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
Tahiti
Canadians claim to be the best hotel guests in the world. But they’re still swiping the odd hotel bathrobe or smuggling food from the breakfast buffet. A study by Hotels.Com found that 88% of Canadians consider themselves considerate guests, and that 44% of Canadians voted themselves the most courteous guests in the world, while ranking Americans as the rudest hotel guests (42%). Yet 27% of Canadians admit they sometimes smuggle food from the breakfast buffet or swipe hotel bathrobes and slippers. How Canada Ranks the World’ Most Polite Guests, by Country Canada – 44% Japan – 22% Sweden – 11% Read more
A new list of the top cities in the world for international travelers from the U.S. gives the inside edge to Portugal, with Spain coming in second. Coming in at number one (a tie, actually) were Lisbon, and Porto, Portugal. I haven’t had the pleasure of visiting Porto, but I love Lisbon, which has fabulous food and great neighbourhoods to explore, including the vibrant Aflama district. There also are great beaches. Spain had two cities in the top 10; Madrid and Seville. Sadly, I haven’t been to either. The authors created a list of 40 major cities around the world, Read more
A new list of the 50 best restaurants in North America gives the title to Chicago, but two Canadian restaurants also made the podium. Smyth in Chicago came out on top, rising from number five on last year’s list. Second was a new entry to the top 50, Eight restaurant in Calgary. Taking the bronze medal was renowned Pearl Morissette in Lincoln, Ontario (Niagara Region). Pearl Morissette was named Canada’s best restaurant a few weeks ago. The U.S. had 36 spots in the top 50, while Canada had a very solid 14 (and five of the top ten). In the 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
