It’s not the easiest time to sell a U.S. destination in Canada. But Visit Florida folks are a determined bunch. The new head of the group charged with boosting tourism to the Sunshine State, Visit Florida President and CEO Bryan Griffin, was in Toronto this week to chat about the state’s ongoing efforts to keep Canadian travellers heading south. I sat down with him for a one-on-one chat that covered off everything from lesser-known corners of the state to explore to Michelin restaurants. And, of course, the ongoing problem of diminished Canadian visitation to Florida. “This is part of my Read more
Michelin Guide
I think Michelin does a fine job with its restaurant ratings, but I’m not sure about a list they recently published of 16 top foodie destinations for 2026. I can only assume these are destinations they like, or wished to highlight, versus the best destinations in the world. If you look at it that way, the list is pretty useful; shedding light on cities and regions that normally wouldn’t get a lot of coverage on food and restaurant lists. Here’s their list of 16 spots for 2026: Venice Czechia Dolomites (Italy) Wroclaw, Poland Amalfi Coast, Italy (spectacular scenery, fresh seafood 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
TAMPA – The growing downtown skyline is impressive. The growth of the Tampa food scene is what really grabbed my attention. I recently enjoyed three full days in Tampa and sampled everything from Middle Eastern cuisine to Michelin-starred Italian, and from craft cocktails to maybe the best tuna poke nachos I’ve had outside Hawaii. And that was served up at a sports bar/brewhouse on Super Bowl Sunday, when you pretty much expect a diet of Budweiser and Buffalo chicken wings. I also checked out a fine art museum, took a ride on an electric boat on a brilliant sunny day, Read more
Canada will smash through its 2022 visitation numbers for Florida when official stats are released later this month. The final tally isn’t in, but VISIT FLORIDA officials attending this week’s Florida Huddle event in Miami said 2,790,000 Canadians made their way to the Sunshine State in 2022. Statistics for 2023 show 2,803,000 Canadians visited Florida in the first nine months of the year, which is already ahead of 2022 as a whole. Preliminary statistics also show Canadian airlift to Florida in every month of last year was ahead of the same month in 2019, said Jacob Pewitt Yancey, director of Read more
