swotc-bwc-leaderboard-728x90-3

Holland

An insurance company called Luko has looked at the most bike-friendly cities in the world, and Europe came out smelling like a rose. Nine of the top ten bike-friendly cities were in Europe, led by Utrecht, Holland. North American cities fared poorly, with Montreal the only entry in the top 20 (16th overall). Vancouver came 37th, while San Francisco was the top U.S. city in 39th position. Portland, Oregon was 41st and Seattle 50th. Cities were ranked on a variety of issues, including bike accident rates, theft rates, weather, bike usage and infrastructure. Holland had two cities in the top Read more

{ 0 comments }

Not only is Florida bouncing back from the pandemic, but they’re shooting past 2019 numbers.  Dana Young, president of Visit Florida, told Fox13 News that the state only has third-quarter numbers for 2021 right now, but that those are higher than third quarter figures for 2019. “That’s how well Florida is doing,” she said. “People see Florida as a bright, shining vestige of freedom in this country.” Visit Tampa Bay CEO Santiago Corrada says hotel revenue for November 2021 was about $66 million. That’s higher than the $50 million Tampa Bay had in November of 2019, which at the time Read more

{ 0 comments }

Air Transat is expanding its California horizons. Air Transat, named World’s Best Leisure Airline, is proud to announce that four new routes will be added to its 2022 summer flight program. For the first time ever, the airline will be serving the San Francisco, Los Angeles and Amsterdam airports from Montreal. Furthermore, it will offer an exclusive direct flight between Quebec City and London, strengthening its role as the leading international carrier from the Jean-Lesage Airport. Finally, Air Transat will operate routes to Fort Lauderdale and Miami year-round. “By analyzing travel trends, it’s clear that the United States is still one of the top destinations for Quebecers and Canadians in the wake of the Read more

{ 0 comments }

It’s a tough act to balance. Canadian destinations and cities around the world want tourists to come and fill the coffers of local hotels and businesses. But sometimes it’s too much. If you’ve been following the news, you might have seen protests in Barcelona, where locals recently protested the annual onslaught of tourists from Britain and other countries, who party all night in Las Ramblas after jetting in on cheap flights from the likes of Ryanair with money in their pockets. Venice also has complained, as has Iceland. Today I read a story about similar sentiments in beautiful Amsterdam, where Read more

{ 1 comment }

ST. MAARTEN/ST. MARTIN – Fine, flavoured rum. Sweet-smelling local soaps. And a dreamy beach resort with one of the best massages I’ve ever had. I had the good luck to spend roughly 24 hours in St. Maarten (and an hour or so on the French side, St. Martin) following my Caribbean cruise with Sea Dream Yacht Club. And found a lot to like. We started our day (my wife was with me, which is always great) in Marigot on the French side, where we strolled through the waterfront markets and bought some trinkets to take . home. It feels a Read more

{ 0 comments }