The smiles say it all. Canada’s not all the way back, but U.S. tourism reps at this year’s IPW conference in Los Angeles are pleased with how Canadians are returning to key states south of the border. Visit California statistics show Canada last year eclipsed pre-pandemic visitation levels, rising from 1.732 million visits in 2019 to 1.799 last year. Canadian visits to Florida last year were at 93% of pre-pandemic levels. Orlando says it attracted 1.256 million Canadians last year, a new, single-year record. For New York City, visitors from Canada were achingly close to 2019 numbers (995,000, compared to Read more
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Taylor Swift fans are already booking tickets for concerts next year in far away cities. Now they can celebrate the world’s biggest star at sea. CNBC reports that a travel agency called Marvelous Mouse Travels is organizing a fan-led Facebook cruise group for “Swifties.” The cruise, which is not affiliated with Swift herself, will take place aboard the Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas. The cruise begins in Miami on Oct. 21, 2024, the day after Swift ends her three-show run in the city. (Very clever.) Prices start at $1,573 USD for double occupancy and includes food and basic drinks like coffee Read more
One of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean. Engaging locals. And, coming soon, what looks like one of the most spectacular golf courses on the planet. There are so many great things to see and do on Saint Lucia, one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean. Senior representatives of the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority rolled into Toronto recently for a rooftop lunch at 1 Hotel Toronto to show off what’s great and new on the island, and I was given a one-on-one interview with Tourism Minister (and Deputy Prime Minister) Dr. Ernest Hilaire and tourism authority CEO Read more
A lakefront that’s the envy of the world. Amazing architecture. Fabulous food. And Midwestern hospitality. Those are just some of the reasons that readers of Conde Nast Travel have voted Chicago the best big city in the U.S. six years in a row. “That means more than 240,000 readers of Conde Nast voted for us,” Lynn Osmond, President and CEO of Choose Chicago, told me in a recent interview. “No other city has been chosen number one three years in a row, but we’ve done it six times straight.” Osmond said the city’s Midwestern hospitality is another key factor in Read more
Margaritaville announces Margaritaville at Sea, an offshore resort experience. The first cruise ship, Margaritaville Paradise, will offer the fun, escapism, and state of mind synonymous with the global lifestyle brand. “To me, the only thing better than being on a beach by the ocean, is to be on the ocean. Now you can follow in our wake,” said singer, songwriter and best-selling author, Jimmy Buffett. Departing on her first passenger sailing on April 30 from the Port of Palm Beach Florida to Grand Bahama Island, Margaritaville Paradise will include 10 passenger decks and 658 cabins in various stateroom categories. Following Read more
