Canadian visits to the United States increased last month, the first increase in return trips to the States since late in 2024. Statistics Canada figures released today (May 11) show that Canadian-resident return trips from the U.S. in April totalled 1.8 million. That’s up 1.4% from the same month in 2025. Driven by an increase in return trips by automobile (+5.8%), April marks the first month since December 2024 that a year-over-year increase in overall return trips from the United States has occurred. In contrast, return trips from the U.S. by air decreased 8.1% from April of last year to Read more
Florida
It’s been a rough go for Hawaii of late. Visits from Canada are down, and they’ve struggled to regain their once super-strong Japanese market. There’s also, of course, the devastating fire that destroyed most of the lovely, funky town of Lahaina. Maui in 2023. On top of all that, the state suffered a series of devastating rainstorms over the past couple weeks when a Kona low, an unusual low-pressure weather system, parked itself over the island for days on end. There was some damage to roads and infrastructure, but I’m happy to report that the skies are sunny again and Read more
It was a rather limited year of travel due to health concerns in the summer and fall, but I still managed to check out cool motels in southern Ontario, stylish digs in Hawaii, lovely restaurants in Vancouver, and great places in my home state of California. Not to mention fab stops in Montreal and Florida. Here are some 2025 travel highlights. CANADA Coolest Montreal Hotel: Le Petit Hotel Notre Dame in Montreal. Part of the William Gray Collection, this is a small (hence the name), boutique property in Old Montreal with stylish rooms, a check-in desk that doubles as an Read more
Having the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series is causing a large spike in demand for Toronto hotels. Air Canada launches new flights from Billy Bishop/Toronto Island Airport, including direct flights to New York City/La Guardia. And San Francisco opens a new “Martini Trail.” BLUE JAYS SPARK TORONTO TRAVEL SPIKE As the Toronto Blue Jays gear up for their long-awaited World Series return tomorrow (Fri, Oct 24), Toronto is seeing the impact not just on the field, but in travel demand as well. New data from Booking.com (the official accommodation partner of Major League Baseball in the U.S.) shows Read more
In case you’ve been living in a cave, Taylor Swift has a new album out. One of the songs, “Florida,” has a line about a Florida panhandle city called Destin, which is famous for its relaxed vibe and white sand beaches. “Little did you know your home’s really only a town you’re just a guest in, So you work your life away just to pay for a timeshare down in Destin,” Swift sings in the song, which is on her “Tortured Poets Department ” album. Destin Tourism, not being entirely without common sense, is hoping to capitalize on their five Read more
