If you’re one of my American friends and are looking for a last-minute option for the Fourth of July, here are some of my fave places in the U.S., including California, New York State, Hawaii, Texas and Florida. VERMONT – Lovely villages with brilliant white church steeples and pretty mountain scenery. Also likely to be cooler than many U.S. destinations in July. Burlington is a great city to check out. DENVER – Not sure being a mile high will keep you cool, but there are always the nearby mountains to explore. Try an electric Tuk Tuk ride of downtown Denver Read more
Puerto Rico
The latest ranking of countries for travel and tourism puts Canada just outside the top 10. The 2024 Travel and Tourism Development Index from the World Economic Forum gives top spot to the United States, followed by Spain and Japan. Canada came in 11th, receiving relatively low scores for tourism infrastructure, openness to travel and tourism, cultural resources and price competitiveness. Destination Canada and the Tourism Industry Association of Canada recently stated that Canada was recently ranked 13th (in 2021), and that they aimed to get the country into the top seven by 2030. The tourism index report states Canada Read more
SAN ANTONIO – Fort Myers is recovering nicely from Hurricane Ian. California is bursting with visitors. Washington D.C. wants more international travellers. And Philadelphia says like us or get out of town. Nearly a dozen U.S. destinations took to the stage at this year’s U.S. Travel Association/IPW convention in San Antonio to trumpet everything from world class cuisine to mosquito-chomping bats. There was also an actual trumpet player and a wonderfully talented poet laureate from Orlando. Here are some of the highlights from IPW press conferences this week, including some Canadian visitation information. FORT MYERS AND BEACHES Miriam Dotson, communications Read more
Eugene Levy is living large as he records his new TV show. I’ve also got update on a retirement cruise ship, a Black History initiative for New York, snow in Hollywood, and news about Singapore cancelling its Vancouver flights. RETIRE AND LIVE ON A CRUISE SHIP Here’s a great way to retire; live on a cruise ship that sails the world. Business Insider says Victoria Cruises Line is chartering a nearly 30-year-old cruise vessel formerly owned by Holland America for use as an adults-only residential cruise ship. The cost starts at $8,000 USD per month for two people and guests Read more
On the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic, Puerto Rico is reporting peaks in incoming travelers, record revenues and more local tourism employees than ever before in its history. Puerto Rico’s unique appeal as a U.S. territory with an unparalleled cultural flair, natural wonders and warm “Boricua” spirit continues to allure travelers, contributing to the Island’s tourism successes in 2022, which include: More than 5.1 million passengers arrived at the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, a 6.5% increase from 2021. Approximately $8.9 billion in revenue was generated by travel and tourism, a 39% increase over the previous high in 2019. (Tourism Economics) The island Read more
