Looking to get away from Toronto this week or weekend? Away from the G8 and G20 Summits?

This week Toronto's downtown around the Entertainment District and surrounding the Convention Centre is looking like a two ton gorilla with braces. Everyone who can work from home or take vacation days this week will do just that. Many businesses near and around the area will close for a few days including the Rogers Centre (the Blue Jays will play their home games away from home in Philadelphia) and the Mirvish organization's theatres will be dark. All in all not the weekend to enjoy Toronto's usually bustling downtown. I will definitely be nowhere near the core as we get close to the weekend and during the weekends itself. If you live in Toronto or were planning to visit Toronto during the Summits, may I suggest the best alternative: Montreal (of course, there's always New York as well, but NYC may be pricey and there's always the hassle of crossing borders or airport security). Montreal is awesome. The Festival International de Jazz de Montreal starts this coming Friday (check hotel availability before you decide to follow my recommendation).

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If you live in Toronto and have never been to Montreal, what are you waiting for? Montreal is a Canadian city, a North American city, but with one big difference from all other cities in the continent. It has a distinct international feel that is neither European nor North American. It's a hybrid of both. Great ambiance, fantastic restaurants, awesome festivals, quaint neighbourhoods, beautiful parks and even more beautiful people. If you've never seen it, check out Tourisme Montreal's website. Get some insider/local info and secrets from TM's bloggers, especially Tamy and Christophe.

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But just in case you think I only recommend the official tourism board (I just happen to believe that Montreal Tourism is actually doing a great job promoting their destination with a more entrepreneurial and less bureaucratic approach to tourism promotion than many traditional tourism boards) - here are some of my faves in Montreal:

Schwartz's Delicatessen (smoked meat sandwiches)

Old Montreal (not necessarily to eat, but to take a stroll, absorb the ambiance, maybe take a cruise on the St Lawrence

Place des Arts and whatever's going on there

Mont-Royal (one of my favourite places in Canada to go for a jog)

Boulevard Saint Laurent or "La Main" as it's locally known

Also check out this website: Made in Montreal

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Bon voyage,

Jaime

Don't kid yourself, the G8 and G20 Summits are not for or about tourism

Next week Ontario hosts the G8 and G20 Summits, by all accounts, the most expensive G8 and G20 Summits ever. While I can understand the importance of security for these types of gatherings, one billion dollars plus is outrageous. Maybe it's time for world leaders to start using video conferencing. As an informed citizen, I follow these summits as much as I can. One of my frustrations is that once the meetings are over and the pronouncements, announcements and photo opps are finished the media go on to the next thing, the next crises. It's very difficult to ascertain whether any of the promises made at the summits are kept. Many years ago Canada pledged over five hundred million dollars of aid to Africa. Did we deliver? I don't know.

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Some politicians say that the eyes of the world will be focused on Muskoka and Toronto and that this will benefit tourism. What? It may benefit some tourism businesses (mainly hotels) during the week the summits are held, but if you read or watch media when the G8 and the G20 meet you will see that the coverage is about politics, the economy and the protests, not about the tourism attractions of the host cities. Toronto's downtown core around the Entertainment District is starting to look like a concrete fortress. And don't get me started about the fake lake in Muskoka! Simon Houpts article in the Globe and Mail and CTV, "Will tis really sell Toronto" makes the point abundantly clear. So let's not kid ourselves, the G8 and G20 summits are not the best way to promote destinations.

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On the other hand, the coming Pan American Games in Toronto in 2015 are a great opportunity to showcase Ontario to a market of over 900 million people...

Promoting Canada to the richest travelers at the moment: Canadians

Canada grew at an annualized rate of 6.1% in the first quarter. The US grew at half that rate and we're all aware of Europe's struggles with national debts and a weaker Euro. Canadian destinations are keenly aware that the best prospects for a good tourism season this summer are right here at home. Canada has been creating thousands of jobs for several months now. And while the Bank of Canada raised interest rates last week, the rate is still low enough that it won't stop the economy in its tracks. Canadians are cautiously optimistic about their financial situation and might just decide to travel more this summer than previously expected.
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The challenge for Canadian destinations is to persuade more Canadians to travel at home given the myriad of places that are also aware that Canadian consumers are in much better financial situation than their counterparts in most other countries. Travel deals to the US and Europe this summer will be the best we've seen in recent times. Price and convenience will be key this season.


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