A cool Holland video/Jaunt.ca deal of the day/Win a scholarship based on travel!

I haven't spent a lot of time in Holland, but their latest video sure gets me thinking about a trip back.

It's a fun, cheeky piece of work that talks about everything from Van Gogh to gay-friendly lifestyles, not to mention fresh food, bicycles, tulips and beer. Oh, and cheese. And wooden shoes. And probably there's a windmill in there, too. And there's a fun bit about the one guy in Holland who doesn't speak English that's borderline brilliant.

I was in Amsterdam after graduating from university and had a great time at the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, both of which offer some of the most amazing art on the planet. The Rijksmuseum recently underwent a major renovation.

I remember being quite moved, as anyone would be, by the Anne Frank House. And I loved the canals and the small cafe/bars with the Delft tile and the old, wooden floors. I think I stayed in a hostel on the Prinsengracht, one of the great canals in town.

I distinctly remember some great pancake houses and a great spot that served rijsttafel (rice table in English). It's a great dish where you get a big bowl of rice and then a whack of small bowls with different foods from Indonesia, including satay, curried dishes, sambal, egg rolls, and much more. Often there are a few dozen small side dishes to choose from, which is an awesome concept.

There are a million Thai places in Toronto these days but I haven't seen much from Indonesia lately, which is too bad.

I also remember taking a bike tour outside the city centre and passing some beautiful pastoral areas with windmills and contented-looking cows. Definitely one of the real treats of Europe.

SCHOLARSHIP FOR TRAVEL LOVERS

Here's a cool concept. Someone sent me a note that talks about a scholarship kids can apply for,  based on their love of travel.

You can get $7,000 in school funding, so it's definitely worth doing a video and getting supporters, which is a requirement.Applications are being accepted until May 31^st 2013, so student travel lovers still have two more weeks to apply and then gather support for their application.

FLORIDA AND WORLD RECORD TOURISM NUMBERS

Hey, Florida, you’re welcome.

Visit Florida officials today reported 1.5 million Canadians visited the Sunshine State in the first three months of the year; part of a record 26 million visits between January and March.

That marks a 4.7 per cent increase over the first quarter of 2012.

Of those visitors, the Miami Herald reports, 21.8 million were domestic, 1.5 million visited from Canada and 2.7 million were overseas visitors.

Guests also spent more on hotels, with the average daily rate increasing 6.8 percent compared to a year ago to $136.45 across the state.

The state’s official tourism marketing corporation also revised its earlier estimate of 2012 numbers. The total count of visitors last year was actually 91.4 million, not 89.3 million as initially reported.

This year marks the 500th anniversary of the “discovery” of Florida by Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon. You can check out the action in this YouTube video.

As if Florida's numbers weren't impressive enough, the United Nations World Tourism Organization reported record numbers for the planet for 2012.

According to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, international tourism receipts hit a new record in 2012, reaching an estimated US$1,075 billion worldwide, up four per cent in real terms, from US$ 1042 billion in 2011.

By regions, the Americas (up seven per cent) recorded the largest increase in receipts, followed by Asia and the Pacific (up six per cent), Africa (up five per cent) and Europe (up two per cent), said the website breakingtravelnews.com.

In absolute values, Europe saw US$ 457 billion in tourism earnings, equivalent to 43 per cent of the world’s total tourism receipts, the largest share by region.

The top ten ranking of destinations by receipts remained virtually unchanged in 2012, with the United States, Spain, France, China and Italy leading, followed by Macau (China), Germany, United Kingdom, Hong Kong (China) and Australia.

“It is encouraging to see that the growth in international tourist arrivals was equalled by a comparable increase in spending in spite of continued economic challenges” said UNWTO secretary general, Taleb Rifai.“Considering that tourism is a key export for many economies around the world, this result is good news as it provides foreign reserves to destinations, and contributes to job creation in tourism as well as in related economic sectors,” he added.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, is offering a deal for a great trip to China, priced at $1,789, including $690 in taxes. The deal is hugely impressive in that it includes airfare and seven days in various parts of the country, including wonderful Shanghai and areas used in the filming of the movie Avatar.

Jaunt Highlights

• SAVINGS: Save up to $3400 per couple, compared to the cost of booking your air, accommodations, touring and meals separately!
• 9-Day/7-Night Visit China’s ‘Avatar' Tour, including visits to Huangshan - the filming location for the movie Avatar - Thousand Islands, the legendary Silk Factory, Suzhou and more!
• Includes international round-trip airfare from Toronto, Vancouver or Calgary to Shanghai with Air Canada
• Includes transportation via private air conditioned coach, accompaniment of licensed English speaking local tour guides, tours & entrance fees as per the itinerary and more!
• Pricing includes single-entry China Visa (valued at $120) and gratuities for local driver & guide (valued at $120)
• Accommodations for 7-Nights in 4-5-Star Hotels, based on double occupancy. See below for hotels included (or similar).
• Meals include 7 daily breakfasts, 6 lunches & 6 dinners including dinner with a traditional Apsara show 

• Visit one of the epic filming locations of the 2009 James Cameron film 'Avatar', the UNESCO World Heritage Site Huangshan
• Discover some of China's most unique places from Hangzhou to Sunzhou
• Shopping time in the immense city of Shanghai

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on October 23, 2013
• Pricing (Rates are per person):
  
  Vancouver:
  Double: $1099
  Single: $1369
  Tax: $690
  
  Calgary:
  Double: $1199
  Single: $1469
  Tax: $690
  
  Toronto:
  Double: $1399
  Single: $1669
  Tax: $690
  
  For Other DATES or LAND ONLY option, Call us at 1-855-687-5925.
  
  
• Accommodations Included (or similar): Howard Johnson Zhengdi, Shanghai (2 nights); Junrui Baihe Hotel, Tunxi (2 nights); New Century Hotel, Hangzhou (1 night); Nobel Crown Hotel, Wuxi (1 night); Marco Polo Hotel, Suzhou (1 night) and the Majesty Plaza Hotel, Shanghai (1 night)
• Valid passport and visa required for travel from Canada
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is 100% non-refundable at time of booking

 

 

 

 

World's least visited countries/A Barenaked Lady does travel TV/Deal of Day

We all know about the countries that get the most tourists: Italy and France and the U.S. and all that. France had 79.5 million visitors a year, which is tops on the planet. But what about the places that see the least number of visitors?

 I ran across a great list the other day, from the United Nations World Tourism Organization and blogger Gunnar Garfors. These are all countries that contrast - just a bit - to France's numbers, with visitations ranging from 73,000 down to a mere 200. Most are in the poorest parts of Africa or scattered across the Pacific Ocean.

Here's the list.

25. Dominica, 73,000. Pretty Caribbean country (see rainforest photo at right) but small.

24. Chad, 71,000. Not so many tourists given political unrest in this part of Africa.

23. Central African Republic, 54,000. One of the poorest countries in Africa, but apparently there are nice river trips you can take.

22. Liechtenstein, 53,000. Sandwiched between Switzerland and Austria, it's a country I actually drove through once. Pretty spot. I think I stopped. For a minute. I don't remember.

21. Djibouti, 53,000. Said to have great diving. And a great, great name.

20. Sierra Leone, 52,000. Great beaches, Garfors said.

19. Tonga, 45,000. One of those tiny Pacific countries, with fab coral reefs but few tourists.

18. East Timor, 40,000. Political issies keep folks from visiting what's said to be a pretty country connected to Indonesia.

17. Bhutan, 37,000. I keep reading this spot in the Himalayas is the happiest country on earth. Maybe because they don't get many annoying tourists.

16. North Korea, 35,000. Safe to visit. Unless you run into Dennis Rodman.

15. Libya, 34,000. Do I really need to write anything for this entry? I didn't think so.

14. Guinea-Bissau, 30,000. Another poor Afircan country.

13. Mauritania, 29,000. Not much to see in this part of west Africa. Nice camels, though (see pic below).

12. Federated States of Micronesia, 26,000. Hard to get to, but beautiful.

11. Solomon Islands, 23,000. More beautiful South Pacific scenery but not a lot of flights in. Country includes Guadalcanal, site of one of the worst battles of World War II.

10. Afghanistan, 17,500. I'm shocked that many people go, to be honest. Looks beautiful in photos but way too many other things going on.

9. Comoros, 15,000. Garfors says great seafood in this island spot north of Madagascar, and mosquitoes not as bad as folks think. Still, I'll take a pass.

8. Sao Tome and Principe, 8,000. This island spot is said off the coast of west Africa is said to be the smallest nation on (or near) the continent.

7. Turkmenistan, 7,000. I can't think of anything to say about this central Asian country. Not quite as crazy as North Korea, says Garfors.

6. Equatorial Guinea, 6,000. I think there are too many countries in the world with Guinea in the name.

5. Marshall Islands, 5,000. Fab diving but even I, a map freak, couldn't find them on the globe without some help.

4. Kiribati, 4,700. Wikitravel says this nation of Pacific atolls is friendly but that "South Tarawa is one of the most densely populated, severely poverty-stricken places in the world."

3. Tuvalu, 1,200. Rising tides could make this Pacific nation disappear. So boogie on down to Tuvalu while you still can. Said to be the third least populous nation on earth, smaller only than Nauru and Vatican City.

2. Somalia, 500. See entry for Libya.

1. Nauru, 200. Not far from Kiribati (hey, a new tourism slogan!). The smallest nation on earth, just 21 square kilometers and just under 10,000 residents. If it was downtown Toronto it would, of course, have 1.6 million inhabitants in 86 storey condos with shards of broken glass littering the sidewalk. A troubled economy and a fair bit of poverty, apparently (see photo at left). Garfors calls it the only country in the world with a capital but I don't know if that's true. Lots of phosphate mining and some beautiful water.

BARENAKED LADY ON TV

Travel+Escape and Farpoint Films say they'll begin production on a new TV series called The Illegal Eater, and that former Barenaked Ladies frontman Steven Page (remember him?) will star.

The 13-episode series will debut this fall and feature Page "on a mission to hunt down clandestine dining experiences as he explores the tastiest, creative, underground and often illegal spaces that chefs around North America have to offer."

"My passion on the road has always been to obsessively research the foods, restaurants and markets that make each place I've played different," said Page. "Often, newer trends start underground before breaking through on the public's palate, so I can't wait to explore everything from fancy, underground supper clubs to hole-in-the-walls."

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal on hand for a week in sunny Samana in the Dominican Republic, priced at $791 (including $392 in taxes).

Jaunt Highlights

• BONUS: $50 Future Travel Voucher per person to be used on future vacations with Transat or Nolitours
• All-inclusive 7-night stay at the 4-Star Grand Bahia Principe Cayacoa, located in Samana, Dominican Republic
• Includes return airfare from Toronto to Samana and round-trip airport/hotel transfers in the Dominican Republic
• Accommodations in a Room, featuring 1 king-size or 2 double beds and balcony or terrace. Maximum occupancy: 3 adults
• Daily breakfast, lunch and dinner, and unlimited alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks

• Located right on the beach, amidst lush greenery, with impressive views of Samana Bay
• Enjoy free shuttle service into Samana
• Dine at three different a la carte restaurants

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on May 6, 13, 20 or 27 and June 3, 10, 17, 2013
• Pricing (Rates are per person, plus tax):
  
  May 6, 13, 20, 2013:
  Double: $499
  Single: $729
  Triple: $479
  Tax: $392
  
  
  May 27 & June 3, 10, 17, 2013:  
  Double: $399
  Single: $629
  Triple: $372
  Tax: $392
  
  
  Other DATES and GATEWAYS available.
  Call us at 1-855-687-5925.
  
  
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is 100% non-refundable at time of booking

 

 

 

The Florida Keys ... Canada shines in tourism report ... Deal of the day: China

"It's a Caribbean-like destination with the safety and security of the United States."

That's a pretty good, one-sentence description of the Florida Keys. I'd take credit, but the line comes from Keys tourism spokesman Andy Newman, who gets to spend his time promoting a beautiful and exotic slice of American travel versus, say, Minot, North Dakota.

"You can dive and fish in all the areas of the Keys, but we really have five distinct areas, each with its own forte," Newman said in a recent visit to these parts. "Key Largo is great for snorkeling and scuba and features John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the first underwater park in the U.S. Islamorada (see photo of the Morada Bay resort at right) is great for sport-fishing. It's said there have been more world fishing records off Islamorada than anywhere on the globe. Marathon is great for families as no point of the Keys is more than 90 minutes away. That means you can experience everything and not have to change hotels. And there are two centres for swimming with dolphins."

Newman said Big Pine and the lower Keys is a great eco-centre/wildlife refuge, with herons and mangroves and excellent kayaking/canoeing. It's also where parts of PT 109, the movie about the World War II service of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, was filmed. Little Palm Island and the nearby water stood in for the South Pacific in the film, he said.

Then, of course, there's Key West, with the Hemingway House and the Harry S. Truman Southern White House and great bars and restaurants and colourful houses. There's also a great deal of culture, including the Tennessee Williams Theatre and occasional symphony performances. Also on the cultural side, there's the Morada Way arts and cultural district on Islamorada. Newman said they do art walks with music and food every third Thursday to celebrate the upper keys culture.

If you're heading down in May, you also can check out the Humphrey Bogart Film Festival in Key Largo (where else) from May 2-5.

All in all, an outstanding - and convenient - destination.

CANADA RISES A BIT IN WORLD TOURISM REPORT

The World Economic Forum put out its 2013 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report the other day, and Canada moved up a notch from 2011, taking over the number eight spot.

The report is based on "factors and policies to make it attractive to develop the travel and tourism sector" in countries around the globe.

Topping the charts this year was Switzerland with a 5.66 score, followed by Germany and Austria at 5.39. Then came Spain and the UK at 5.38 each, followed by the U.S. (5.32), France (5.31), Canada (5.28), Sweden ((5.24) and Singapore (5.23). The next ten were Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong, Iceland, Finland, Belgium, Ireland and Portugal.

Europe kicked massive butt in this report; nailing down the entire top five and placing 13 entries in the top 20.

As for the bottom 10, the 131-140 spots were held, in order, by Madagascar, Algeria, Yemen, Mauritania (I guess the GET MORE IN MAURITANIA campaign isn't working so well), Lesotho, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Chad and Haiti.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY: CHINA AND HONG KONG

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal for a great, 23-day trip to China and Hong Kong, priced at $4,249.

Jaunt Highlights

• EXCLUSIVE SAVINGS: Save over $4000 per couple, when compared to similar packages on other sites!
• 23-Day China In-Depth Tour, including a Yangtze River Cruise, visits to the Ming Tombs, the Great Wall of China, Hong Kong Island, and more! 
• Includes round-trip flight with Air Canada from Toronto, Calgary or Vancouver, to  Beijing, airport/hotel transfers in China, and all transfers throughout the tour
• Accommodations in 4 or 5-Star hotels. See Offer Details section below for hotels included (based on double occupancy)
• Includes Visa (valued at $115pp) and gratuities for local driver & guide (valued at $265pp)
• Includes meals throughout the tour (as indicated in itinerary below)
• Includes accompaniment of an English-speaking guide and all required entrance fees (as per itinerary)

Why We Love It:

• Experience rural China and its bustling metropolises
• Includes a visit to Hong Kong
• See the Great Wall, the Terracotta Warriors and other world renowned sites
• Enjoy experiences like an acrobatic show, authentic dinner and a river cruise

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on November 7, 2013 from Toronto, Calgary or Vancouver
  

• Pricing (based on double occupancy, plus tax):
  Single: $4929
  Double: $3879
  Tax: $350
  
  
• Hotels include the following: Oriental Bay Hotel, Beijing; Holiday Inn Vista Hotel, Shanghai; Metro Park Hotel, Suzhou; Xinan Counter Villa Hotel, Tunxi; West Lake Golden Plaza Hotel, Hangzhou; Titan Times Hotel, Xian; Park Hotel, Guilin; Shenzhen Airline International Hotel, Shenzhen and the Regal Oriental Hotel, Hong Kong.
• Valid passport is required for travel from Canada
• Prepaid gratuities (which are already included in the price) are mandatory
• This offer is 100% non-refundable at time of booking

 

 

 

 

 

Myrtle Beach shows the love ... Lonely Planet top spots 2013 ... Deal of day

They certainly love Canadians down in Myrtle Beach.

The coastal South Carolina city is celebrating its 75th anniversary this month, and they'll be holding what's called "Can-Am Days" with discounts for Canucks from March 9 to 17. They made an appearance Friday at the Toronto Star Golf and Travel Show down at the convention centre and brought out some appetizers and a birthday/anniversary cake and, naturally, a little bubbly.

There have been a ton of renovations and upgrades at Myrtle Beach hotels, officials said, and the access is easier than ever. Porter began their flights from Toronto Island airport last month, and they also have vacation packages through their Porter Escapes company. WestJet will start run flights from May 2 to Oct. 24 (Thursday and Sunday), and they also have vacation packages with various properties so you can book activities, flights and hotels together and save.

In addition, Myrtle can be reached on direct flights from Niagara Falls, Plattsburgh N.Y. (useful for Montreal folks) and Detroit.

The area has 102 golf courses, most quite affordable and many of them stunners. I played one a couple years ago called Caledonia Golf and Fish Club that was absolutely outstanding; perhaps the prettiest non-oceanside course I've ever seen.

They also have great food and an endless beach and plenty of activities for kids and adults, both. They've created a website called visitmyrtlebeach.com/75secrets with 75 "secret" things to do in Myrtle Beach, ranging from Pirate adventures to dolphin-watching and visiting art museums and wine-tasting.

LONELY PLANET, ON THE OTHER HAND, DOESN'T LOVE US SO MUCH

Lonely Planet recently conducted an online poll/review, asking fans on Facebook, Twitter, Google-plus and Thorn Tree where they've travelled and what they liked most. Their top 20 destinations overall were as follows (in order): Bhutan (see photo below), Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, India, Iceland, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Argentina, U.S.A., Indonesia, Iran, Burma, Peru, Nepal, Colombia, Georgia, Italy and the Maldives.

Interesting. Note the lack of the U.K. and France on the list, which weighs fairly heavy with unusual spots such as Iran (did Ben Affleck get a vote?), Bhutan, Colombia and Burma (Myanmar).

The top 10 for food were Italy, Thailand, India, Japan, Argentina, Vietnam, France, Lebanon, Taiwan and Spain. Top value spots were Thailand, India, Bolivia, Cambodia, Ghana, Vietnam, Laos, Philippines, Indonesia and Bulgaria. Top rated for entertainment were the U.K., U.S.A, Argentina, Australia, Ireland, Thailand, Spain, Hong Kong, Brazil and Singapore.

There were a slew of other categories, including shopping, "meeting locals" and "cultural sights."

Canada, you ask? Well, not so hot. We came in fourth on the safety list (big whoop), behind Japan, Iceland and New Zealand. And we were ninth in the nature category. Which is nice but also pretty boring, when you get down to it. The top 10 in the nature category were Costa Rica, Iceland, New Zealand, Bhutan, Australia, Namibia, Ecuador, Brazil, Canada and Kenya.

Oh, well.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY: ST. MAARTEN

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal on tap for lovely St. Maarten in the Caribbean. The deal is for $1,095, including $230 in taxes.

Jaunt Highlights

• EXCLUSIVE SAVINGS: Save up to $328 per couple compared to what's available in market!
• BONUS: Features lower taxes thanks to Sunwing's Tax Buster Promotion
• BONUS: Sunwing inclusions offer a spa discount, unlimited a la carte dining, $20 USD casino vouchers, discount on Hertz car rental and more!
• All-inclusive 7-night stay at the 4-star SMILE at Sonesta Maho Beach Resort and Casino, located in St. Maarten
• Includes return airfare from Toronto or Montreal to  St. Maarten and round-trip airport/hotel transfers at your destination
• Accommodations in a Deluxe Garden View Room, featuring 1 King or 2 Double beds and private balcony showcasing views of the island and adjacent golf course. Maximum occupancy: 3 adults or 2 adults and 2 children.
• Daily breakfast, lunch and dinner, and unlimited premium alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks

 

• Plenty of activities for kids will keep them in high spirits and you in relax mode
• A guest pass to the nearby Sonesta Great Bay Beach resort gives you access to double the exquisite amenities
• Maho village is known for both its charming boutiques and extravagant nightlife

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on the following departure dates:
  Toronto: April 11, 18, 21 & 28, 2013
  Montreal: April 11, 18, 21, 25 & 28, 2013
  
• Pricing (Rates are per person):
  
  Toronto:
  
  April 11, 18 & 21:
  Single: $1165 plus tax
  Double: $965 plus tax
  Triple: $930 plus tax
  Child (2-12): $295 plus tax
  Tax: $230
  
  April 28:
  Single: $1065 plus tax
  Double: $865 plus tax
  Triple: $830 plus tax
  Child (2-12): $295 plus tax
  Tax: $230
  
  Montreal:
  
  April 11, 18 & 25:
  Single: $1435 tax included
  Double: $1235 tax included
  Triple: $1200 tax included
  Child (2-12): $545 tax included
  
  April 21 & 28:
  Single: $1375 tax included
  Double: $1175 tax included
  Triple: $1140 tax included
  Child (2-12): $545 tax included
  
  

 

 

More trouble for Boeing`s Dreamliner ... Jaunt.ca deal of the day is the D.R.

I don't know much about the airline business. But I think I know bad p.r. when I see it. And the grounding of Boeing 787 Dreamliners in Japan today is most decidedly bad p.r.

Here's a report this morning from Reuters that I think tells the story rather quickly:

REUTERS - Japan's two leading airlines grounded their fleets of Boeing 787s on Wednesday after one of the Dreamliner passenger jets made an emergency landing, the latest in a series of incidents to heighten safety concerns over a plane many see as the future of commercial aviation.

All Nippon Airways Co said instruments aboard a domestic flight indicated a battery error, triggering emergency warnings to the pilots. Shigeru Takano, a senior safety official at the Civil Aviation Bureau, said a second warning light indicated smoke.

Wednesday's incident, described by a transport ministry official as "highly serious" - language used in international safety circles as indicating there could have been an accident - is the latest in a line of mishaps - fuel leaks, a battery fire, wiring problem, brake computer glitch and cracked cockpit window - to hit the world's first mainly carbon-composite airliner in recent days.

"I think you're nearing the tipping point where they need to regard this as a serious crisis," said Richard Aboulafia, a senior analyst with the Teal Group in Fairfax, Virginia. "This is going to change people's perception of the aircraft if they don't act quickly."

Most definitely a bad situation, and one that Boeing's competitors will no doubt try to take advantage of.

THIS AND THAT

Los Angeles had a banner year for tourism in 2012, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Times said the city set a new record with 41.4 million visitors. That's a 2.5 per cent hike over the 40.4 million folks who came to check out the city in 2011. International visitors make up 15 per cent of that amount, and for the first time ever the Chinese led the way, with 339,000 visits. I suspect we'll see a lot more of that in the future with other cities. I could be wrong, but I believe Canadians were traditionally the number one source of international tourists for L.A. ... Barbara DeLollis at USA Today Travel reports that the Toronto-based Four Seasons Hotel group will open the Lion Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia in May. The building was designed in 1817 and was once called home by a princess in the royal family. The hotel is in the historic Admiralteysky district, just two blocks from the renowned Hermitage Museum. Other hotel openings of note this year are the Peninsula Paris in December, the Quin Hotel in New York City in late March in midtown, the Shangri-La at the new Shard building in London in May and the Andaz Maui at Wailea sometime this summer. This will be the first resort for Andaz, a boutique chain by Hyatt. Wailea, if you've never been, is a fabulous stretch of beaches on the driest part of the wonderful island of Maui.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal for beautiful Punta Cana for $1,175 ($789 plus $386 in taxes).

Jaunt Highlights

• 7-night all-inclusive stay at the 4-Star Occidental Grand Punta Cana, located in Punta cana, Dominican Republic
• Includes return airfare from Toronto to Punta Cana, and round-trip airport/resort transfers in the Dominican Republic
• Accommodations in a Junior Suite, featuring 1 king-size bed plus sofa bed, and balcony or terrace with garden or pool view. Max. occupancy: 3 adults + 1 child or 2 adults + 2 children
• Daily breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and unlimited alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks

• This mega-resort has over ten restaurants and bars to choose from
• The resort has a host of activities from merengue dance lessons and horseback riding to scuba diving and spa services
• Located on one fo the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean with 300m of waterfront

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on the following departure dates: January 25, 27 & 28, 2013
• Pricing (per person, plus tax):
  
  Single: $1089
  Double: $789
  Triple/Quad: $789
  Child (2-12 yrs): $687
  Tax: $386
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is 100% non-refundable at time of booking

Air France no-frills category means no bags allowed ... Jaunt.Ca Deal of the Day

Here's an interesting bit that might be a little scary. Or maybe it's just brilliant.

Instead of slapping passengers with high fees for bags, the folks at Air France have developed a low-cost, no frills fare structure called MiNi.

Aside from a horrible name (the French loved Jerry Lewis and embrace mimes, so there you go), there's something to this. I mean, as my son just pointed out to me over his breakfast, anyone who tries to take a checked bag on RyanAir in Europe is crazy given the fees, so why not develop a category where you can't even contemplate checked baggage?

I'd be terrible at it as I'm a professional over-packer, but it makes a ton of sense. The new fare offer is for sale now and is available on 58 short and medium haul destinations for travel from Feb. 6, according to travelmole.com.

Air France says some 40 per cent of short and medium range passengers don't take checked bags as it is, a number a found initially surprising but that probably makes sense.

The new MiNi product does not earn the passenger Flying Blue miles and is aimed as customers travelling without checked baggage - with fare starting at 49 euros including tax. That's about $65, folks, and how good a deal is that when it'll cost you something like $370 to fly to Boston from Toronto these days, even "On Sale." It's also about $25 less than the lowest fares now available in economy class on Air France, according to Reuters.

AIR SAFETY: 2012 WAS A GREAT YEAR

Nervous flyers take note: the world's airlines reported only 23 accidents last year, including passenger and cargo flights. Yes, 475 people were killed. But that compares with a 10-year average of 34 accidents and 773 deaths a year, The Los Angeles Times reported, citing a study by the Dutch-based Aviation Safety Network.

The study found that 22 per cent of fatal accidents last year took place in Africa, although the continet generates only about three per cent of the world's airline departures.

BUSES ON THE RISE

Still scared to fly? Consider this. A study by DePaul University in Chicagofinds that bus transportatio was the fastest growing form of U.S. intercity travel last year. Scheduled departures were up over 7.5 per cent, said a Bloomberg report.

Between 1980 and 2006 the bus industry declined an average of 2.9 per cent a year. Since then it's grown between 5.1 per cent and 9.8 per cent a year.

Dale Moser, president of Megabus, said there are a lot of advantages a bus can offer.

"You save money, you don't have the same headaches or stress," he said.

"This is not your grandfather's bus, and it's not your grandfather's bus industry," said Peter Pantuso, president and chief executive officer of the American Bus Association in Washington D.C.

Increasingly, buses are much more nicely appointed and also offer benefits such as Wi-Fi. I can't remember the last long-distance bus I took but suffice to say I don't think the Internet even existed.

The Bloomberg report said passenger rail service in the U.S. grew 3 per cent last year and that air and car travel grew about 1 per cent.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.Ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal on offer for staycations in Toronto at the renovated Strathcona Hotel on York St. It's close to everything, including the Entertainment District, so it's great for staying downtown for a play or a hockey game, and, yes, those are coming back soon to the Air Canada Centre.

Here's the deal:

• Accommodations in an Executive Room for two people
  
  • For $139 stay 1 night
  • For $219 stay 2 nights
• One $30 Tim Hortons gift certificate
• Free WiFi access in-room
• Welcome bag at arrival, including chips & bottle of water
• Late checkout at 3 PM (based on availability)
• 10% discount in The Pub

Offer Details

• Valid for travel from January 8 - April 30, 2013
• Blackout dates: January 30-31, February 1, 24-26, March 2-6, 22-23 and April 5-6, 2013
• Offer based on hotel availability
• No cash back. No cash value. Cannot be combined with any other offers or promotions
• Taxes and gratuities not included and payable directly to hote

Star Travel writer honoured/Hazelton's $199,000 package/Jamaica Jaunt.ca deal

It’s quite the honour.

Long-time Toronto Star travel writer Heather Greenwood Davis has been named a “Traveler of the Year” by National Geographic Traveler magazine.

They’re the only family on the list and the only Canadians, Davis said. Davis and her husband, Ishmael, visited 29 countries during a full 12 months on the road with their two young boys, Ethan (10) and Cameron (8). The boys were 8 and 6 when they left home in June 2011.

They rode elephants in Thailand and India, toured the Galapagos Islands and visited the Eiffel Tower in France during what Davis describes as a life-changing experience and education of a lifetime for the whole family.

We're pretty excited," says Greenwood Davis. "We wanted to do this trip to live a dream and to show the kids that there was more to life than the neighbourhood they were growing up in. To be honoured by National Geographic Traveler in this way is incredible icing."

The trip, which started in June 2011 and wrapped earlier this year included  visits to orphanages in China and Mumbai, a harrowing moment outside a Chengdu China train station and moments of complete disbelief as they walked through Tahrir Square in Egypt.  The family says while they left home with some trepidation about some of the world's hot spots, meeting the people in cities like Cairo, Bogota and Sharm el Sheikh quickly changed their views.

Now that they're home and the boys are back in school, the family is readjusting to "normal" activities like making dinner and (soon) shoveling snow, but already planning their next world adventure.

"We figure we'll go again in about six years," Davis says. "The kids will be older then so there may be less movement but the goal will be the same: Time together as a family doing what we love."

It's a hugely impressive feat to undertake, let alone accomplish. I find it hard to organize MYSELF for a two-week trip; I can't imagine two adults and two kids around the freaking world over a year's time. Good on you, Heather. And welcome home.

Now, don't you have a story to file for me on Monday?

GOT A SPARE $199,000? THE HAZELTON HOTEL HAS A DEAL FOR YOU

The posh Hazelton Hotel isn't taking the invasion of the Trump, Four Seasons, Shangri-La and Ritz Carlton Toronto hotels lying down. The Yorkville property the other day introduced a $199,000 "bespoke holiday season shopping package."

Yes, lottery winners, you read that correctly. 199,000 shiny loonies for a deal at what's labelled as "Toronto's Most Exclusive Hotel," and it's not a bad label when you've got such heavyweight competition I think.

The deal, and I hate to use that word in this instance, is called "shopping at its very, bespoke finest," said GM David Mounteer.

The package includes private jet transportation from your home to Toronto, two nights accomodation in the Hazelton's Bellair Suite, which includes one of those wildly expensive Haastens beds), all meals catered in your suite's private dining room by ONE Restaurant at the hotel, a luxury sedan with drive at your disposal and added amenities. (I would hope so. I would also hope they'd expect you to take the shampoo from the bathroom. And maybe some of the furniture in the suite, too).

There's also three separate shopping trips. The man in the party (they're assuming something here) gets a private shopping experience at Louis Black, the watch store at the Hazelton that's billed as Toronto's most exclusive watch shop. (THey have one watch on-site called "Black Kite" that sells for $135,000).

The woman in the party (again, assuming something here) gets a stylist at her disposal for an afternoon of shopping in Yorkville, helping find unique items.

Both parties will get a personally escorted tour of Toronto's art galleries from the Hazelton's Art concierge. The concierge will "discuss their personal tastes in advance"  and select galleries that best reflect their wishes. Presumably this is the case even if, like me, you lean towards even if you like Elvis and Bob Marley and poker-playing dogs on velvet.

Oh, by the way. The Bespoke Holiday Season Shopping Package STARTS at $199,000. Plus tax. And the price is based upon factors such as watch selection and art purchases and the city you're flying in from. You might save a bit if you're coming from Oshawa, or it could cost a bit more if you're arriving from Australia.

For information on package and the hotel, go to www.thehazeltonhotel.com.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

 

The folks at Jaunt.ca, a subsidiary of Torstar, have a good deal going for a four-star resort in Jamaica, wiith a savings $676 per couple. Here's what you get 

• BONUS: ACV Privileges offer exclusive check in/late check out (subject to availability), 4 guaranteed à la carte reservations per week, 20% spa discount, nightly turn down service and more!
• All-inclusive 7-night stay at the 4-Star Grand Bahia Principe Jamaica, located in Runaway Bay, Jamaica
• Includes return airfare from Toronto, Montreal or Ottawa to Montego Bay, and round-trip airport/hotel transfers in Jamaica
• Accommodations in a Junior Suite, featuring 1 king or 2 double beds and private balcony or terrace. Max. occupancy: 3 adults and 1 child or 2 adults and 2 children
• Daily breakfast, lunch and dinner, and unlimited domestic alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on the following departures:
  Toronto: Feb. 5, 6, 7, 8 & 12, 13, 14, 15, 2013
  Montreal: Feb. 2, 6, 9, 13, & 20, 2013
  Ottawa: Jan. 26 & Feb. 2, 2013
• This is an exclusive offer brought to you by Air Canada Vacations
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• Pricing (Rates are per person):
  
  Toronto
  Single: $1749 plus tax
  Double: $1299 plus tax
  Triple: $1239 plus tax
  1st Child: $849 plus tax
  2nd Child: $459 plus tax
  Tax: $377
  
  Montreal (+ $50 for Saturday departures/ Feb 2 & 9)
  Single: $2126 tax included
  Double: $1706 tax included
  Triple: $1656 tax included
  1st Child: $1256 tax included
  2nd Child: $866 tax included
  
  Ottawa
  Single: $1599 plus tax
  Double: $1199 plus tax
  Triple: $1139 plus tax
  1st Child: $849 plus tax
  2nd Child: $459 plus tax
  Tax:$371
• This offer is 100% non-refundable

View the terms that apply to all Jaunt offers

TRUMP TRUMPS THE COMPETITION?

Speaking of Toronto hotels (don't you just love a good segueway on a Friday morning?), the folks at TripAdvisor have included the Trump Toronto as one of the world's ten hot new hotels of 2012.

Here's what they had to say: "In the midst of Toronto's financial and entertainment districts stands this stunning 65-story hotel.

Travelers can unwind at the luxurious spa and wellness facility, take a dip in the indoor saltwater pool or enjoy a mouthwatering meal at the restaurant and lounge located on the 31st floor.

"Everything from the service to the rooms was just phenomenal," said one TripAdvisor traveler. Average nightly rate is $456 and up."

 

 

Prince Harry antics boost interest in Vegas visits ... New Jaunt Golf site

The Queen is not amused.

Las Vegas is delighted.

In case you somehow missed the news, the Internet is awash with stories and the odd photo of Prince Harry cavorting naked in a Las Vegas hotel room.

Travelmole.com reports that the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is rather pleased.

"Las Vegas is excited that Prince Harry continues to visit the destination for his stateside getaways," said Courtney Fitzgerald of the LVCVA. "Las Vegas is about adult freedom and that means different things to different people.  It's important for friends to know what activities can be shared publicly and what activities are protected by the code of 'What Happens in Vegas; Stays in Vegas.'" 

Virgin Holidays said inquiries for trips to Sin City had shot up 30% since news of Harry's antics broke. The company said it had sent a care package to the Wynn hotel for the Prince, which includes spare trunks, sunglasses and an energy drink, and I like their style.

In the interest of being a family blog and all, I've only shown you a modest shot of the Prince in some nice, red Hawaiian board shorts. Other images, which don't appear to show anything, really, are available on the web for the curious.

GOLF TOURISM ON THE GO

Jaunt.ca and SCOREGolf.com have teamed up to launch Jaunt Golf, which offers exclusive, hand-picked golf getaways. It's billed as "the most extensive, fully-packaged online travel destination for beginners, avid golfers, Bubba Watsons and Happy Gilmores alike."

The first round of getaways are available now, featuring nine different locations. Included are Niagara, Muskoka, British Columbia, Mexico, Arizona, Florida and more. 

"We know that Canadians are eager to attempt new and challenging golf courses, and combining the most notable links with luxurious hotels and travel bonuses is the ultimate vacation experience," said Jonathan Tafler, general manager of Jaunt.ca. "We're thrilled to partner with SCOREGolf and pair our travel offers with their trusted voice and niche expertise."

Jaunt.ca is owned by Torstar Digital, a division of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. Just so you know.

 

WEST JET VACATIONS KUDOS

WestJet Vacations this week announced results of a study showing it has the highest customer satisfaction and loyalty among the six most widely used tour operators in Canada.

Conducted by Leger Marketing on behalf of WestJet Vacations, the survey was conducted across Canada in June and July. WestJet Vacations scored higher than the competition for overall satisfaction, likelihood to recommend and customer service. It was also was rated as the most trusted vacation company, WestJet officials said.

FOUR SEASONS GROWTH

In addition to adding the new Yorkville hotel on Oct. 5, Four Seasons is busy around the world. The Toronto-based chain spans five continents and 36 countries and there's plenty more on the way.

China is a large growth area, representing more than 20 per cent of projected openings for the next four years. A new hotel in Guangzhou opened last month, and more hotels are coming to Beijing and Shanghai in the coming weeks.

This fall, Four Seasons also will enter Sub-Saharan Africa with the opening of the first of three properties. Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti, Tanzania "will be a unique opportunity for the brand in an exciting new destination," officials said.

Located within Tanzania's Serengeti National Park, the landscape features "the largest concentration of plains animals in Africa and is acclaimed for the best game drives and abundant, year-round wildlife."

Sounds pretty good to me.

U.S. TRAVEL SKYROCKETING

TravelAgent.Com reports that U.S. Commerce Department data shows international visitors have spent an estimated $82.2 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related goods and services year to date. This is an increase of 11 percent when compared to the same period last year.

The new data confirms that the U.S. travel and tourism industry is on pace for another record-setting year and, if these trends to continue, international visitors could end up injecting more than $169 billion into the U.S. economy by year-end, the Commerce Department says.

The U.S. not long ago launched a new Brand USA campaign in the hopes of increasing visitor numbers. If the latest figures are any indication, it appears to be working.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A travel editor's still large bucket list includes South America and Africa

Got to talking with family the other day about travel lists, and the places we still want to go. And I realized there are still so many places on mine.

I think most folks figure a travel editor goes pretty much all over the world. But there a ton of places I've never been.

Here are a few. And if anyone has suggestions, please let me know! EMAIL: jbyers@thestar.ca

1. SOUTH AMERICA. I guess I used to figure I'd get stories from this part of the world and that I needed to spend more time in places our readers go to more frequently, such as Europe. But now I look back and think, "Hey, dummy, how come you never have checked out Rio or Buenos Aires (see photo) or the wineries of Chile? I mean, the Inca Road and Machu Picchu get a lot of coverage. Ditto for Patagonia. But there's still a ton I'd like to see, including some of the coast of Brazil and, of course, the Amazon.

2. AFRICA. I once spent three days in Dakar, Senegal but that was covering an International Olympic Committee meeting. I got to see the city a bit and interview the parents of former Toronto Raptor Mamadou N'Diaye. And I got to visit Isle Goree, an island where captured Africans were gathered before making horrible voyages to North America on slave ships. It's a colourful and fascinating but also,ofcourse, very sad and tragic place. I've never made it to Egypt or Morocco or the plains of Kenya or anywhere in South Africa. Needless to say, a safari would be awesome.

3. CAMBODIA. This is pretty high on my list. Yeah, I know; everyone goes to Angkor Wat. But there's a reason some places get a lot of tourists. It's usually because it's a pretty cool place.This explains why tourists go to the Golden Gate Bridge but not so much the Hayward-San Mateo Bridge in the SF Bay Area suburbs. Anyway, I'd love to check out Cambodia and maybe Laos some time, and maybe see some of the islands of Vietnam down in the south. They look pretty cool.

4. MARQUESAS ISLANDS. I've got a real thing about South Pacific culture and this place looks awesome. Remote and artistic (former home to Gauguin, Melville and others) and beautiful, with jagged cliffs and thick jungles and gorgeous water. Definitely near the top of the old bucket list.

5. CANADA'S NORTH. I got a small taste of the Yukon on a recent trip to Whitehorse and Kluane National Park but I'd love to see the Nahanni (see photo) and some of the more remote, beautiful places in the Northwest Territories.

6. PORTUGAL. How I've never made it to Portugal, I have no idea.I just haven't. But I'd love to see Lisbon and the beaches of the Algarve and to explore wineries in the north and eastern parts of the country.

7. SOUTHERN SPAIN. Never been to Seville or Grenada. The village of Ronda looks beautiful and I'd love to check that out some time.

8. SANTORINI. Another must-see spot that has somehow evaded my passport.Come to think of it, the only Greek islands I've been to are Hydra, near Athens and just for a few hours, and Paros, way back in the 1980s. Gotta check out Croatia and the islands of Turkey, as well.

9. UTAH NATIONAL PARKS. I grew up in California but have never visited Zion or Arches or any of those cool-looking areas. Also,I have somehow missed the Custer Battlefield in MOntana, even though I'm a student of the battle and a fan of native American history.

10. MALDIVES. I know it's not that exotic in terms of history or culture (from what I know, anyway), but it just looks so cool and remote, and there are few things in the world that are more enjoyable than an overwater bungalow.

Of course, there are a million great places I HAVE been to. So no complaints at all. Just that this is such a huge, amazing world....

 

Happiest countries on earth in Scandinavia .. New luxury hotel in Saskatoon

There's a lesson in here somewhere.

A new United Nations report lists the happiest - and least happy - nations on the planet. As you might have heard, Canada came out fifth - the best mark outside of northern Europe. And signficantly ahead of the U.S., which was down there at number 11 (but still pretty good).

It's actually quite fascinating to look at this report in some ways. You might not get the Prime MInister to agree, but it seems to me that the most EXPENSIVE countries to live in and the ones with some of the highest taxes are places where citizens are the most happy.

I mean, it ain't the weather that sparked Denmark (see photo of Kronborg castle) to make the top of the list. They do have some of the world's best restaurants according to the fancy magazines I sometimes pick up. And they seem to have a lot of bicycles. They also pay something like $20 for dinner at McDonald's, I've been told. But they don't seem to mind, possibly because they get good goverment for their money.

Ditto for Norway and Finland, which came second and third. The Netherlands was fourth in the UN happiness study, followed by Canada, Switzerland, Sweden, New Zealand, Australia and Ireland.

Interesting stuff. Here are a few other random placements I spotted: Israel 14, Luxembourg 16, United Arab Emirates 17, the UK 18 (probably worried about Olympic traffic), Iceland 20, Spain 22, France 23 (ooh, behind the Brits). Here's a weird one: the economy is booming and they have all those great beaches but Brazil was down at 25. Italy was 28th, Germany 30th, Argentina 39th and Greece 42nd.

I've read lately that Bulgaria is the cheapest country to visit in Europe. Yeah, but they're all miserable sods. The UN report put them at the top of the bottom 10 in world, surpassed in misery only by the Congo, Tanzania, Haiti, Comoros, Burundi, Sierra Leone, the Central African Republic, Benin and, worst in the world, Togo.

I remember when I worked at the Star on general assignment back in the mid 1980s. There was some sort of spy scandal involving Bulgarians in, I believe, Niagara Falls. Anyway, I was sent up to the Bulgarian consul general's office, located in the financial district near the old Winston's restaurant.

I entered a large but older-looking building and got to the floor with the consulate office, only to find furniture that looked like the set of the old Barney Miller tv show; all stuffy and worn. There were out-of-date magazines showing old women stomping grapes and other idyllic scenes. But the best part was the big guy (I seem to remember him being in uniform but probably not) who was there to answer my questions. He had one eye-brow and a rich, thick accent and looked at me with a very serious face and said, "So, how come you never write anything good about Bulgaria?"

I didn't know what to say. I still don't. Except I hear Sofia (see photo above) is kinda pretty. I found a picture and it looks nice. And did I mention it's cheap? Miserable people, perhaps, but cheap to visit.

MEANEST USA AIRLINES

Another fun report that came out this week is the 2012 Airline Quality Ratings, sadly only focussed on the U.S. but still interesting. According to this report, which took into account everything from on-time arrivals to bumped passengers to mishandled baggage, the bottom six airlines in the U.S. were Delta, Southwest, US Airways, American Airlines, Continental and United. The bottom regional carriers were SkyWest, Atlantic Southeast, Mesa Air and American Eagle.

Consider yourself warned.

Best airlines, according to the survey, were AirTran, Hawaiian and JetBlue, followed by Frontier and Alaska.

SASKATOON GOES LUXE

The 59-room James Hotel has opened in Saskatoon. Hotel officials claim it's their first luxury boutique hotel in the city.

"The calibre of the James, both in its design and approach to service, sets it apart from all other hotels in Saskatoon," said Paul Leier, President of Cavalier Enterprises Ltd. "This investment is a testament to the strength of the local economy and the type of traveller the city now attracts."

Officials say they took inspiration from "the refined intimacy of a classic European hotel" but also used a "modern and welcoming design aesthetic," whatever that means.

They're promising "unparalleled service" at the James, formerly an apartment building. Many rooms boast larger than expected floor plans and all suites have private,furnished balconies with city or South Saskatchewan River views.