NATIONAL: Air Canada has announced the addition of Michelin-starred chef Masaki Hashimoto to its culinary panel. Based in Toronto, Hashimoto is the owner of Kaiseki Yu-zen Hashimoto, one of Canada's only restaurants dedicated to the traditional art of Kaiseki cuisine. Since immigrating more than 40 years ago, he has devoted his career to mastering and sharing this multicourse culinary tradition. His exclusive creations debuted March 1 in Air Canada Signature Class, on all flights between Canada and Japan.
The National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association (NACCA) announced that Stream 2 Indigenous tourism businesses are receiving funding from the Signature Indigenous Tourism Experiences Stream (SITES) under the ISED Indigenous Tourism Fund. The SITES program aims to enhance world-class First Nation, Métis, and Inuit tourism experiences leading to increased tourism to Canada from abroad. The program invested $9.5 million to support 11 projects, driving cultural preservation, economic growth, and sustainable local economies.
GATINEAU, QC: Parks Canada announced $4.5 million in federal funding to upgrade the Passage lookout in La Mauricie National Park. Parks Canada will make this site more accessible, allowing visitors to discover it, recharge, and connect with nature. The new development will optimize the interpretation potential of this sector and its accessibility, in addition to offering an exceptional view of Lake Wapizagonke.
TORONTO: Tourism drove $8.8 billion into Toronto’s economy last year, the highest level of visitor spending ever recorded in the city, according to the year-end report "Toronto’s Visitor Economy: 2024 Market Performance Highlights" published by Destination Toronto. The 9 million overnight visitors to Toronto last year are the most since the pandemic, though still 600,000 fewer than the number of visitors welcomed in 2019.
VANCOUVER: CelticFest Vancouver kicked off last week with 10 days of music, food, whiskey, performance, film, and "Irish devilry." Highlights of the festival include popular Irish acoustic folk-rock band Hermitage Green visiting from Limerick, Ireland, on March 16; and an all-ages, free family day event on March 15 at Famee Furlane in East Vancouver.
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