WATCH ABOVE: People planning a vacation might want to think about a staycation in Edmonton. As Eric Szeto reports, Edmonton is being called one of the best places to spend the summer.
EDMONTON – What do Machu Picchu, Singapore and Edmonton have in common? They all made National Geographic’s list of the best summer trips to take in 2015.
The magazine made a list of its top 10 best summer trips – plus one reader’s choice. In its online article, National Geographic encourages its readers to “meet the world in Edmonton.”
“I think Edmonton has a really unique authenticity and a unique originality,” says Renee Williams, communications manager with Edmonton Tourism.
“I think the city has great artistic feel to it, but I think there’s also a lot of urban culture, as well.”
The magazine touts Edmonton as “Festival City” which anyone who calls the city home can attest to. It highlights Old Strathcona – including the popular Saturday farmers market – the 104 Street City Market and of course, mentions the Edmonton International Fringe Festival, one of the city’s biggest summer festivals.
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“Edmonton is welcoming the world this summer. The Festival City is hosting a series of international events, including the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015 and the Edmonton Folk Music Festival. Multicultural artworks, crafts, performances, and foods representing more than 85 nations will be featured at the Edmonton Heritage Festival,” the article reads.
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National Geographic also outlines where to stay, what to eat and what to buy. It also leaves readers with this fun fact about Alberta’s capital city:
“Year-round, Edmonton is one of Canada’s sunniest cities, with about 2,300 total hours of sunshine annually. The lightest and brightest days typically are in June when the sun rises at 5:30 a.m. and doesn’t set until around 10 p.m.”
The following areas round out National Geographic’s top 10:
- Singapore
- Bermuda
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Victoria, Australia
- Machu Picchu, Peru
- Arizona
- Konstanz, Germany
- Athens, Greece
- England
The readers’ choice best summer trip of 2015 is Jeju Island, South Korea.
What’s your favourite thing about Edmonton in the summer? Feel free to leave your input in the comments section below.
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