Tourism: Attractions and Festivals in Canada

Major Attractions and Festivals

• Attractions draw tourists to destinations, and those attractions can be either man-made or natural.
• Tangible cultural heritage includes monuments, physical artifacts, and compilations of preserved objects.
• Intangible cultural heritage encompasses inherited traditions passed down through generations. These include performing arts, rituals, festive events and traditional knowledge.

North America: Canada

• As the world's second-largest country, Canada boasts vibrant cities and diverse landscapes. These range from island sights to scenic mountain waterfalls. They are spread across the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.
• Canada is a former French and British colony with a rich heritage from the North Coast Indians of British Columbia to the French explorers of Quebec.

Niagara Falls

• Niagara Falls refers to a group of three waterfalls, including Horseshoe Falls (aka Canadian Falls), Bridal Veil Falls (smallest), and American Falls (highest position).
• It straddles the boundary between New York and Ontario on the southern end of the Niagara Gorge.
• Niagara Falls is known for its beauty, and is a source of hydroelectric power.

Banff National Park

• It is the oldest national park in Alberta's Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks.
• Banff National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Mount Forbes (highest mountain in the park) and Banff (highest town in Canada) are located within it.

Canadian National (CN) Tower

• The CN Tower stands as Toronto's most famous broadcast and telecommunications tower.
• It includes observation decks, a revolving restaurant, and an entertainment complex.
• The CN Tower is also known for its Edge Walk where tourists can partake in walking hands-free around the tower.

Old Quebec City

• Old Quebec City is a historic walled city that served as a defense during the colonial wars.
• The city is divided into Upper Town (fortified ramparts, citadel) and Lower Town (Place Royale, harbor facilities).
• Old Quebec City represents a well-preserved and fortified colonial town in North America.

Victoria's Inner Harbour

• Victoria's Inner Harbour is located in Victoria, British Columbia.
• Some well-known attractions include the Robert Bateman Gallery, the Empress Hotel and Government Street.

Ottawa Winterlude Festival

• The Ottawa Winterlude Festival occurs during the first three weekends in February.
• The Rideau Canal turns into the world's largest skating rink during winter.

Quebec Winter Carnival

• It is the largest winter carnival on Earth is celebrated annually during the last week of January into February.
• Featured is the Palace of Bonhomme and other activities including night parades, snow sculptures, skating, and canoe races on the Saint Lawrence River.

Calgary Stampede

• The Calgary Stampede is a ten-day annual rodeo, exhibition, and summer festival in July.
• Touted as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth", it includes the world's largest rodeos, stage shows, concerts, and agricultural competitions.

Celebration of Light, Vancouver

• Vancouver holds the Celebration of Light, the largest fireworks competition worldwide held over three nights from July to August.
• It constitutes the longest-running offshore fireworks competition, where experts judge design, artistry, synchronicity, and originality.

Canada Day

• Canada Day is the biggest celebration marking Canada's birth.
• Canadians don red and white attire, wave the maple leaf flag, and enjoy fireworks and local cuisine.

United States

• The United States is home to iconic landmarks and landscapes.
• There is a wide array of attractions that go from entertainment in Las Vegas and Times Square to sights of wilderness areas.

Times Square, New York

• Times Square is a major commercial intersection, neighborhood, entertainment hub, and tourist destination in Midtown Manhattan.
• The Theatre District is centered there and is formed by the junction of Seventh Avenue, 42nd Street, and Broadway.
• It holds different events every year, including the famous ball drop on New Year's Eve.

Statue of Liberty, New York

• The Statue of Liberty (formally Liberty Enlightening the World) stands as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on Liberty Island.
• The colossal statue is commemorating the friendship of the United States and France.
• It depicts a woman holding a tablet bearing the adoption date of the Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776) and a torch.

Las Vegas Strip, Nevada

• The Las Vegas Strip stretches 4.2 miles and is lined with hotels, casinos, entertainment venues, shows, and resorts, such as MGM Grand, Caesars Palace, and The Palazzo.
• Tourists visit yearly to gamble, attend shows, and dine.

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California

• The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge traversing the Golden Gate Strait between the Pacific Ocean and the San Francisco Bay.
• It is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.
• Its international orange color, initially a sealant, complements the surrounding hills and enhances visibility in fog.

Grand Canyon, Arizona

• Cut by the Colorado River, the Grand Canyon is known for its fantastic shapes and coloration.
• The canyon is both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Park, and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.
• Its layered bands of red rock expose millions of years of geological history.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial, South Dakota

• Mount Rushmore centers on a colossal sculpture carved into granite, featuring presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.
• The walkway leading up to it, called Avenue of Flags, is lined on both sides with US flags.

New Orleans Mardi Gras

• People dress in gold, purple and green costumes to signify power, justice and faith for the festival.
• Parades take place around the city to enjoy food and socialize before Lent.
• Lasts two weeks before Ash Wednesday.

Aloha Festivals, Hawaii

• Hawaii has the largest cultural celebration known as Aloha Festivals in the U.S..
• It aims to foster the Aloha Spirit through preserving the Hawaiian culture and celebrating diverse customs.
• Formerly called "Aloha Week", it became a statewide event on Oahu from September to October.

Mexico

• Tourists travel to Mexico for sunlight, landscapes, sandy beaches, and cultural legacy.
• Nation has culture, where Aztec and Mayan culture can be witnessed including a fusion of Spanish colonial and unique fusion of indigenous people
• Unique fusion can be seen in everything from the food to the vivid dance and music customs.

Chichen Itza, Yucatán

• It was a ruined ancient Mayan city previously a regional trade hub and urban center.
• The most recognizable structure is the Temple of Kukulcan/El Castillo. It constitutes a pyramid that served as a place of worship to the God Kukulcan.

Copper Canyon, Chihuahua

• Copper Canyon consists of six separate canyons that offer an opportunity to outdoor adventure and landscapes.
• The Copper Canyon is known as part of the American Cordillera Mountain chain in the backdrop and is also the name for a scenic train ride called El Chepe.

Catedral Metropolitana, Mexico City

• It is Latin America's oldest and largest church. It was built as a symbol of colonial and religious power of the ruins of Tenochtitlan,.
• The capital of the Aztec Empire presents a mixture of Renaissance, Baroque, and Neoclassical architectural styles that were predominant in the colonial period.

Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)

• It is a festival honoring dead relatives on November 1 and 2.
• Those celebrating wear makeup and costumes, such as skulls and skeletons, and hold parades and parties.

Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe (Our Lady of Guadalupe)

• This feast day is celebrated annually every December 12.
• The religious festival pays respect to the appearance of the Virgin Mary in front of Juan Diego, asking the bishop to build a shrine for her on Tepeyac Hill. The bishop demanded proof of the vision and then received the blessing to build the chapel.

Cuba

• Colonial cities are home to landmarks, colonial cities, UNESCO world heritage, vintage cars and natural beauty and rolling green countryside
• This country has welcomed presidents, inspired authors.

Habana Vieja (Old Havana)

• It is a UNESCO World Heritage site where buildings are patterned from Neoclassical and Baroque architecture and have been preserved.
• Attractions include Catedral de San Cristobal, La Bodeguita del Medio, and Castillo de la Real Fuerza.

Varadero

• This lies on the Hicacos Peninsula and is known for its beautiful scenery and beaches.
• Popular activities include deep-sea fishing, golf, skydiving, and day trips to Parque Josone and Varadero Ecological Park.

Viñales Valley, Sierra de los Organos

• It features a karst landscape marked by mountains and beautiful dome-like limestone outcrops.
• It is significant for growing fruit, vegetables and tobacco.

Festival of Fire, Santiago de Cuba

• During a three-day festival, find Cuban music, street dancing, exhibitions, and night parties.
• It occurs annually at the start of July. The main event consists of burning a huge effigy of the Devil.

Habano Festival, Havana, Cuba

• This five-day event is world famous for premium cigars, new cigars under iconic brand labels and is usually held during the last week of February.

Panama

• Here, North America meets South America and location of the Panama Canal.
• Miles of coastlines and beaches are found, active volcanoes, tropical jungles, cascading waterfalls, and mountainous highlands.

Panama Canal

• The Panama Canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
• The water divides North from South America which passes through locks that allow ships to traverse through.

Casco Viejo, Panama City

• This is an old Spanish colonial town home to churches and cathedrals.
• It is known for its 15th-century Siete Calles, which has cafes, bars, and boutiques.

Barú Volcano, Chiriqui

• It is the 12th-highest peak in Central America.
• The Atlantic and Pacific Oceans can be seen simultaneously from there, wherein several trails can be hiked to see its different seven craters (Tourism Panama, n.d.).

Emberá Indigenous Village, Darien Rainforest

• Here lies the home to the indigenous people of Panama called Emberá.
• There, tourists can experience the culture by personally interacting in nature walks, dances and ceremonies.

Coffee Tasting Tour, Boquete

• It has dozens of plantations and farms that harvest coffee beans and the aromatic Panama geisha coffee.

Dominican Republic

• Notable for its solid tourism infrastructure with mountains, lush forests and semi-desert.

Zona Colonial, Santo Domingo

• It is the capital of the Dominican Republic where Christopher Columbus first landed in America.
• It is home to the first cathedral, monastery, university, and hospital in the "New World"

Whale Watching at Samana Bay

• Samana is known as the "Sanctuary of the Humpback Whales" where tourists can see whales reproduce.

Dunas de Bani, Salinas

• These are found along the Caribbean Sea made of volcanic rock and gray sand that were formed by deposits of the Bahía Stream and the Nizao River in the Caribbean.

Indigenous Eyes Ecological Park and Reserve, Punta Cana

• Species of rare animals like Ridgway Hawk can be found here.
• Features also include lagoons.

Santo Domingo Merengue Festival

• This has a connection to the Merengue which originated in the Dominican Republic and is played in music dance with a catchy rhythm.

Costa Rica

• Notable for rich and varied culture, monuments and museums in the capital along with volcanoes and waterfalls with mystical cloud rainforests.

The Petroglyphs of Cacao, Guanacaste

• Drawings cover the Cacao volcano and depict Mayan communities.

Ecotermales Hot Springs, La Fortuna de San Carlos

• Magnesium-rich hot spring is heated by the Arena volcano
• Natural water refreshes itself every 45 minutes because the water is constantly moving
• Cool water pools and a waterfall perfect for hydro massage.

Manuel Antonio National Park, Puntarenas

• The smallest park full of monkey species, rare birds, camouflaged iguanas and rain forests.

The National Theater in San Jose

• This Renaissance-style building features classical columns topped by statues symbolizing dance, music, and fame with a pink marble foyer.

Palmares Fiestas

• Various celebration events such as bullfighting, stand up comedy and firework shows occur over two weeks in January.

Bahamas

• Offers experiences like gorgeous beaches, marketplaces and historical attractions.

Andros Island

• Largest landmass in the Bahamas. Home to the third-largest barrier reef known as the "Bonefish Capital of the World". Offers prime fishing and boating.

Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park

• Protected area used by divers and snorkelers to explore marine life.

Dean's Blue Hole, Long Island

• Site of interest is is the deepest blue hole and attracts free divers.

Pirates of Nassau Museum

• Museum dedicated to the life of the pirates.

Junkanoo Festival, Nassau

• National festival with street dancing and costumes.

Honduras

• Tropical paradise known for its islands, rainforests, archaeological sites, and marine reserves.

Copan Ruins Archaeological Site

• Famous for known Mayan text acropolis/altars, and carvings.

Comayagua Street Carpets

• Celebrated between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday with designs for Biblical figures.

Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve

• Among the few tropical rainforests, a mosaic of tropical rainforest with much wildlife.

Museum of National Identity, Tegucigalpa

• Art museum that unveils Honduran history with copal.

Lempira Festival, Gracias

• Commemorates the leader Lempira on July.

Jamaica

• It is considered the "birthplace of reggae" that has African vibes, natural attractions with waterfalls as well as white sand beaches, unique ecosystems and great food.

Fort Charles, Port Royal

• Fort Charles is the oldest British fortification that was built to keep out Spanish invaders.

Hope Botanical Gardens, St. Andrew

• It is an expansive garden with an abundance of flora and fauna, including special species

Devan House Mansion, St. Andrew

• First home of Jamaica’s black millionaire famous for Caribbean and Georgian style homes and furnishings

Reggae Sumfest, Montego Bay

• The largest Jamaican music festival.

Portland Jerk Festival, Port Antonio

• Festival for jerk style cooking.

Argentina

• Draws influences from around the world, from ocean mountains, from the jungles to deserts.

Los Glaciares National Park, Santa Cruz

• Home to great glaciers and movement of the terrain carving them.

Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires

• Beautiful architecture for opera.

Talampaya National Park, La Rioja

• Desert preserve noteworthy for petroglyphs and condors and wild animal sightings.

Buenos Aires Tango Festival

• World famous festival for Tango dancing.

Wine Tasting and Tours, Mendoza

• An annual event is held every year in March, where Malbec grapes can be sampled and experienced, as they are prepared as wine.

Brazil

• An inviting destination with a lush landscape and vibrant culture with beaches and jungles to museums.

Pelourinho Salvador

• Historic city center where the African and European culture were combined, featuring gorgeous golden churches.

Escadaria Sharon, Rio de Janeiro

• Staircase with glass fragments with colorful mosaic is based on Brazil’s beautiful flag

Carnaval, Rio de Janeiro

• Street parade that displays Brazil's culture and celebration before abstinence.

Festival de Cachaca

• Celebrating liquor.

Chile

• Vacation spot with mountains, forests and coastline

Easter Island

• Special territory with stone carvings.

Marble Caves, Patagonia

• An intricate cave system carved from solid marble

Torres del Paine National Park

• A very popular place with great steppes.

Fiestas Patrias

• Celebrated between September 18 and 19th

Tapati

• A celebration of ancient culture.

Peru

• Home of Incas is known for Machu Picchu - Machu Picchu (also known as the "Lost City of the Incas").

Acropolis of Athens

• Notable structures are Propylae, Parthenon, Athena.

Meteora Monasteries, Trikala

• Site with collections of rock formations.

Mount Olympus

• The home of Zeus, with mountain hiking of various lengths. is

The Kalymnos climbing festival

• The site for climbing enthusiasts for competitions.

Some Gourmet festival

• The annual event for food and gourmet.

Switzerland -

It is a country known for small villages and vibrant citied with great mountainous regions, popular for activities such as skiing, biking, and climbing.

Matterhorn

• A mountain on the border of two countries, specifically Italy as well Switzerland, and is known for it's pyramid shape and dangerous slopes because of avalanches and rocky terrain

Chapel bridge, Lucerne

• A medieval bridge design to protect city from attacks.

Zytglogge

• A Clock Tower located in Bern landmark, often utilized by tourists and historical performances.

Carnival of Basel

• The biggest annual carnival festival in the country for the Protestant faith.

Winegrowers Festival, Vevey

• Site for wine and all its process.

Denmark

• Offers scenic beaches, castles, lush forests, a milder climate, and friendly people. Having been a viking nation back on the Baltic side.

Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen

• The second oldest amusement park.

Lego house, Bullard

• Iconic display of various landmarks and world scale models, made of Lego bricks.

Stevns Klint, Zealand

• A great example for the meteor impact on earth.

Aarhus Festivals

• A ten day performance art festival.

Roskilde

• A performance rock and roll festivals.

Sweden

• Is a great place because of thousands of unspoiled forests.

The real domain of Drottningholm

• Site of palaces built in France
• Including Drottningholm Palace was made with Italian and French designs

Palace theatre

• Still has the original stage theatre

Chinese pavilion

• Garden filled with all decorations.

Canton village

• A space for raising silkworms and silk.

Vasa Museum, Stockholm

• A Vasa warship displays fully still almost still intact at 17th century after being salvage.

Ales Stones Ystad

• Made stones out boat shapes.

Wales Purgis act

• Great to celebrate the arrival of the spring event and by the dancing the round or bonfires.

Midsummer

• Dance, song and fertility the lights of bonfires near many poles with flower crowns.