A new look at the world’s safest and most riskiest cities for tourists puts Toronto in the top three. Forbes Advisor looked at a variety of criteria, including U.S. State Department advisories, crime rates, and health infrastructure. Cities were given numerical ratings from zero (most safe) to 100 (least safe) Singapore came out on top with a zero rating, which is pretty remarkable. Forbes said the island state has the lowest natural disaster rating and the second lowest health security risk, reflecting the level and quality of healthcare services and infrastructure. Air Canada recently began direct flights between Vancouver and Read more
Summer Olympics
You can set your watch by it. Every time an Olympic Games year rolls around, out come the stories about over-priced tickets and soaring hotel prices. I was the main Olympics reporter for the Toronto Star for 15 years or so, and I’ve seen it happen time and time again, from Vancouver to Athens and Sydney to Salt Lake City. Now it’s Paris’s turn to take the brunt of the criticism. The New York Times reports that tickets for the Opening Ceremonies, which will feature a flotilla of barges carrying athletes down the River Seine to the foot of the Read more
It’s the time of year when travel publications like to list their top destinations for the following year. I quite enjoy these things, so I’ve compiled a list of some suggestions from top travel websites and magazines. I’ve also added my own Top 10 list, so here we go! JIM’S TOP TEN France Paris will host the Summer Olympics next year. They run July 23 to Aug. 10. This year also marks the 150th anniversary of the Impressionism movement and the 80th anniversary of D-Day. San Francisco The city has been hit hard by poor publicity and the work-at-home trend, Read more
Such a big world. So many great places to go. The Internet is filled (well, not quite) with year-end stories that look ahead to great places to visit in 2016. I’ve found some nice suggestions from folks such as Frommer’s and Conde Nast, as well as Lonely Planet, which singled out Quebec City. But they’re not me, so I’ve come up with my own suggestions of cool places to check out in the New Year. Happy travels to all! CALGARY The city has quietly become a hotspot for cutting edge cuisine, as evidenced by the recent naming of Pigeonhole as Read more
