Canada – 5 Of The Best Places To Travel In 2021
Vacay.ca normally features big cities, major festivals or significant celebrations like the JUNO Awards in their top 20 Best Places to Travel in Canada. However, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, a different selection has been made. The choices include nature escapes and visits to small towns that have mostly avoided the virus.
Trippzy sponsors a survey of travel journalists across the country to rank the destinations. Some are brand new options, but all are ideal for traveling in the time of COVID-19. Here are 5 of the top options.
South Okanagan, British Columbia
While recovery is the keyword that mostly dominates tourism in 2021, “resiliency” is the word to describe the Okanagan Valley. A Resiliency Program has been launched by the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association as part of its post-pandemic strategy. The strategy involves aligning colonial governments with the age-old practices of the many indigenous communities in this region.
South Okanagan’s new marketing initiative showcases standards of responsible tourism in the area between the desert climate of Osoyoos, close to the United States border, and north to Penticton and its surrounding small communities. The municipalities are ready to help visitors to understand this wonderful area, filled with lakes and microclimates and defining British Columbia’s wine industry’s four sub-geographic regions of the Okanagan Valley. More than 70 wineries operate in the stretch between Peachland and Osoyoos. Other options include world-class art, food and entertainment offerings.
Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia
This wonderfully scenic location offers plenty of outdoor activities, including hiking through the Mabou Highlands to ocean viewpoints or kayaking in North Harbour or Aspy Bay.
The waterfront is a natural draw with its giant fiddle and plenty of music to enjoy. The World’s Largest Fiddle is 18 metres (60 feet) in height and is located on the Sydney waterfront. It was placed here as a tribute to the folk music and traditions of the Celtic community of the province. One of the best ways to enjoy the musical tradition is during the Celtic Colours International Festival. The festival runs for nine days in October and treats visitors to hundreds of activities and events in communities across the island.
Fresh air fun can be enjoyed at Cape Smokey, located between Cape Smokey Provincial Park and Cape Breton Highlands National Park. This stunning location offers excellent skiing, as well as a great new Tree Walk, soaring 30 metres (19 feet) into the air above the mountain.
Visitors can also appreciate the indigenous cultures that predate the Celtic culture. This can be experienced in any of the five reserves of the Miꞌkmaq Nation: Eskasoni, Membertou, Wagmatcook, Waycobah, and Potlotek/Chapel Island. Visitors can experience sweat-lodge ceremonies and hearn about historical finds in the area.
According to Destination Cape Breton CEO Terry Smith, nature is a large part of its charm. However, the area has also done an excellent job at keeping COVID-19 numbers low with less than 70 cases reported in the Eastern Zone of Nova Scotia at the end of 2020.
Banff and Lake Louise, Alberta
Banff National Park is the jewel of Canada’s parks system and along with Lake Louise, is constantly adding to the visitor experience. For the first time in 25 years, Lake Louise Ski Resort has added 480 acres of new terrain for the 2021 season, while expanding its ski and snowboard runs. The opening of West Bowl now includes a rapid Summit Chair that takes passengers up to the peak in just four minutes.
The SkiBig3 resorts of Lake Louise, Norquay and Sunshine Village opened earlier in the fall and have incorporated COVID-19 protocols throughout. The protocols focus on guest safety and health and include pass reservations, capacity restrictions, contactless payment systems and physical-distancing measures. Besides skiing, Lake Louise is a beautiful spot, whether on the shore or on the water.
Depending on whether large events come back by summer 2021, the Banff Marathon on September 12 will see hundreds of runners racing through one of the most beautiful and rugged landscapes of Canada. Each year, the organizers ensure the competition stays the “greenest marathon in the world.” This claim is supported by the event being dubbed Canada’s first UN Sports for Climate Action member.
The Banff Whiskey Experience is also coming in 2021 and will feature more than 300 delicious whiskies from Banff’s own Park Distillery and some of the finest distilleries in the world. Banff has also emerged as a great culinary destination in recent years with many new restaurants opening.
Dawson City and Tombstone Territorial Park, Yukon
There is more to Dawson City than its colourful Klondike Gold Rush history and the unique characters that chased overnight fortunes in this out-of-the-way spot. Located 240 km (145 mi) below the Arctic Circle, this is a place of magical nature. Here, visitors can experience the extremes of darkness and light at either end of the solstices, along with the magical aurora borealis that can be seen most nights of the year here.
Visitors can appreciate the wonderful Tombstone Territorial Park, with its dramatic sub-arctic landscape, just a short chopper ride or drive away.
The town offers comfortable boutique style accommodations to relax at the end of the day. Even though the town is small, the thriving food scene in the long summer days is another major attraction here. Besides the excellent eateries, visitors can also head to the Downtown Hotel to experience the Sourtoe Cocktail Club. Anyone new to the location gets to let a black, shriveled human toe bump against their lips as part of the ritual!
Victoria and Cowichan Valley, British Columbia
Vancouver Island is one of few places in the world that is truly focused on environmental stewardship. In fact, the largest city here, Victoria, leads the tourism industry’s green movement in its urban spaces. The capital of British Columbia has committed to becoming carbon-neutral by 2030. Victoria is actively developing sustainable practices, including growing the Food Eco District to drive sustainability in the culinary industry.
Those visitors interested in wineries should head to the nearby Cowichan Valley, which was the first outside of Okanagan Valley to receive a sub-geographic ranking in British Columbia. All the region’s wines affirm that they contain at least 95 percent of locally grown grapes. On top of this, Cowichan Valley is the first slow-food community in North America. In fact, it is rapidly becoming one of Canada’s leading viticulture areas.
Cowichan Valley is around a 45-minute drive north of Victoria on the Malahat Highway. The town also has a maritime feel, along with several inventive entrepreneurs, including a burgeoning arts community and a perfume-maker, Wild Coast, offering scents reminiscent of island locales.
View the full list of 20 recommended locations across Canada on the vacay.ca website.
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