logo
Stockholm seeing a huge increase in Canadian travellers in July: Skyscanner trending destination

Stockholm seeing a huge increase in Canadian travellers in July: Skyscanner trending destination

Yahoo4 days ago
Entering the height of summer travel, Canadians are looking to Sweden for their July vacations. Information provided to Yahoo Canada from Skyscanner revealed that there has been a 79 per cent month-over-month increase in flight bookings from Canadian cities to Stockholm.
From the inviting Swedish culture to a large number of museums, shopping destinations and it's picturesque scenery, Stockholm is one of the most endearing cities to travel to. And July is a particularly perfect time to enjoy the Swedish capital.
Search for your next vacation on Skyscanner
Stockholm is a city that has both historical charm, while also and leaning into modern design. Additionally, summer temperatures are staying at a particularly comfortable level for many visitors in July.
"With long daylight hours and temperatures sitting comfortably in the low 20s, July is an ideal time to explore Stockholm's island-dotted cityscape," Laura Lindsay, Skyscanner's travel trends and destinations expert highlighted. "The Swedish capital is at its most lively this time of year, with locals and visitors flocking to open-air cafes, waterfront parks, and music festivals that make the most of the sunshine."
"The pastel buildings of Gamla Stan, the city's Old Town, feel like a storybook come to life, while neighbourhoods like Södermalm showcase the minimalist architecture and thoughtful urban planning that Scandinavian cities are known for. Every corner offers a contrast between old-world character and contemporary style, creating a rich visual experience for visitors."
Using Skyscanner search data, roundtrip flights from Toronto to Stockholm in July can currently be found for as low as $961.
Flights from Vancouver to Stockholm currently start at $1,180, or $1,004 from Montreal.
Check Skyscanner for up-to-date, live pricing for all flights.
Search for your next vacation on Skyscanner
To really get into the Swedish culture, travellers should participate in a Swedish fika, where you take a break with a coffee and sweet treat, engage in conversation and have a bit of a pause in the day.
"No visit to Stockholm is complete without slowing down for a fika," Lindsay stated. "Many cafés in Stockholm offer an authentic fika experience, giving visitors a chance to enjoy a local tradition while soaking up the laid-back summer atmosphere."
There are so many great cafés in Stockholm, but Komet is particularly delicious, so is Stora bageriet.
For museum lovers, Stockholm has a lot to offer, including some unique experiences like the ABBA museum.
"It's a great stop for anyone who grew up with their music or just wants a lively activity between exploring the city's historic sites," Lindsay highlighted. "The exhibits are playful and well-curated, making it an easy highlight for both families and solo travellers."
There is also the Junibacken museum featuring everything Pippi Longstocking and the Vasa museum with a preserved 17th-century warship.
Stockholm has some incredible shopping, so as you're biking through the city or taking a stroll through Kungsträdgården, make sure to take a look in some local shops.
Stockholm is home to the popular brands like Acne Studios, Filippa K and the accessories brand Liffner. For beauty lovers, Cow Parfymeri has a great collection of makeup, skincare, hair and other beauty products that are hard or impossible to find in Canada, while the Swedish brand L:a Bruket makes the best lip balms you will ever try.
Of course, you need to try Swedish meatballs when you travel to Sweden, and Meatballs For the People in Stockholm is a great choice, with a variety of different options to choose from.
Hotel Frantz is a great option for a stay in Stockholm, from its location to the incredibly aesthetic rooms, it's sure to be a hit. The building's history goest back to 1647 and the most recent renovation really preserved the historic features of the property, but that also means there isn't an elevator to get to your room. The hotel's restaurant is certainly worth trying, specifically the morning breakfast buffet is one of the best you'll ever have, including cardamom buns, cakes, local cheeses and breads.
The Grand Hôtel in Stockholm will provide the true five star hotel experience, overlooking Stockholm's old town. The property also features a luxurious spa and fitness area, and you can take in the beautiful waterfront view at the Veranda restaurant.
The NOFO Hotel is a particularly chic property, located in the Södermalm area of Stockholm. The interior is inspired by travel memories from owners Marie and Glenn Tammemägi, and there is a beautiful courtyard and a popular wine bar at the hotel.
Skyscanner has a number of features to make sure you save as much as possible on your vacation.
Take advantage of the "Saved" feature. Start by browsing all the travel deals and when you see something you like, you can save it for later.
Step 1: Find your flights and hotel.
Step 2: Select the heart icon next to your top picks to save them for later. Make sure you're logged into your Skyscanner account.
Pro tip: Download the Skyscanner app to create separate Saved lists for all the different trips you're planning.
If flight costs are getting you down, there are a few things Canadian travellers can do to ensure they're getting the best deal possible for their next vacation, both on the Skyscanner platform specifically and when looking for flights more generally.
Beat the crowds: For flights that are filling up fast, you'll want to make sure you're looking at the monthly view on travel search sites like Skyscanner to see the best possible option available for flight dates.
Set up alerts: Prices are always changing, so if you're hoping to travel to a specific destination, or on specific dates, set up a price alert so you can be quick if a deal comes up. Skyscanner specifically has a price alerts system for any cost changes.
Consider "Everywhere": If you're hoping for a new adventure, or a little rest and relaxation, but you don't have a specific destination in mind, the "Everywhere" search on Skyscanner may be your new best friend to discover the most affordable vacation destination possible.
Flexible dates: There may be certain times where you need to travel for specific dates, but the best deals are really revealed when you open yourself up to some flexibility. Even changing your travel dates by a day, or a week, can result in significant savings.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

TSA to end shoes-off policy for airport security screening
TSA to end shoes-off policy for airport security screening

Yahoo

time44 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

TSA to end shoes-off policy for airport security screening

Nearly 20 years after airline passengers were first required to remove their shoes for security, the policy is being phased out. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is planning to allow passengers to keep their shoes on when they go through the general security line at many major airports across the country, two sources told ABC News. An unexpected memo went out to TSA officers across the country last week stating the new policy will allow all passengers to keep their shoes on in all screening lanes at many airports across the country, starting Sunday. MORE: TSA sets new single-day record with more than 3 million travelers at airport security The goal is to roll the new policy out to all U.S. airports shortly, according to the memo. Previously, only passengers in the TSA PreCheck line were able to keep their shoes on in most cases. The transportation agency has spent years looking for an innovative way to allow passengers to move faster through the security checkpoints. Passengers who trigger the alarm at the scanners or magnetometers, however, will be required to take their shoes off for additional screening, according to the memo. MORE: 1st look at new TSA self-service screening lane and how it could improve airport travel This is a major shift since TSA began requiring passengers to take their shoes off in 2006. The policy came five years after Richard Reid tried to blow up an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami with explosives packed in his shoes. The explosives failed to detonate and Reid was held down by fellow passengers and the flight crew. ABC News has reached out to TSA for a comment.

'Bachelor in Paradise': 4 Men Go Home, 1 Date Is Canceled by a Monsoon and Love Triangles Form in Season 10 Premiere
'Bachelor in Paradise': 4 Men Go Home, 1 Date Is Canceled by a Monsoon and Love Triangles Form in Season 10 Premiere

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

'Bachelor in Paradise': 4 Men Go Home, 1 Date Is Canceled by a Monsoon and Love Triangles Form in Season 10 Premiere

Bachelor in Paradise season 10 premiered on Monday, July 7, welcoming 16 Bachelor Nation alums to Costa Rica The group immediately formed connections leading up to the first rose ceremony on night three, where the women held the power The episode ultimately ended with four men going home, one date being canceled due to a monsoon and several love triangles being developedThe season 10 cast of Bachelor in Paradise is wasting no time in their search for love. The July 7 premiere began with a teaser of the show's return, featuring engagement rings, champagne, tears and steamy makeouts. Then, host Jesse Palmer declared that the season will be "unlike anything you've ever seen before.' Spencer Conley, who appeared on Jenn Tran's season of The Bachelorette, was the first to arrive at the new destination in Costa Rica, and Alexe Godin from Grant Ellis' latest season of The Bachelor was close behind. As they explored the resort, which features a private pool, bar and air-conditioned rooms (a franchise-first), they were joined by Lexi Young from Joey Graziadei's season, along with Jeremy Simon and Jonathan Johnson from Jenn's and Bailey Brown from Grant's. The next to arrive was Jess Edwards, also from Joey's season, and she couldn't have been happier when Spencer volunteered to give her a tour of the beachfront hotel. 'I did have my sights set on him coming into this,' she revealed in her confessional. 'He's definitely at the tippy-top of my list.' He agreed, saying, 'When Jess walked in, we just clicked.' The next to make their entrances were Kyle Howard, who admittedly was easy to miss during his two weeks on Katie Thurston's season of The Bachelorette, and one of Grant's final three Zoe McGrady. They were followed by The Bachelorette season 21 alums Ricky Marinez, Brian Autz and Hakeem Moulton. Finally, Kat Izzo and Justin Glaze, both former Bachelor in Paradise participants, rounded out the arrivals for the day. 'All of us are here to help you find someone who you can spend the rest of your lives with,' Jesse said as he and Bachelor Nation favorites Hannah Brown and Wells Adams welcomed the group. 'This time around, in order to help increase the chances of that happening, we're gonna be introducing a few new exercises and chemistry tests to help you find the perfect person for you.' 'In the end, we hope to offer our best and our strongest couples a life-changing opportunity,' he then teased, without providing further details. The night took a turn when heavy rain started to pose a safety risk and everyone was told to go back to their rooms — although that didn't stop Jess and Spencer from having the first kiss of the season before parting ways. Justin, however, wasn't as lucky. He was given the first date card, which he hoped to offer up to Lexi, but they were forced to postpone it. 'I'm starting to think I'm just bad luck,' he said, disappointed. The next day, Dale Moss joined the crew, and as Jonathan said, their excitement to see him was 'through the roof.' 'He is someone I think almost all of us had our eye on,' Zoe admitted. When it came time for him to choose someone to take on a boat date that day, Dale picked Kat, which the other ladies weren't too happy about. 'She very much was scheming for that one,' Zoe said under her breath. While the pair enjoyed berries and a makeout session at sea, the rest of the group played a game where each person indicated whether they liked or disliked the traits listed on faceless cardboard cutouts of each other before learning whose they rated. When Ricky realized he didn't get any 'likes,' he quipped that he'd rather have 'red flags' than be 'vanilla,' comparing himself to Hakeem. A screaming match quickly broke out between the two, which Ricky worried would cause Alexe to change her mind about him. Thankfully, Jesse interrupted the chaos to introduce the next arrival: Sam McKinney, a controversial member of Jenn's season. As a newbie, he got a date card, and when he offered it to Jess, Spencer became jealous. As Jess prepared to hand out her rose, she struggled to see which of her two connections was stronger. 'I definitely did not think that I would be in this situation this early on,' she confessed. 'My biggest fear coming into this is: love triangle. It's bound to happen, but I did not want it to be me. And here I am with these two great guys, and I'm like, what do I do?' Meanwhile, Justin's eagerness to close things off with Lexi so quickly made her uneasy, especially because he had recently broken up with ex-girlfriend Susie Evans. 'We talked about it a little on the date today and he said they don't talk anymore but they're still friends,' she confided in Jess and Spencer. 'But the last guy that I dated, had just gotten out of a really long relationship and it was an ongoing issue because they were still in communication and I just didn't feel chosen. I don't ever want to be a second choice.' Bailey was also questioning her decision after building a good emotional connection with Kyle, but a stronger physical one with Jeremy. Ultimately, they all went with their guts, and the remaining couples were Jess and Spencer, Lexi and Justin, Bailey and Jeremy, Alexe and Jonathan, Kat and Dale, and Zoe and Brian. This left Hakeem, Kyle, Ricky and Sam packing their bags. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. New episodes of Bachelor in Paradise air Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Read the original article on People

China extends visa-free entry to more than 70 countries to draw tourists
China extends visa-free entry to more than 70 countries to draw tourists

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

China extends visa-free entry to more than 70 countries to draw tourists

WASHINGTON (AP) — Foreign tourists are trickling back to China after the country loosened its visa policy to unprecedented levels. Citizens from 74 countries can now enter China for up to 30 days without a visa, a big jump from previous regulations. The government has been steadily expanding visa-free entry in a bid to boost tourism, the economy and its soft power. More than 20 million foreign visitors entered without a visa in 2024 — almost one-third of the total and more than double from the previous year, according to the National Immigration Administration. 'This really helps people to travel because it is such a hassle to apply for a visa and go through the process,' Georgi Shavadze, a Georgian living in Austria, said on a recent visit to the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. While most tourist sites are still packed with far more domestic tourists than foreigners, travel companies and tour guides are now bracing for a bigger influx in anticipation of summer holiday goers coming to China. 'I'm practically overwhelmed with tours and struggling to keep up' says Gao Jun, a veteran English-speaking tour guide with over 20 years of experience. To meet growing demand, he launched a new business to train anyone interested in becoming an English-speaking tour guide. 'I just can't handle them all on my own' he said. After lifting tough COVID-19 restrictions, China reopened its borders to tourists in early 2023, but only 13.8 million people visited in that year, less than half the 31.9 million in 2019, the last year before the pandemic. 30 days for many in Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Mideast In December 2023, China announced visa-free entry for citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia. Almost all of Europe has been added since then. Travelers from five Latin American countries and Uzbekistan became eligible last month, followed by four in the Middle East. The total will grow to 75 on July 16 with the addition of Azerbaijan. About two-thirds of the countries have been granted visa-free entry on a one-year trial basis. For Norwegian traveler Øystein Sporsheim, this means his family would no longer need to make two round-trip visits to the Chinese embassy in Oslo to apply for a tourist visa, a time-consuming and costly process with two children in tow. 'They don't very often open, so it was much harder' he said. 'The new visa policies are 100% beneficial to us,' said Jenny Zhao, a managing director of WildChina, which specializes in boutique and luxury routes for international travelers. She said business is up 50% compared with before the pandemic. While the U.S. remains their largest source market, accounting for around 30% of their current business, European travelers now make up 15–20% of their clients, a sharp increase from less than 5% before 2019, according to Zhao. 'We're quite optimistic' Zhao said, 'we hope these benefits will continue.' Group, a Shanghai-based online travel agency, said the visa-free policy has significantly boosted tourism. Air, hotel and other bookings on their website for travel to China doubled in the first three months of this year compared with the same period last year, with 75% of the visitors from visa-free regions. No major African country is eligible for visa-free entry, despite the continent's relatively close ties with China. North Americans and some others in transit can enter for 10 days Those from 10 countries not in the visa-free scheme have another option: entering China for up to 10 days if they depart for a different country than the one they came from. The policy is limited to 60 ports of entry, according to the country's National Immigration Administration. The transit policy applies to 55 countries, but most are also on the 30-day visa-free entry list. It does offer a more restrictive option for citizens of the 10 countries that aren't: the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Sweden, Russia, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Indonesia, Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. Sweden is the only high-income European country that didn't make the 30-day list. Ties with China have frayed since the ruling Chinese Communist Party sentenced a Swedish book seller, Gui Minhai, to prison for 10 years in 2020. Gui disappeared in 2015 from his seaside home in Thailand but turned up months later in police custody in mainland China. ___ Associated Press writer Ken Moritsugu and video producer Liu Zheng in Beijing contributed to this report.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store