Free Advice from Travel Pros

Should you travel internationally this summer or stay close to home? What international destinations offer the best value for your loonie? Will the Zika virus affect your travel plans? Is it safe to travel to Europe? Is Orlando still a good value? What are the best travel deals in Canada?

With so many burning questions facing travelers this summer season, the internet is a great place to get started when looking for answers. But, as always, the very nature of the internet can make it an unreliable source.

And when you take into account the fact that Canadians spent more than 650,000 hours just searching for airfare on one website last year (that’s the equivalent of 75 years), it becomes glaringly obvious that sometimes the best advice really does come from a real, live person with experience.

Ontario’s travel professionals (you might know them as travel agents) are mobilizing throughout the province next week as part of Ontario’s Tourism Week campaign, May 29 – June 4.

You can visit these travel pros at specially designated Ontario Travel Information Centres (OTIC) throughout the week and ask them your burning questions. Go ahead, try to stump them. Sure, they might take a teeny, tiny bit longer than the internet to return an answer, but their advice is true blue. And it's free.

If like many Canadians, you’re planning to travel close to home this summer, they can also help you identify the best destinations in Canada. Hint: Ontario has waterways, lakes, rivers, agriculture, farm-to-table cuisine, wine tasting, casinos, Niagara Falls and so much more. It bears repeating, tell these agents what you like to do and they’ll help you craft your ideal itinerary.

Incidentally, the Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation (OTMPC) has rolled out a new magazine, Ontario's Best Road Trips, featuring hundreds of vacation ideas with an emphasis on the classic family experience – the great Canadian road trip.

"With summer just around the corner, this is the perfect time of year to get out and discover our province by hitting the road,” said Michael Coteau, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. “I hope the Ontario's Best Road Trips magazine inspires families to plan a vacation right here at home and experience all the natural beauty and exciting destinations that are right here in our own backyard."

So while you’re chatting up your new travel BFF, be sure to hit them up for a copy of this handy travel guide. And remember that if you do choose to vacation in Ontario this summer, you’re doing your part to support more than 359,400 jobs throughout the province.

And okay, if you really, really MUST use the internet for your travel planning, you can also visit www.ontariotravel.net, to create a personalized itinerary. And while you’re there, check out the summer playlist, a crowd-sourced list of favorite road trip music from OTMPC fans.

Tourism Week takes place May 29 to June 4. Throughout the week, all 11 OTICs are hosting Open House events, but select centers will also have travel counselors on hand. Check out the augmented Travel Week programming, including displays of local products, at:

May 27, 6:00 am – 1:00 pm
Union Station Ontario Travel Information Centre

May 31; 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
St. Catharines Ontario Travel Information Centre

June 1; 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Windsor Park Ontario Travel Information Centre          

June 2; 6:00 am – 1:00 pm
Barrie Ontario Travel Information Centre

June 3; 10:30 am – 1:00 pm
Sault Ste. Marie Ontario Travel Information Centre

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