Odd Canadian travel trends...John Lennon monument revealed..Jim's Deals/Day
Albertans love their weekend breaks. Atlantic Canadians? Not so much.
Quebecers think great food is the biggest luxury when they travel. Other Canadians? Not really.
We all like to save money. But we don't want to stay in a dump,
especially folks from Quebec.
An Angus Reid travel survey commissioned by American Express found some intriguing regional differences between Canadians.
Fifty three per cent of Canadians say they collect travel points. But less than 30 per cent of us have actually booked travel on rewards, which is pretty telling.
Twenty eight per cent of those surveyed said they'd rather not travel at all than stay in a budget hotel, which I find pretty surprising. There are a lot of nice budget hotels all over the U.S. and Canada, many with free wi-fi and even free movies. Most are quite clean and modern, if lacking in decor. But so what?
Anyway, it's an interesting stat. What was really notable to me, however is that 37 per cent of folks in Quebec felt they'd rather not travel than stay in a budget hotel, far more than the national average and almost double the number for Alberta, where only 20 per cent felt that way. Funny.
Some 21 per cent of Canadians said they felt no price was too high for luxury. But 32 per cent of Quebec residents said they feel that way.
Thirty nine per cent of Canadians felt service was the number one most luxurious aspect of a trip, followed by the quality of food at 30 per cent. In Quebec, a full 56 per cent of folks felt food quality was the biggest indicator of luxury, which probably isn't surprising. Certainly the food in Quebec can be exquisite. I've had wonderful meals at Chateau Bonne Entente and Auberge Saint-Antoine..
Only 25 per cent of Canadians say they take weekend getaways a few times a year. The response was 39 per cent in Alberta, but just 23 per cent in Atlantic Canada. Surprising, but maybe Atlantic Canadians save their travel money for longer journeys?
Lastly, 49 per cent of Canadians say they'd choose a breathtaking hotel in an exotic destination as their ideal vacation. A cruise was a distant second, at only 24 per cent.
Good opportunity, perhaps, for cruise folks to make some inroads...
JOHN LENNON MONUMENT
A hand-painted model of the 18-foot peace monument to John Lennon has been unveiled at the Liverpool Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo in China. The finished monument will stand 18 feet tall and 11 feet wide, weighing 4.5 tonnes.
It will be unveiled by John's son, Julian, in Liverpool in October as part of the city's two-months season of events to commemorate Lennon's 70th birthday and the 30th anniversary of his untimely death; a horrible night I'll never forget.The monument includes a white feather, as well as doves and music notes. I thought it sounded pretty bizarre, then I saw a BBC video this morning and thought it looked pretty decent. Then, on Wednesday afternoon, I got a photograph of the model, which you can see at left. I'm thinking, uh, I dunno....I adore the Beatles and think the world of John's message of peace and love, but this looks awfully busy to me.
CANADIAN HOTEL UPDATES
The wonderful Opus Hotel in Vancouver is redoing some of its suites. They've also renovated the bar area, they tell me.
It's a great property in Yaletown, which is one of the best spots in the city.
Also, I see that Starwood Hotels & Resorts across Canada are once again offering special rates at 53 Westin, Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton, W, Aloft and Le Méridien properties. This is a very limited time offer allowing travellers to enjoy great savings for summer stays. The custom website for information and bookings is www.starwoodpromos.com/canadadaysale.
New to Starwood’s Canada Day celebrations this year are the recently opened Four Points by Sheraton Calgary Airport, Four Points by Sheraton Niagara Falls Fallsview, Four Points by Sheraton Winnipeg South, Four Points by Sheraton Cambridge Kitchener, The Westin Wall Centre, Vancouver Airport and the Sheraton Toronto Airport Hotel & Conference Centre.
The Canada Day sale is available for stays through September 6th, 2010 and must be booked by 11:59 P.M. daylight savings time on July 1st. Rates and arrival dates vary by property and are based on two adults per room or a family of four, with children under 18 staying free, using existing guest room bedding. A limited number of rooms are available at each property, blackout dates may apply and a maximum stay per property is seven nights. Rates require full advance pre-payment, they are non-refundable and are commissionable to travel agents. These rates are not applicable to groups. For more information on this offer or to make a booking please visit www.starwoodpromos.com/canadadaysale or call 888-625-4950 and mention SET number 380841.
Also, three distinct Fairmont resorts are offering special golf deals at Fairmont Le Château Montebello’s Stanley Thompson designed course, the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu (I played there a couple years and loved it) and the Fairmont Algonquin in New Brunswick.
From July 1 through September 30, 2010, all three are
sporting a package that features Fairmont’s Everyone’s an
Original summer rates plus two-for-one green fees, complimentary range balls
and a 15 per cent discount on all golf merchandise.For reservations or more information, please call 1 888 270 7677,
contact
your travel professional or visit www.fairmont.com.
JIM'S DEALS OF THE DAY
$349 - Toronto to London, UK,
September round-trip
flight ($755 w/tax
http://www.travelalerts.ca/cheap-flights/toronto-to-london-yyz-to-lgw.html
http://www.travelalerts.ca/cruises/northern-europe-cruise-2.html
HARLEY DAVIDSON DEAL
Harley-Davidson has a Fly and Buy deal with up to $1,000 in perks for folks who buy one of their motorcycles. You get a one-way fair to Harley-Davidson HQ in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (an underrated town), accommodations at a motorcycle-themed hotel, a visit to the Harley-Davidson museum, a tour and a guided ride through some of the prettiest parts of Wisconsin.
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