My travel report for today looks at travel trends for Canadians, as well as what looks like an inevitable, major expansion of the Toronto Island Airport. I’m also debuting a new “Cruise News and Views” section on my blog to help people keep track of the booming cruise industry. And I’ve got a report on Hilton hotels use of artificial intelligence to help travelers make decisions, as well as an update on European travel. CANADIANS CAUTIOUS ABOUT TRAVEL: DOMESTIC TRIPS STILL A PRIORITY According to the Canadian Automobile Association’s Travel Wise survey, more than half of Canadians (51%) now say geopolitical and Read more
cruising
When to book your flights, the increasing power of sports tourism, the debut of the new MSC World America cruise ship, and great hotels in Toronto. Without further adieu, I bring you today’s Jim Byers Travel blog post. TRAVEL TIPS AND TRICKS FROM KAYAK Flight delays and cancellations can really kill the vacation vibe before your trip gets started. KAYAK, the world’s leading travel search engine, is urging Canadians to brace themselves for a possible increase in delays. KAYAK’s travel experts are helping Canadians save their summer with these tips and tricks for avoiding delays and cancellations, even before Read more
I’ve become acquainted with Marie-Pier Germain from the Germain Hotels Group over the past couple of years. We met in Montreal during the COVID-19 crisis and have spoken by Zoom or on the phone a couple times since then. Each time we spoke, I would gently ask her when her group, which runs sensational hotels across the country, would finally make an appearance west of Calgary. Germain, who’s ever so accommodating and delightful to speak with, would always look or sound pained when the question came up. “Jim,” she would say, and I’m paraphrasing here. “You KNOW we want to Read more
I’m standing on a dock in Seattle on a Saturday morning in August, just a few feet away from the towering form of the Holland America Eurodam. Eurodam head chef Nata Manilal and I are surrounded by dozens of pallets of fresh fish and produce that are about to be tucked into the belly of the Eurodam for a seven-day Alaska cruise. The loading procedure is an intricate, tightly choreographed dance that happens prior to every cruise, and one that most cruise pax never see. We’re only a couple hours from departure, but Manilal is giving me an up-close and Read more
The World’s Most Instagrammable Sunset Cities; The World’s Cheapest Countries + Golf and Cruise News
Here’s a fun chart: A look at the world’s best cities for Instagram sunset posts. New research by Heepsy analyzed 54 cities worldwide to identify the ones that have the most Instagrammable sunsets. The study considered several key factors, including the number of Instagram hashtags, average annual sunshine hours, air quality index (AQI), tourist arrivals, and popular sunset spots, to determine the cities that offer the most stunning and popular sunset experiences. Here’s their top nine, including total score based on the above factors and key places to watch the sun go down. As a California native who grew up Read more
