents of the Fraser Valley, with Los Cabos topping our growing list of non-stop destinations available from Abbotsford,” said Shane Workman, Head of Flight Operations, Swoop. “Abbotsford International Airport has been an integral partner back, going back to June 20th, 2018, when we operated Read more
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
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
