Go east.
That's the advice from Vacay.ca writers, editors and photographers who selected the 20 Best Places to Travel in Canada in 2013. Six entries, including four in the top 10, are east of Quebec. Ontario led all provinces with four destinations on the list, while British Columbia, Alberta, and Newfoundland and Labrador notched three spots each.
Last year's No. 1 entry, Calgary, drops to No. 17, but two destinations within short driving distance of Alberta's largest city reached the top 10. Drumheller and Canmore represent Alberta's best for 2013. The 100th Calgary Stampede in 2012 drew record crowds and was a clear first-place choice for 2012.
Voters named entries for their significance in 2013 as well as notable anniversaries, events and festivals. Some destinations were also noted for their unheralded or emerging tourism infrastructure and their uniqueness as a travel offering. Places were recognized for an increasingly scarce commodity: unspoiled nature.
"Even in the vastness of the Canadian landscape, it is becoming difficult to locate tourism jewels that have not been tarnished by commercialization or urban development," says Vacay.ca Managing Editor Adrian Brijbassi, who visited nine of 10 provinces in 2012. "The trend in travel globally is clearly toward engaging with local culture and finding authentic experiences. Atlantic Canada offers those opportunities in abundance, mostly because of the friendliness of the communities and the richness of the culture."
Topping the survey was a national park that fits all the criteria: Unique, beautiful, significant in 2013, historic, carefully maintained and intrinsically Canadian.
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Top 5 Places to Travel in Canada
Rounding out the top five spots on the Vacay.ca Top 20 Places to Visit in Canada in 2013 are:
1. Louisbourg, Nova Scotia
2. Trinity/Bonavista Peninsula, Newfoundland & Labrador
3. Drumheller, Alberta
4. Toronto, Ontario
5. Lake Waskesiu, Saskatchewan
"Louisbourg is celebrating its 300th anniversary in 2013 and Vacay.ca is encouraging visitors to Canada, and Canadians themselves, to make this the year to see a landmark central to the development of the nation," Brijbassi says. "In many ways, modern Canada began in Louisbourg, which was a multicultural society well ahead of its years."
To see the entire Vacay.ca list of the 20 Best Places To Travel In Canada, click here.
You'll learn more about each of the top 20 choices through videos, photo galleries and articles.
Click here to see Vacay.ca on Huffington Post Canada.