More than nine in 10 visitors to the FIFA World Cup 2026 Toronto said they are likely to return to Ontario for a leisure trip within the next two years, according to a visitor intercept study released today (Sept. 2) by Destination Ontario. Conducted in partnership with Destination Toronto and Context Research Group Inc., the study surveyed visitors during the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Toronto and found high visitor satisfaction, positive perceptions of Ontario and strong intent to return. It remains to be seen if those opinions translate into actual visits, but it’s quite encouraging to see numbers like Read more
Sydney
Is September becoming the new August for Canadian and American travelers? The traditional summer travel season may be shifting. Air Canada is forecasting record revenue for September and October, as travellers increasingly move trips outside the July and August peak to avoid heat and crowds. HomeExchange data suggests Canadians may be following that shift. September exchanges among Canadian members are up 44.2% year over year, while August activity remains relatively stable. And those September getaways are getting longer, with the average exchange now lasting just over five nights, an 8.2% increase year-over-year. The numbers point to an interesting shift in Read more
A look at where Canadians will be travelling this summer, as well as a new list of the best family beach vacation spots in the U.S. That and more in today’s blog post. BEST U.S. FAMILY BEACH VACATION SPOTS With the U.S. Memorial Day weekend pretty much here (it’s the unofficial kick-off to summer in the States), here’s a nice U.S. News list of the top 18 places in the US of A for a family beach vacation. Florida took home the top two spots and had a remarkable five places in the top 10. South Carolina has three spots Read more
Kudos to Iceland, the Netherlands, Australia and Canada. Great marks for Singapore, Honolulu and San Francisco. Travel insurance provider Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection (BHTP) has released its 11th annual State of Travel Insurance Safest Destinations report, “the longest running and most trusted research project evaluating the attitudes of U.S. travelers toward travel safety and travel insurance.” The Netherlands, Australia, and Austria have been named the safest countries to visit in 2026, while Reykjavik, Copenhagen, and Zurich top the list of safest cities. Canada was named fifth safest country, which is down slightly from its third place finish last year. Montreal Read more
One of the world’s best beaches is getting bigger. Much bigger. I recently caught up with Brian Lowack, president and CEO of Visit St. Pete/Clearwater; one of the top destinations in Florida. He told me a beach renewal project that stretches from Sand Key on Clearwater Beach to St. Pete Beach will add 2.5 million cubic yards of sand, with roughly 200 feet of width. “It’s already great, but it’s going to be the most beautiful beach in Florida,” he told me in Toronto, where Visit St. Pete/Clearwater hosted media and travel agents at a Blue Jays-Yankees game. The cost Read more
