TORONTO — The fun vibe and bright colours of ‘Barbie’ provided the perfect backdrop for Santa Monica Travel & Tourism’s industry event last night.

The private movie screening, hosted at the Cineplex Varsity Cinema and VIP in Toronto, was prefaced by remarks from Santa Monica Travel & Tourism, represented in the Canadian market by Pulse Communications and Travel Marketing.

Santa Monica enjoys an ideal location between the Pacific Ocean and Los Angeles. The beaches are a big draw (including, of course, the Original Muscle Beach), as are the world-class shopping and museum-hopping. Santa Monica is also a surfer’s paradise, and great for paddle boarding too. Visitors can also take advantage of running trails and a 35 km bicycle path, to truly experience the California lifestyle.

Especially compelling for Canadian visitors, Santa Monica also boasts more than 280 sunny days each year.

Santa Monica is 13 km north of LAX, and there are plenty of nonstop flights from various Canadian gateways via Air Canada, WestJet and Air Transat,

No fewer than eight neighbourhoods offer a diverse mix of shopping, dining, recreation and entertainment in Santa Monica. The city is also home to 41 hotels; most are adjacent to or in walking distance of the beach. More than 400 restaurants offer dining opportunities galore in Santa Monica’s 21.5 square km, including Michelin-starred restaurants Pasjoli and Mélisse.

For more information on Santa Monica see santamonica.com.