Canadian cities scored highly in this year’s Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards. And Chicago was named best U.S. big city for the tenth year in a row. Victoria was named the world’s best small city for the fourth year in a row, which is quite the accomplishment. Here is what the magazine had to say: A popular day trip from Vancouver, British Columbia’s capital city deserves a standalone visit. Arrive via one of the world’s most scenic ferry rides across Swartz Bay and check in to the bucket list-worthy Fairmont Empress, where the Fairmont Gold rooms include access to Read more
Singapore
I think I started touting Asia as a great value destination for Canadians back around 2010. That holds true even more today, as the Canadian dollar slips and travellers look for better deals. Which brings me to the Flight Centre Canada press release I received today. The release makes the same point I’ve been making for years, which is that Asia is a tremendous value for Canadians and other travellers. Here’s what Flight Centre Canada had to say in its latest release. As the dollar dips to a 14-month low, some travellers are staying closer to home. Many more are Read more
A new report maps out the world’s most Instagammable destinations for 2026. Dubai, New York City and Paris did extremely well, as did Banff, Alberta and Niagara Falls, Ontario. California cities also scored highly. Here’s the Players Time list of most Instagram-worthy cities for this year. Dubai London Paris Barcelona New York City Istanbul Los Angeles Mexico City Tokyo Singapore Amsterdam Bangkok San Diego San Francisco Rome Santiago (Dominican Republic) Seoul Kochi, India Budapest Prague World’s Most Instagrammed Landmarks Burj Khalifa, Dubai Eiffel Tower, Paris, France Grand Canyo, Arizona Times Square, New York City Shibuya Scramble Crossing, Tokyo Taj Mahal, Read more
MSN has posted a pretty good list of the world’s top cultural destinations for 2026. There’s always room to quibble with most “best of” lists, as they’re generally based on someone’s personal experience or preferences. I’m sure people look at some of mine and think, ‘Dude, WHAT are you thinking?” Anyhow, this latest MSN cultural list seems pretty good to me. Here are their top 10 choices for this year, with a short excerpt from their comments, And, for places I’ve visited, some of my own thoughts. SINGAPORE “Modern yet deeply rooted in tradition, Singapore offers a mix of cultures Read more
A record 28.2 million visitors came to Toronto in 2025, generating a record $9.1 billion in spending. Destination Toronto figures released today (Jan. 28) show overnight visits rose two per cent over last year despite a softening U.S. market. Large entertainment events such as concerts and sporting events like the Toronto Blue Jays helped the city set its new record, officials said. The $9.1 billion in direct spending exceeded the previous year’s record by four per cent, reinforcing tourism’s role as one of the city’s most important export sectors. Toronto is the most visited city in Canada. Domestic visitation remained Read more
