If you’ve noticed air fares are more reasonable these days, you’re definitely onto something. The latest StatsCan report states that consumers paid less for air transportation (21.1%) in September on a year-over-year basis. That coincides with a gradual increase in flights offered by airlines over the previous 12 months, the agency said. Robert Kokonis, president and managing director at AirTrav Inc., told me that the StatsCan figures estimate the average change of airfares within Canada and between Canadian cities and international destinations. “I am not surprised given the growth of seat capacity recovery over the past 12 months, particularly in Read more
Four Seasons
This story originally appeared at EverythingZoomer.com The Caribbean is one of the world’s top destinations. But which is right for you? Here’s a list of five great spots in the Caribbean you should check out. I’ve visited and enjoyed all of them. SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES The second half of the country known as St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a sheer delight. On the island of Bequia, which is just a short ferry ride from St. Vincent, you’ll find a sleepy waterfront village called Port Elizabeth. It’s got a wonderful, laid-back vibe and small, narrow streets packed with Read more
Forbes Travel Guide, the only independent, global rating system for luxury hotels, restaurants and spa, today unveiled its 2023 Star Awards. The hotel ratings expanded into new destinations, including Athens, Bodrum, Capri, Copenhagen, Cusco, Cyprus, Oslo, Sicily, Stockholm and Tunis. The 65th annual list features 360 Five-Star, 585 Four-Star and 433 Recommended hotels; 79 Five-Star, 113 Four-Star and 67 Recommended restaurants; and 119 Five-Star and 195 Four-Star spas worldwide. In Canada, five stars were awarded to nine hotels: The St. Regis Toronto, The Shangri-La Toronto, The Shangri-La Vancouver, Rosewood Hotel Georgia in Vancouver, The Ritz-Carlton Toronto, The Hazelton Hotel in Toronto, The Four Seasons Toronto, The Four Seasons Read more
It’s probably fair to say that no single city in the world has taken a bigger hit from COVID-19 than New York. But this is one of the greatest cities on the planet (and toughest), and they’ve laid out a plan to pull themselves out of it with a newly-unveiled group called The Coalition for NYC Hospitality & Tourism Recovery. I also have news about the re-instatement of flights around the world by Emirates, American Airlines, Korean Air, Qatar Airways and others. I also have an update on how Los Cabos, Mexico plans to open for tourism on June 1. Read more
One of the great things about New York City is that the tourism folks don’t rest on their laurels. They come to Toronto regularly, for example, to talk about what’s new and what folks should see. They stage events all over the world to try to lure tourists to their city. They don’t just assume (as does Italy) that everyone will want to come there, so they WORK for their business. And it’s paying off. Last year, NYC welcomed a record 58.3 million visitors, their sixth straight record-breaking year. Some 12.3 million of those folks were international visitors, including a Read more
