club med toronto

Toronto ranked one of the top U.S. holiday destinations for 2022

If you're looking to book a happiness-filled vacation in the United States, Club Med recommends that you check out none other than Toronto, Ontario.

That's right, Canada's largest just took the eighth-place spot on a new ranking from the popular resort operator, despite the fact that it is not nor has ever been part of the U.S.

club med toronto

French resort giant Club Med has released a report on 'happy' travel destinations in which Vancouver, Toronto and Halifax are all errantly labelled as American cities. Image via Club Med.

"We know that happiness on our get-aways is key, and while some old-fashioned quality time with loved ones is a must, a trip to a spa or an exciting day trip and activity is always a good idea for a vacation dopamine boost," reads the intro for Club Med's "Happiest Holiday Destinations 2022" ranking.

The France-based tourism company compiled its list based on nine different metrics from multiple government or official sources. They include: crime index, safety index, pollution index, cost of domestic beer in a restaurant, LGBTQ+ friendliness, overall happiness score and the number of outdoor activities, day trips and spas per 100,000 people.

After assigning values based on these metrics to the 50 most-visited tourist destinations worldwide, Club Med determined that Bali was the happiest place on earth for tourists (sorry, Anaheim and Orlando.)

"Bali came out on top due to the incredible spa and wellness centres it has to offer and amazing outdoor activities – perfect for those looking for both relaxation and adventure on their holiday," reads the report.

"Following Bali; Las Vegas, New Orleans, Barcelona, and Amsterdam ranked as the top 5, with each offering a unique experience for tourists - making happiness a top priority."

Vancouver came in at spot number seven on that list, where it was correctly (and exclusively) labelled as a Canadian city.

club med torontoA global breakdown of top vacation destinations correctly places Vancouver in Canada, despite the fact that all Canadian cities are place in the U.S. on a North America-specific chart. Image via Club Med.

In a more granular breakdown of the top cities in North America, Vancouver suddenly becomes a city in the U.S., as do Toronto and Halifax.

"As well as Europe, we have revealed North America's happiest holiday destinations for 2022, and from our research, we found that the 'Sin City' — Las Vegas, was the most popular destination for vacationers in search of a USA happy getaway, with an overall happiness score of 27.6!" reads the report.

"As well as Las Vegas; New Orleans, Vancouver, San Francisco, and Washington ranked as the top 5 destinations. New Orleans was a close second with a happiness score of 26.8 out of 100, Vancouver, scored 23.2, San Francisco scored 22.5 and Washington scored 21.2, respectively."

Toronto and Halifax, U.S., came in at spots number seven and eight, respectively.

While there is much happiness to be found in all of the cities listed above, one would be wise to take Club Med's research with a grain of salt; Not only is it clearly (and not so greatly) auto-translated from French to English, the 72-year-old vacation company seems to think that "North America" means the same thing as "America."

Sacré bleu, mes amis! You should always double-edit an intern's copy.

Lead photo by

Italy_jai2002


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