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
World Cup
U.S. domestic travel is up sharply for the Fourth of July weekend, and the big winners are Florida, California and Texas. U.S. domestic travel demand for the July 4th holiday period is pacing ahead of last year, as domestic flight reservations for travel between July 2 and July 6, 2026 are up +8.1% year on year according to new analysis from The Data Appeal Company / Almaviva Group. The study looked at flight booking performance from January to May 2026 for travel within the United States between July 2 and July 6, 2026, complemented by consolidated lodging stay data for Read more
Canada is blessed with dozens of top-notch hotels, and I’ve been privileged to spend the night in many, if not most of them. Here’s one travel writer’s look at some of the best options Canada has to offer. VANCOUVER: It’s not fancy, but The Burrard is a stylish and affordable spot on the edge of downtown Vancouver. Rooms aren’t large, but it’s a fun environment, and close to downtown, Davie Village and Granville Island. BC Place, which is hosting Vancouver’s World Cup football games, is only a kilometre away. BANFF: The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel is the granddaddy (or grandmommy) Read more
The folks at Time Out have a nice, new list of the world’s top food cities. I’m quite shocked that Japan didn’t place any city in the top 10, and that only one Japanese city (Osaka) made the top 20. I’m also surprised that only two cities in North America (only one in the U.S.) cracked the top 20. Still, it’s an interesting, tasty list that includes a few cities you might not expect to see. Here’s their full top 20. Lima, Perun (I’ve never been to Peru, but Peruvian cuisine is excellent) Bangkok, Thailand (fabulous street food and very Read more
The first game of the FIFA World Cup in Vancouver will be played on Saturday, June 13, with Australia matched up against Türkiye. Vancouver might be the most beautiful city on earth in terms of the proximity of towering mountains and the ocean. I’m from San Francisco, but I’d say Vancouver is even more striking. Cape Town is nice, and Sydney, too, but the combination of open water and snow-capped mountains give Vancouver the edge. I’ve been a good 10 to 15 times and have probably spent a couple months of my life in the city, including a month for Read more
