A chat with Sir Richard Branson in Toronto as Virgin America parties in Canada

Had a chance to chat with Sir Richard Branson at Virgin America's reception Tuesday night at the swanky Thompson Hotel rooftop bar, which might have the best Toronto view in town.

It wasn't easy squeezing past all the women who wanted to have their pictures taken with him (can't understand why, other than the charisma, the hair, the chiseled good looks, the perfectly trimmed facial hair and nice clothes, and the money). I finally managed to elbow my way past a 30-something brunette with a dumbstruck look on her face and got in a few words with a very amiable Branson.

He's understandably high on Toronto, which is why Virgin America last week made its first-ever foreign landing a stop in Toronto. They're flying here now from San Francisco on a daily basis, and it's great news for the city's tourism folks, as is the first Thompson Hotel in the city.

"Toronto has a lot of energy," Branson told me. "You did well during the financial crisis and it's a great film centre, as well as a great place for finances, computers and games. There are terrific restaurants and theatre. It reminds me a bit of San Francisco, except for the geography, although you do have the waterfront."

Branson said he brought Virgin America here not just because Torontonians want to fly to California.

"I looked at this from a California perspective, and a lot of people in San Francisco and Los Angeles want to come here."

"It's a huge gain for us," said Tourism Toronto spokesman Andrew Weir. "To have an airline like Virgin America come to Toronto is a real asset for us, as well as the opening of new hotels like the Thompson."  

It was a chillly night in Toronto by summer standards, but the rooftop bar was swinging the views out over downtown were outstanding. There were small Virgin America planes scattered around the (small) infinity pool, so I grabbed a photo of one.

"We want to give Air Canada a run for its money," Branson said. "We think Toronto needs more low-cost options and a great airline like Virgin America."

He also said he'd like to add Vancouver, Montreal and Quebec some day, as well as other U.S. cities. Wire reports suggest Branson is eyeing Chicago, Dallas and maybe Austin, Texas. The airline announced Tuesday that they'll start flying from California to San Jose del Cabo, Mexico and to Cancun.

In addition to his airline, Branson told me he'd like to get into the financial biz in Toronto, feeling there's a fit for his company's approach.

"The financial service business in Canada is in the hands of very few companies and we think a little more competition would be good," he told Bloomberg news.

Vancouver Olympic memories...Richard Branson arrives today...Iceland blog

You'd think that four months and a day after the glorious Vancouver Olympic Games ended, that chief organizer John Furlong would've had a day off.

Nope.

"Not yet," he said in a swing through a post-G20 Toronto today. "I'm hoping maybe this weekend."

Furlong was busy, of course, with the Paralympic Games in March. Since then, he's been advising folks in London about the 2012 Games and Sochi, Russia about the 2014 Winter Olympics. He's also chairman of the board of Own the Podium.

Today, however, he was in town mostly to talk about the massive and impressive official commemorative book of the Olympic Winter and Paralympic Winter Games, titled "With Glowing Hearts."

There's everything you can imagine, including breathtaking scenery and athlete shots, photos of the opening and closing ceremonies and shots of the amazing volunteers. There are mountains aglow with light. Some even have snow on them (sorry, John). There's a guy named Crosby waving a giant Canadian flag. There's Moir and Virtue and a tearful Joannie Rochette and Alex Bilodeau and Shaun White and Lauren Woolstencroft, who swept all five of her Paralympic alpine events for Canadian glory. And, yes, there's something on the Georgian luger who was killed early on, Nodar

There's also a photo of give guys standing at a urinal, with their jackets revealing the fact they were from Peru, Croatia, the U.S.A. and Mexico. I guess there's solidarity everywhere at the Olympics.

Oddly enough, Furlong said this marks the first time an organizing committee has put out a post-Games book. You'd think it was a natural after, say, the Sydney Games or even Salt Lake, but it didn't happen.

"We tried not to leave anything out," he said as he went through some favourite photos.

The book retails for $85. Proceeds are split between the publisher, the bookseller and VANOC, which is using the money to help balance its budget.

Furlong yesterday said he still expects a balanced budget, but no major operating profit from hosting the Games. The Games budget included a $110 million fund to help maintain the Richmond Oval for speedksating, the nordic venues in the Callaghan Valley and the Whistler sliding track.

Olympics ended four months ago yesterday; the Paralympics a few weeks later. The Vancouver organizing committee had 50,000 workers at the peak, and Furlong said he's now down to 20. Not thousand. Twenty.

"We have a few more contracts to deal with and we have to do a proper audit and prepare a final report for the International Olympic Committee."

Furlong is now heading up the Own the Podium program, which helped Canada top the gold medal standings in Vancouver. He's trying to keep that going for Sochi, Russia in 2014 and to boost Canada's performance at the Summer Games in London in 2012.

"We want to be a contender in most sports," he said. "We haven't won a team medal at the summer Games in six decades."

To improve Canada's standings, Furlong and OTP are going to need corporate funding. They did quite well with Vancouver, but London and Sochi will be tougher sells. He also realizes the competition will be very tough.

"Every country is doing the same thing as us," he said, noting that Russia, in particular, wants to improve on a disappointing result in Vancouver.

Vancouver had 14 venues, but Sochi has 70 projects under construction, Furlong said, and they stretch over a 135-kilometre-long area.

"I think they'll get it done. Failure is not an option. This is about the face of Russia in this century."

Furlong said he expected a few dozen letters from Canadians after the Games. Instead, he said he received thousands. One of his favourites was from a couple who wanted to rent out their B and B in Squamish, B.C. They thought they had rented to some folks from Switzerland, so they festooned their place in red and white and brought in Swiss flags.

When the tenants arrived for the Games, they were Germans. It wasn't necessarily a problem, but the owners had relatives in the World Wars and had something of a history with Germany.

"By the end, they were good friends and exchanged keys. She told me the Games had removed hatred from her family's home."

Furlong said he expects Vancouver to get its Canadian face back on this week for Canada Day. That's the day they'll officially open Jack Poole Plaza on the waterfront; the plaza named after the guy who got Vancouver's bid off the ground some 10 years ago. It should be great, but it might not rival the feeling in the streets four months ago.

Furlong laughs when he talks about how Canadians went so wild in the streets and how he remembers talking to folks in China about the lack of people walking through the Olympic park in Beijing on a daily basis.

"I asked someone one day why they didn't open the doors and he told me, "Everyone would've come.' I guess in China, that's a lot of people."

VIRGIN AMERICA TAKES OVER THE THOMPSON

Should be a pretty good bash at the new Thompson Hotel in Toronto tonight. Virgin America chief Richard Branson and a bunch of celebrities were due to arrive on the tarmac at Pearson Airport today, then make their way downtown for a rooftop party under the (potentially chilly) stars.

I mentioned the other day that it was going to be interesting to see how Air Canada responds. I got a note from the good folks at AC the other day to remind me that they earlier added new services from Toronto to Orange County, as well as San Diego (which started June 17). They've also boosted service to San Francisco to five flights a day and brought in lie-flat suites in Executive First service on select flights to Los Angeles.

Capacity is to be increased 51 per cent between Toronto and California this year, compared to last, officials said.

LINDA BARNARD IN ICELAND

Star entertainment writer Linda Barnard, always good for some laughs and travel insights, is making her presence felt in Reykjavik. And apparently standing in both Europe and North America at the same time. You can check her out by clicking on this link. Keep up the good work, Linda.

Gay Pride Parade New York; a time as had by all...Linda Barnard in Iceland!

OTTAWA (BUT MOSTLY NEW YORK, REALLY) – Don’t ask me why I’m filing from Ottawa when I should be at the Toronto Star Amateur Golf tournament media day. But it has something to do with terrible weather in Toronto and two aborted landings at the Island Airport Sunday night. That’s nobody’s fault. But the situation was horribly handled by Porter Airlines, so I’ll do more on that later today if and when I get a chance.

In more colourful news, I’m happy to say I’m no longer a Gay Pride parade virgin.

I’ve always meant to check out the Pride parade in Toronto; I just never got around to it. (For information on the parade and pride week in general, which has already begun here in T.O., check out The Star's special Pride Week section) But Sunday it was Pride Day in New York, and my travel bloggers conference had a lunch break from noon to 1:30. The parade route came down Fifth Ave. and turned at 13th St., just a block from where our conference was held at NYU.

So instead of sitting down to pizza or a salad or a sandwich, I grabbed a steamed hot dog (Toronto’s are better) and a bottle of water and found a shady spot to watch the parade. It took about 40 minutes for the motorcyclists to show up to kick things off, but it was pretty fun.

There were a couple hundred motorbikes, mostly looking pretty menacing with colourfully garbed folks on top. One older guy and a guy with a shaved head riding on the back stopped for a mid street smooch, while a woman of a certain age with breasts of a certain size rode past bare-breasted. That was the only nudity I saw in about a half-hour of parade watching. Maybe I missed it, but it seemed pretty tame compared to the stories I’ve heard in Toronto.

I enjoyed the running commentary from a guy with a p.a. system near Washington Square. When a bunch of guys came by tossing lavender flags in the air in unison, he yelled out, “Hey, it’s the flaggots. Hi, flaggots!”
It was all in good fun, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves on a hot but just-shy-of-sultry day in Manhattan.

One question: Are so many “floats” in the Toronto parade sponsored? The New York version had Kiehl’s body products and something called Green Chimneys, as well as Delta. The Delta folks had a banner that ready “Fly Out to the World, " which was clever.

I wanted to get a cab back to my hotel in lower Manhattan but they were impossible to find so I hopped on the number six train. I forgot that some stations in New York are only for northbound service and others for southbound, so visitors often end up wandering about trying to find the right station. And I don’t think they’re marked nearly well enough; not as well as Toronto from the outside, and certainly not as good as London or Paris in terms of overall routing information I don’t think. At least the air conditioning worked, but I walked a half mile to get from one line to another in the heat of the underground maze on Saturday, then found the three-storey escalator was busted.

Anyway, it’s always great to get into the energy of New York City, and this weekend was no exception. I topped it off with a great pizza at Harry’s Italian on Gold Street, across from the Gild Hall hotel by Thompson. Great, Napoli-style pizza with a thin crust (a touch too burned, however), a tasty mozzarella, fresh basil leaves and a lovely tomato sauce.

 

TBEX BLOGGERS CONFERENCE

Thanks to the folks who put on a great Travel Bloggers Exchange 2010 conference in New York City on the weekend. Lots of good speakers, even if I didn't fully understand all the jargon.

It was the second gathering of travel bloggers from (mostly) North America, and they'll do it again next June in...Vancouver.

 

Vancouver and B.C. tourism folks were sponsors of this year's event in NYC, as was the Canadian Tourism Commission. They gave out bagels and coffee on the street Sunday morning, which was a nice touch.

 

“We're interested in what bloggers have to say,” said Amber Sessions of Vancovuer tourism. “And, yes, we kind of like to be cutting edge.”

 

There were tons of Canadians in the audience this weekend, by the way, including regular Star contributor Heather Greenwood Davis, as well as the enormously respected Evelyn Hannon, who has a web site for women travellers called journeywoman.com.

 

Too bad Toronto didn't get involved for TBEX 2011. But Toronto is hosting the CTC's Go Media event in August; bringing together media from all over to learn about Canadian destinations.

 

LINDA BARNARD IN ICELAND

Star entertainment reporter and mad gal about town Linda Barnard is flitting about Iceland in fine style, avoiding volcanoes and trying her best to get into a bit of trouble. Here's a link to her latest blog...

http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Iceland/Southwest/Reykjavik/blog-509864.html

G20 violence? Told ya so...Star write Linda Barnard blogs from Iceland...

I wrote a couple weeks ago that Prime Minister Stephen Harper was doing Toronto no favours by giving us the G20. I wrote that the best thing that could happen was we'd be ignored, but that there was a huge risk of worldwide footage of mayhem in the streets.

I'm not always right, but I see they were torching police cars in Toronto on Saturday, and it made for big news around the globe. It's the main item on CNN's web site as we speak, and it's hardly the image we want to project so soon after impressing the pants off the world at the Vancouver Olympics.

If Harper had had any sense, both from a security and financial standpoint, he'd have had this meeting at one single place that could accomodate the G8 and the G20. But, no, he fouled it all up for all Canadians. And especially for Torontonians.

It will, of course, fade in time. But this is hardly the tourism boost that Toronto folks needed.

Nice job, Steve. Don't let the door hit your swelled ego on your way out.

MEANWHILE, IN A PRETTY QUIET BIG APPLE

I'm Attending a pretty cool travel bloggers conference in Manhattan, so I'll have more, I hope, from New York on Monday.

In the meantime, here's a link to a blog that Star entertainment writer Linda Barnard filed from Iceland. I'll have more links to Linda's stuff as her trip progresses..

http:www.travelblog.org/Europe/Iceland/Southwest/Reykjavik/blog-509496.html

New York City restaurant carts in Battery Park area are a foodie's dream...

NEW YORK - So many restaurants so little time. Yeah, it's a common concern. So the folks in the Big Apple have come up with a way to at least sample a few spots, all from one handy - and pretty cheap - location. Starting Memorial Day weekend, they've had three large "carts" set up at the edge of the Hudson River next to the World Financial Center in lower Manhattan, a stone's throw from the World Trade Centre site. They've put up representations of three well-known New York dining spots - Ed's Lobster Bar, Harry's Italian and Quality Burger.

The views from the surrounding parks and restaurants over to the booming Jersey City area are stunning, and the food is terrific.I tried a little from each spot on Friday and came away quite impressed. Here's a brief rundown:
- $8 at Harry's got me an outstanding grilled chicken sandwich on fresh panini bread with a thick slice of mozzarella cheese, sweet red peppers, a balsamic dressing and sliced garlic cloves. Yum. Plus a Diet Coke. They also have sausage and peppers and a hero sandwich and hope to add pizza if they can figure a way to keep it hot. There were three kids from the nearby Mercantile Exchange buying lunch for their bosses.

"They do a good job," one kid told me. "And the boss gives me a free lunch."

The regular Harry's, oddly enough, is right across the street from the hotel I'm staying at, Gild Hall by Thompson. More on that in a future edition of the Star, and so far it's been good and a little bad.

- Next up in the smorgasbord al fresco du jour was a half a cheeseburger at Quality Burger, which seems to have the biggest lines. For $10 I got a cheeseburger and a Budweiser. It was a pretty good burger; homemade and just slightly less than medium on the cooking scale. They also do hot dogs and serve thick shakes.

- Finally, it was a lobster roll from Ed's with thick slices of lobster in a light mayo with tiny, sliced green onions for $15 (three ounces). A tad heavy for my tastes but very good lobster. They also had a nice grilled shrimp skewer, with three tasty shrimps for $6. A tad expensive, I'd say, which is maybe why folks flock to the burger spot and to Harry's.

The carts will be open until Oct. 31, usually from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., so check them out.

"It's great for business people," said Ed's Lobster owner Ed McFarland, who has his main restaurant in SoHo. "But locals also come down for lunch, and at night some people bring their families and have a picnic by the river."

The parks in the area are stunning; just wonderful, with pines and weeping willows and wandering paths amid bright orange lilies and wild Alberta rose bushes. There's some cool architecture and wooden platforms for walking, as you can see in the photo at right.

If you haven't checked out Lower Manhattan in a while, you should. Along with the parks there's wonderful history, including Federal Hall, where George Washington was sworn in as first U.S. president, and Trinity Church, with wonderful old tombstones and lovely flowers and tombs of Alexander Hamilton, among others. There's a lot more going on in terms of restaurants and bars than you might think, and because it's not laid out on a grid it's more intimate than mid-town. Curving streets, small alleys and lots of museums, including a Jewish history museum and one dedicated to Native Americans, which I'd love to check out next time I have more, well, time.

Wall Street is always fun to check out, whether it's the stock exchange building or the other powerful 
reminders of America's high finance. If you wander down to Battery Park City you'll get great views of the Statue of Liberty. And there's also Castle Clinton. But you might want to watch out for old guys in small bathing suits.

STONE STREET

Had dinner Thursday night on Stone St. in lower Manhattan, said to be the first paved street in New York City. It's only a block or so long, but they close it off to vehicle traffic and the whole street is a giant party. Thursday night at 9 p.m. it was a madhouse, with all the restaurants and pubs on the street (at least eight or ten) chock full with young folks drinking beers on the sidewalk or at the tables set up on the street. It was like being in Europe, and not really like anything I've seen in Toronto outside of perhaps the Esplanade, although you can't stand in the street there and drink your Stella. I hadn't heard about it until recently, but Old New York hands say it's well-known.

WELL, I GUESS TORONTO IS SOUTH IF YOU LIVE IN WINNIPEG

The hotel I'm at, Gild Hall on Gold St., not far from the N.Y. Stock Exchange and close to the South St. Seaport, has a "moods" setting on the TV where they show pretty pictures to put you in a nice, relaxed state. One is called Hubble Telescope, which is pretty self explanatory. Another features wild animals and another has mountain photos. Very nice.

I turned on one called Northern Flair and there was a quick pic of Niagara Falls, then the Rockies, then Lake Louise, A few shots later was the Washington Monument, then later the Golden Gate Bridge. And, then...wait for it...the Arizona desert.

"Northern" Flair? Well, they're all north of Mexico, I guess.

The hotel is quite nice, although service on Friday night was terrible. I didn't have enough hangers in the closet, so I asked for some more on my way to dinner. 90 minutes later, no hangers. I called again. 20 minutes went by and it was time for bed, so I said just bring them at 8 a.m. And I also left my shoes at the door and asked for a shine, which they say they provide.

I got up at 7:50 and they hadn't taken the shoes. They didn't bring the hangers, either, until I called down. This time the clerk was hugely apologetic. The hangers were here in seconds, as was a cable for my Internet. And they took away my shoes. So we'll see....

The bar/pub looks quite inviting, so I'm trying that tonight. If it's not so great, I can always get another chicken sandwich from Harry's across the street!

I'm attending a travel blogger's conference at NYU this weekend. I'll have more from New York on Monday...

 Air Canada today welcomed the signing of an agreement between China and Canada by which the Government of
China has granted Canada Approved Destination Status, making it easier for Chinese nationals to visit Canada.
The agreement comes as Air Canada doubles its capacity between Toronto and China beginning this fall with the
introduction of daily flights year-round to Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong, in addition to its year-round flights
between Vancouver and all three cities.

"Canada's new status as Approved Destination by the Chinese government opens significant opportunities for
Air Canada to further build on our already extensive service to China and Asia. It makes Canada an even more
 attractive destination for business and leisure travel, resulting in significant economic spin-offs for the
 Canadian economy and for the Canadian tourism sector in particular," said Duncan Dee, Executive Vice President
 and Chief Operating Officer at Air Canada. "After many years of negotiations between Canada and China, today's
 signing of Approved Destination Status for Canada marks an important milestone in strengthening our longstanding
ties and facilitating trade and tourism between our two countries. I wish to express our thanks to the
Prime Minister and the Government of Canada for making ADS a reality."

Hotel complaints on Twitter/Facebook; a good way to be heard...Air prices rise

Really good item in the Wall Street Journal online today about how savvy folks are using social media such as Facebook and Twitter to maximize their hotel deals or improve their experiences.

It makes perfect sense. I'm getting more and more stuff from Twitter (you can follow me under the username jbyers11) these days, and lots of hotels and airline companies are using it to launch last-minute deals or announce changes. Ditto for Facebook. So what the Journal story is talking about is turning that around and using the fact that hotels are using Twitter and Facebook to your advantage. Among the suggestions:

- After you've set yourself up on Twitter and Facebook (yeah, that would help), look for your hotel. Remember that Residence Inn and Courtyard might be found under Marriott, and Hampton hotels under Hilton and Westin under Starwood, etc...Then you can let them know you'll be coming. It sounds goofy, but apparently the big hotels have people who crawl about in cyberspace looking for their company name on Twitter or Facebook. If they know you're coming, who knows, maybe you get that upgrade you wanted.

- Be constructive, or at least specific. It doesn't help if you simply write "The Hotel California sucks." It would be better to say, for example, that your pink champagne wasn't on ice or that they promised mirrors on the ceiling and didn't deliver.

- Use your real name so they know who you are in the reservation system.

The Journal story included a bit about a guy who checked into the Orlando Marriott World Centre  and posted a note on Twitter saying he got a lousy room. Soon afterward, the hotel spotted his tweet (I HATE that word) and moved him to a room by the swimming pool.

"During a recent technology conference at the hotel, an attendee who moderates and edits an influential website about BlackBerry news mused about his desire for a cold beer over Twitter," the Journal reported. "Already identified by (hotel staffers)...as an active blogger with more than 1,000 Twitter followers, the hotel responded over Twitter, "Can I buy you a beer? Stop by the "actual" Front Desk and ask for Sarah!"

The recipient, 29-year-old Chris Parsons from Halifax, Nova Scotia says, it "kind of took me by surprise. I've never had that kind of customer service—just out of the blue." The hotel bought him a bucket of 10 Coronas to share with friends on the hotel's outdoor patio.

Quite interesting stuff, I think. And definitely worth a try.

I've seen a fair bit on Twitter from Marriott and also from the folks at Fairmont, so keep them in mind.

AIR PRICES ON THE RISE

The good news is the economy in North America seems to be improving still. The bad news? Yeah, that means higher prices. WestJet said the other day that they're abandoning their constant sales in favour of a more standard fare approach with what they assure are reasonable prices. And analysts say they expect more of that sort of thing. Damn!

A Raymond James airline survey found that it cost $229 to book a one-way ticket in mid-June for Toronto-Calgary (an off-peak, WestJet flight six weeks off), compared to $189 a year earlier. That's a round-trip difference of $80, plus taxes. So it's actually pretty significant.

I'd suggest booking now if you have a specific trip in mind. Or wait for the very, very last-minute deals if you're willing to take a bit of a risk.

SPIRIT AIRLINES IN HOT WATER OVER OIL ADS

Hoo, boy. Cheeky Spirit Airlines down in the U.S. has put out an ad that shows well-lubricated, overly tanned folks sitting by the water with the phrase "Check out the oil on our beaches."

Not everyone is happy, of course, so Spirit put out a press release.

"It is unfortunate that some have misunderstood our intention with today’s beach promotion.  We are merely addressing the false perception that we have oil on our beaches, and we are encouraging customers to support Florida and our other beach destinations by continuing to travel to these vacation hot spots."

Nice try, guys, but your ads talk about sending people to beaches in Cancun, Atlantic City, San Juan, and Ft. Lauderdale; none of them in the affected oil areas at this point and only one on the actual Gulf of Mexico. And only one in Florida.

Virgin America comes to Toronto - good news for consumers...and showgirls?

Virgin America's first flight into Toronto landed today around 4:25 p.m. Toronto time, and consumers should've been out at Pearson with bottles of champagne.

Canadian sparkling wine would do just fine, of course, but it's a big deal, because any time there's more competition we all win.

The fares aren't quite what they had hoped, and Virgin America officials say that's because of heavy fees at Pearson. Too bad, but there's still nothing terrible about a $509 return flight, which is what I got when I pretended to book a July 21-July 26 flight from Toronto to San Francisco and back.

Virgin America says their Toronto to Los Angeles and San Francisco flights start at $195 and include wireless internet (hurray!!!!!), live television (World Cup, here we come), leather seats, snacks on demand, mood-lighting, video games, 3,000 MP's for listening and a choice of your own movie.

It'll be interesting to see how Air Canada reacts. Not to mention WestJet. WestJet chief Gregg Saretsky admitted recently that his company has lower brand awareness in Toronto than upstart Porter Airlines.

``We do suffer in Eastern Canada from a low top-of-mind awareness,'' he told a transportation conference in New York. ``I'm almost embarrassed to say that in the Toronto market we have a lower brand awareness than does Porter."

Well, Gregg, now you have not only the wily Bob Deluce of Porter Airlines to worry about but Sir Richard Branson, who's not afraid to spend his money and who likes to make a splash, as you can see in the recent photo of him celebrating his airline's connections between London and Las Vegas.

I wrote that earlier today. Then, around 4:30 p.m., I got an email saying that WestJet is moving its vice president of sales, Duncan Bureau, to Toronto effective Aug. 1.

"With this move, WestJet will have a senior sales presence in Toronto to enhance the airline's support for the travel trade and corporate Canada," officials said in a press release. "With WestJet's continued expansion into the business and corporate markets, this move reflects how much WestJet values the travel trade and our corporate relationships in Central Canada. By having Duncan Bureau in Ontario, we will be better able to nurture these relationships for our mutual success."

It's quite a signficant move, I think, and one that only illustrates how much WestJet realizes the importance of the Toronto/eastern Canadian market.

As for Virgin, I had to miss their flight into Toronto today. But I was lucky enough to get invited to their "official" arrival in Toronto next Tuesday. They're starting with a 6:30 a.m. flight from LA to San Francisco, then departing for Pearson. They'll arrive in Toronto for a red carpet tarmac treatment around 4 p.m., then head down to the posh (I'm told) new Thompson Hotel on Wellington St. for a "private poolside, rooftop pre-party." Then, from nine p.m. to midnight, there's a Virgin America launch party at the Thompson. They told me to dress west coast casual, which has me a little worried. Probably my

nice jeans and a rumpled shirt is all I need, but if I'm going to meet burlesque artist Dita Von Teese (the decent-looking girl on Branson's shoulders) I'm thinking I might want to step it up a bit.

Also appearing on the flight, I'm told, will be Toronto hip hop star Drake, as well as Jesse Metcalfe from  Desperate Housewives, Gilles Marini from Brothers and Sisters and Kristin Cavallari from The Hills. I gotta admit I don't watch TV so I had to check who these folks were, but they seem to be pretty attractive and well-known in TMZ circles. The party next Tuesday certainly sounds a lot splashier than you'd likely see for a new Air Canada or WestJet flight. Or even Porter.

Let the airline publicity wars begin, I say.

On a side note, I had to chuckle when I felt that earthquake today. Not at the quake, which was rather sizable for these parts, but at the fact that it happened just a couple hours before the first Virgin America flight landed here from....San Francisco. Great timing, doncha think? But not a very nice welcome for our friends from California.

On a related note, Star artist Spencer Wynn sent a note around our newsroom shortly after the quake was felt and wondered if there was a "fake lake tsunami" at the G20 press building in Toronto, where they built an artificial lake to celebrate the joys of Muskoka for reporters bound to the city. A great line, Spencer.

FAIRMONT ROYAL YORK DEAL

Here's a good concept. The Fairmont Royal York is celebrating the G20 summit of world leaders  (it's in Toronto this weekend in case you've been sleeping under a rock) with what they call a T20 package.

Rates start at $159 for a prime downtown location in an historic hotel, and you get a Much More Toronto booklet with 20 discounts, such as 20 per cent off tickets to Jersey Boys (great show) or South Pacific, as well as discounts at the ROM, the Science Centre, Toronto Tours and the Steam Whistle Brewery. The deal is available June 28 through Sept. 6.

Quebecers stay home, Maritimers/Prairie types wander: A look at Canada travel

Thanks to the folks at Travelzoo for an interesting study on Canadian travel habits.

The company did a study with Environics and found that 43 per cent of Canadian residents mostly travel/vacation within their own province. Sounds about right, but what was interesting was the provincial breakdown. A solid 53.2 per cent of Quebeckers said they like to stay home, which makes sense given the language issue, not to mention the number of summer and winter attractions in Quebec City, Montreal and up and down the St. Lawrence, not to mention Tremblant.

Next most likely to stick around their home province were folks in British Columbia, where 44.2 per cent said that was their preference. Again, with so many great beaches and wineries (see photo of the stunning view from the patio restaurant at Mission Hill near Kelowna) and lakes and oceanfront and mountains, it makes sense for them to stay close to the old homestead.

In Ontario, where we're pretty blessed with travel opportunities as well, 42 per cent of respondents said they mostly travel or vacation in their home province. That dropped to 38.1 per cent in Atlantic Canada, and to 33.4 per cent in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. For all their talk about Alberta being number one, the study found that just 30.4 per cent of folks in Wild Rose Country like to stay home for holidays. Maybe they simply want to go to the beach. Or maybe they all have so much damned money that they can fly to Nova Scotia for a lobster supper any time they want, I don't know. But it's kinda fun to look at.

Eight in ten Canadians said they feel it's important to see all of Canada. But on average they've visited only four provinces/territories outside their own. 75 per cent of Canucks have visited Ontario, while 67 per cent have seen Quebec and 57 per cent British Columbia. Since Ontario has the most population and a lot of us stay home for vacation, that number only makes sense.

Respondents were asked to name the areas of Canada they'd want to visit if time and money weren't an obstacle, and they were able to name more than one area. Almost 49 per cent of respondents ticked off British Columbia as a place they'd want to visit, followed by Newfoundland (see photo below right) with a 37.2 per cent response rate and PEI right behind at 37.1, followed by Nova  Scotia at 34.5 per cent.

New Brunswick was mentioned as a top spot by 26.7 per cent of respondents, while Quebec was at 21.5 per cent, Alberta at 21.3 per cent and the Yukon at 20.2. Poor Ontario was down at 16.6 per cent, followed by the Northwest Territories at 15.6 per cent, Nunavut at 13.2 per cent, Manitoba 9.9 per cent and Saskatchewan at 8.9 per cent.

I've never been to the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, Nunavut, Manitoba or Saskatchewan. Based on what I know, I'd probably put Saskatchewan near the top of my "next to do" list, partly because I hear great things about the Dakota Dunes golf course and because I  suspect there's a lot more in Saskatchewan than Canadians might think.

EUROPE/USA TRAVEL

In another study that crossed my messy desk today, this one by the GfK Association/Wall Street Journal, I see that some 50 per cent of Europeans and a huge 80 per cent of Americans list their own country as their preferred travel destination. The US is so huge that that isn't surprising. The Europe figure probably makes sense, in that it's so easy to go from one country to another because of both geography and the Euro/passport situation.

Asked if they'd be staying at home this year or taking a holiday, a whopping 71 per cent of folks in Bulgaria (must be tough times) said they'd stay home, compared to 70 per cent of Romanians and 65 per cent of Hungarians. Only 30 per cent of folks in the Czech Republic said they'd do nothing and stay at home, however. Sweden? They're getting the hell out as far as I  can tell, as only 13 per cent of Swedes plan to stay home.

It's also interesting to note how different folks around the world are in terms of their desired type of holiday. Fifty eight per cent of Europeans said relaxation is high on their list, compared to just 10 per cent of go-go Americans (sadly there was no mention of Canadian habits, which is not uncommon in these big surveys; we may be hosting the G20 but we don't merit much attention up here most of the time).  Twenty five per cent of Americans said they prefer to visit friends and relatives, while 16 per cent want to play sports and 15 per cent have fun in clubs and discos.

While 25 per cent of Americans said they want to visit friends and relatives, only 17 per cent of Europeans felt that way. Maybe they don't have nice friends...or perhaps they simply don't want to squeeze into a tiny, non-air-conditioned apartment together in Rome this summer.

As for sports, 43 per cent of Turks said they want to indulge in sporting activities on holidays, and who knew?

It also appears the Americans and Brits are the big spenders. Some 18 per cent of Americans and 16 per cent of UK respondents said they planned to spend more than $2,472 U.S. on a holiday, compared to only 1 per cent of folks from Portugal.

Montreal in summer; it doesn't get much better than that...NYC hotel deals....

MONTREAL - I'd forgotten how much fun this town really is.

I'd been a few times with my kids over the years, but last week's brief sojourn was my first time to spend a few hours really looking around. I like the old city just fine, but I'd seen it before a number of times. I've also spent a bit of time on Crescent Street, attending a Jacques Villeneuve event at his Newtown restaurant when I worked in the sports department.

So this time I went to check out some spots a little further from downtown. I had dinner at the crazy Au Pied de Cochon last Thursday night, where I got to sit at the "bar" next to the open kitchen and watch them make all sorts of unusual things; including a roasted pig's head slathered with mashed potatoes. I did NOT try any. I thought the potatoes were weird, but then they started stuffing clams inside the pig's mouth, as well as lying them around the little guy's head on a plate.

Not something you'll get at Swiss Chalet, for sure. But it probably was quite tasty. I had an incredible lamb gnocchi that was better than anything I've had at an Italian restaurant, as well as some boudin. I expected the Louisiana version with rice and pork but got what I think was blood sausage. Not for me, thanks.

For a main I had a type of foie gras on top of pork and scrambled egg with a hint of maple syrup. Rich doesn't begin to describe it. So there was one awesome, one pretty good and one "not for me." But the service was great and they have a wine list a mile long. They also have a two-foot metal spike that they impale their wonderful French bread on, and the seafood looked tremendous.

It was my first time on Duluth St. in the Plateau Mont Royal neighborhood, but it won't be the last. It's a great street; feeling like Kensington meets College. Wonderful shops and a narrow street with lots of ethnic restaurants and a real, wonderful urban feel.

I also checked out the Mile End and had a bagel at both Fairmount and St. Viateur. I have to say I liked them both. I also got a fried bologna/salami sandwich at Wilensky, where they filmed part of The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz. They're quite specific about how you can only get mustard on your sandwich, which is served on flattened hamburger buns. Not an incredible meal, but fun and certainly traditional and historic, having been in business since 1932. I had a lemon-lime drink that was neon green; like creme de menthe or something.

It's a terrific area that seems like Montreal's Roncesvalles or Leslieville. Very multicultural and very cool. There was an African boutique, plus a Polish deli, a couple kosher Jewish spots, a great spot for caffe latte called Cafe Olimpico and a mix of Portuguese, too. It's a new favourite part of town for me for certain, and one I'd highly recommend to folks who've seen and done the "traditional" touristy parts of Montreal.

I stayed just one night, but quite enjoyed Le St. Martin Hotel Particulier, which is on Maissoneuve near Metcalfe. It's a stylish place that's like a large-ish boutique hotel, with a great bar and a good breakfast that featured croissants that are mashed up and baked in a cake with sugar and, I think, flour and maybe honey. Wow; rich and chewy and fabulous. Plus a small serving of eggs, fresh fruit, juice, a small croissant (unmashed), toast and coffee, all served in a second-floor setting overlooking the small lobby. The room was fine, with chocolates and beige and nice art work, plus one of those showers where you can open the louvered doors and let your significant other take in the view of you lathering up, just in case that's your thing and nothing wrong if it is.

The food at L'Aromate, which is attached to the hotel, was delicious at lunch. I had a great warm duck confit salad with greens and peppers, plus a perfectly chilled glass of rose. They have seats inside but also some comfy chairs under an umbrella on the sidewalk. It's perilously close to Maissoneuve, but it's next to a bike lane and not roaring traffic so it's actually a great spot. And there are plenty of beautiful Montrealers in and around the area on a summer's afternoon, so it's awesome for people-watching. I don't know if it's because they dress more nicely, but I do have to say the women in Montreal were absolutely stunning. I think it is the way they dress, actually. And when summer comes, they truly celebrate the season, with plenty of VERY short skirts and beautiful lines.

The tourism folks currently have a deal on, where you can get half off your third night, so check it out: www.tourisme-montreal.org/Offers

I flew back from Dorval on Porter Airlines, which was great. They serve free drinks on the plane, so I got a Steam Whistle Pilsener from downtown Toronto. it wasn't very cold but they added some ice for me. And it was a tall boy, not a small can! I didn't finish it, just fyi. I was being good. There was a small sandwich (very small), but at least it was something.

The lineup for security at Dorval was nearly a half hour, and they were far more rigorous about looking for tiny, hidden containers of hand moisturizer than any airport I've been at in years. But the flight got out on time, so no big loss. And one could argue the security folks simply were doing their job better than workers in, say, Toronto.

It was a fine flight, and we circled the Toronto Islands before approaching the airport from the west. I got some great shots out the window and then again on the ground as we waited for the ferry to take us back to the mainland. As I said last week, my ticket - $468 return - wasn't cheap. But it was a fun experience, and it's definitely convenient if you're downtown when the G20 isn't on. The departure lounge is terrific, and might be the best part of the whole deal, with free cappuccino and cookies and free wi-fi to go with a nice view of downtown Toronto. I'm flying them again on Thursday, which should prove interesting given the G20 being in town and all. Foolishly, I'm returning to the Island airport on Sunday night, June 27, when I think most of southern Ontario will still be in lockdown mode. It could be interesting finding my way out of downtown Toronto come Sunday evening, but there you go.

NEW YORK HOTEL SALE

Good deal in New York, folks. NYC & Company, the official marketing, tourism and partnership organization for the City of New York, today announced that 16 hotels in The Signature Collection, a group of New York City luxury hotels, will participate in the Third Night promotion this summer. The program gives visitors a complimentary third night at participating hotels after they book and pay for two consecutive nights between July 1 and September 5, 2010. Detailed booking information is available beginning today on NYC & Company's official tourism website at nycgo.com/thirdnight.

The 16 hotels participating in The Signature Collection Third Night program are: The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel; Hotel Plaza Athénée New York; Loews Regency Hotel; The London NYC; Mandarin Oriental, New York; The Peninsula New York; The Pierre New York; The Plaza Hotel; The Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park; The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park; The Sherry-Netherland; The St. Regis New York; The Surrey; Trump International Hotel & Tower; Trump SoHo New York; and The Waldorf Towers. Not a bad group!

VIRGIN ALERT FOR NEXT TUESDAY

Virgin America's first flight into Toronto arrives next Tuesday from San Francisco, with Sir Richard Branson and others on board. I hear great things about the airline from my sister in California, and it's certainly good news for consumers to have more flights available to California out of Pearson.

There will be daily flights from both SF and Los Angeles to Toronto Pearson.

In a press release sent out in April, officials said Virgin "offers business and leisure travelers a host of innovative amenities, including beautifully designed mood-lit cabins, fleetwide WiFi, standard power outlets near every seat and Red ™ — the largest and most advanced personal touch-screen entertainment platform in the skies. Since its 2007 launch, the airline has consistently swept the major travel awards, including "Best Airline" in both Condé Nast Traveler's 2009 Readers' Choice Awards and Travel + Leisure's 2009 World's Best Awards"

Toronto will be the first international destination in the airline's growing network, which certainly was pleasing news to local tourism folks.

Virgin America's SFO-YYZ fares start at $222 in Main Cabin and LAX-YYZ fares start at $212 one way in Main Cabin.** Tickets are on sale on Virgin America's Web site (www.virginamerica.com) and at 1.877.FLY.VIRGIN (1.877.359.8474).

Tall Ships heading to Toronto; a sneak peek from Montreal..WestJet risky move?

MONTREAL – So cool.

I came into town on Thursday to check out the Roald Amundsen, a tall ship out of Germany that will be at the Toronto tall ship festival June 30-July 4. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and after touring the Amundsen I can’t believe it took me so long to board one of these beauties.

Folks who wander down to the Toronto festival on the waterfront (for information, go to www.towaterfrontfest.com) will be able to clamber on board a dozen or so schooners, brigs and barks. You can ask questions, likely put your hands on the helm, examine the decks and check out the rigging (from below; no climbing to the crow’s nest unless you take one of their trips, which can be easily arranged).

“If you’ve ever stood on shore and watched a ship go by in full sail, you know” why people find tall ships so appealing, said Claudia Bankert, who does endless hours of volunteer work for the Roald Amundsen from her home in Cleveland.

Even docked without her sails, there’s something undeniable majestic about the Amundsen. Just peering up into her massive yardarms and seeing the million miles of rope gives you a sense of the adventure one would find on the open sea.

Captain Hugo Bauer told me there are still openings for folks who want to sail from Montreal to Toronto starting June 21, and from Toronto Cleveland on July 3 (to the 8th). Each trip is only a few days, and you’ll get to do the work of a regular crew member. In fact, you have to; it’s part of the deal, with a pair of four-hour watches. Prices start around $900 according to their website, www.sailtraining.de.

They go easy on volunteers, but they also can teach folks very quickly how to do most of the normal tasks on a ship. It looks like great fun. They won't ask you to climb the rigging unless you feel comfortable. I HATE heights but I managed to get most of the way up to the first crow’s nest on Thursday, thanks to a guiding hand from veteran volunteer Ulli Dorn and a couple of harnesses that kept me from falling into the St. Lawrence while I took a couple photos.

Other ships that will be in Toronto include a replica of the HMS Bounty, as well as the lovely Bark Europa out of the Netherlands and the Pride of Baltimore II, a top-sail schooner that’s a replica of a War of 1812 ship that sadly sunk a few years back.

A daily pass for the show in Toronto is just $12 if you buy it online but $15 on the day of the event. There’s a parade of sail grand finale on July 4, with grandstand seats available at Ontario Place. And there’s also a race through the Great Lakes involved for the summer, so this ought to be pretty cool.

They had a ceremony on the Amundsen on Thursday to celebrate the work being done on Montreal’s St. Lawrence quais. They’ve spent $4 million already this year, and there’s solid progress being made.

It’s yet another reason to visit one of the world’s great cities. More on Montreal in this space on Monday, including a brief look at the wildly popular Au Pied de Cochon restaurant and a quick look at a fresh, new hotel in town, Le St. Martin Hotel Particulier on Maissoneuve.

WESTJET MOVE CHANCY?

WestJet on Thursday introduced what it calls “new everyday value fares.” They call the program “an enhanced pricing structure that reduces the volatility that has been present in the airline industry by providing lower fares across their entire schedule (330 days ahead of departure). Guests can purchase with confidence when they're ready to book rather than have to wait for a seat sale to get a low price.”

In addition, WestJet has taken the extraordinary step of reducing its full price fares by an average of 25 per cent for all flights across its entire 68-city North American and Caribbean network.

"Since the launch of our airline in 1996, WestJet has been the leader in driving prices down and providing value to millions of Canadians," said Hugh Dunleavy, WestJet Executive Vice-President, Strategy and Planning. "This move today reasserts our value leadership position to our guests.

"Feedback from our guests shows that they are frustrated at the unpredictability of fares with seat sales only available up to a few months in advance," continued Hugh Dunleavy. "WestJet is listening and has responded by providing guests the opportunity to book great prices across the entire schedule.

"As part of this new strategy, fares at the higher end of the spectrum will be reduced," concluded Hugh Dunleavy. "For those guests who, for one reason or another, have to travel at the last minute or at peak travel times like Christmas, we've significantly reduced those fares to make them more affordable. This is what our WestJet care-antee is all about - offering great low prices and high value, and most of all, always caring for our guests."

Personally. I think people expect sales once you’ve started. Perhaps they’re trying to control oil costs; I don’t know. But it still strikes me as funny. And they’re going to have to keep their marketing going.

WestJet officials admitted earlier this week that upstart Porter Airlines is far more top of mind in Toronto than they are. If WestJet’s expansion plans are going to be realized, they’ll have to do a better job of making themselves known in Canada’s biggest city. Sitting back and saying “these are our fares, end of story” isn’t likely going to help. So it’ll be interesting to see what kind of marketing and advertising they do. Knowing WestJet, I suspect some of their efforts might involve social media.

Stay tuned.