Virgin America coming to Toronto...Beijing airport gets busy...St. Patrick's Day

A little variety...and maybe a new market for Toronto tourism.

News today that Virgin America is hoping to land flights from Toronto to San Francisco and Los Angeles - and back, of course - in June of this year is hugely welcome. It would be Virgin America's first foreign destination, a fact that wasn't lost on Tourism Toronto chief David Whitaker.

"We're very, very excited," Whitaker told me by phone this afternoon. "The fact we would be their first destination outside the U.S. speaks well about Canada and well about Toronto and how we continue to evolve."

Some 140,000 Californians visit Toronto each year; about 60,000 from L.A. and 20,000 from San Francisco.

Whitaker noted Virgin America positions itself as something of a lifestyle airline that appeals to urban folks who would be a good target for Toronto; visitors that are into film or fashion or alternative lifestyles.

The strength of the Canadian dollar probably has hurt Toronto tourism, but Whitaker said his group has weaned itself away from selling the city as a discount destination and is instead focussing on the city's culture and urbanity.

Virgin America also plans to add service from San Francisco and Los Angeles to Orlando beginning Aug. 19.

"With strong financial performance, a new ownership structure and growth in fleet size, we're pleased to be able to expand to world-class destinations like Orlando and Toronto this year," said Virgin America President and CEO David Cush. "Both cities are major travel destinations from the west coast, and we're looking forward to introducing our service to travelers in these and other new markets in 2010 and beyond."

It'll be interesting to see if Air Canada supporters go for a fling with Virgin America. The airline has a great reputation for service.

BUSY BEIJING

Beijing airport jumped past Chicago's O'Hare last year to become the third busiest airport in the world. And it seems likely to leap into second spot by this time next year.

Figures show Beijing last year attracted 65.3 million passengers, a whopping 17 per cent increase over 2008 (when they held the Summer Olympics). O'Hare, meanwhile, dropped 8.8 per cent to 64.4 million passengers.

London's Heathrow was just slightly ahead of Beijing at 66 million, a 1.5 per cent decline. With the way Beijing is surging, there seems little doubt they'll be ahead of Heathrow when next year's figures roll in.

But Beijing is unlikely to reach number one for a while. Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport had nearly 88 million passengers last year. That was down 2.3 per cent, but they're pretty far ahead of Beijing. For now, anyway.

HAPPY BELATED ST. PATRICK'S DAY

Tourism Ireland held a nice event at the CN Tower Wednesday night to celebrate St. Patty's Day. There were some great Irish stories; a few of them possibly true. They also had green apple martinis and Guinness, of course. I prefer Harp, but I'm a bit of a beer wuss...

Anyway, the CN Tower was done up in green lights for the big day. Tourism folks said similar "green" treatments were given to the London Eye and the Sydney Opera House.

Saskatoon sexiest town in Canada...Goofy Olympic mascots...and photos

VANCOUVER – This city might be about to stage one of the biggest sporting events in the world, but it’s apparently not the centre of love.

Amazon.ca on Tuesday published a list of what it calls the 20 most romantic cities in Canada, based on sales of romance novels, sex and relationship books, romantic comedy DVD’s and, uh, sales of Michael Buble CD’s since Jan. 1, 2010. The figures were based on a per capita basis in cities with more than 100,000 residents.

Here’s what they came up with:

1. Saskatoon
2. Calgary
3. Victoria
4. Regina
5. Guelph
6. Kingston
7. Kelowna, B.C.
8. Edmonton
9. Winnipeg
10. London
11. Peterborough
12. Ottawa
13. Thunder Bay
14. Abbotsford, B.C.
15. Sudbury
16. Halifax
17. Brantford
18. Barrie
19. St. John’s
20. Windsor

Personally, I got a problem with this. No Vancouver? No Toronto? No, ahem, Montreal or Quebec City?
Seems pretty funky. You could argue for Come by Chance or Heart's Delight, Newfoundland (yes, and Dildo, too), but they don’t have 100,000 residents.

And they only based this on sales of Michael Buble. What about Tony Bennett or Diana Krall?
Apparently Toronto and Vancouver scored well on renting romantic movies, but not so much on the other stuff.

Either way, the lack of romance is yet another thing the rest of the country gets to toss in Toronto’s face. Mind you, we can always mention Adam Giambrone, can’t we?

OLYMPIC MISCELLANY

A Vancouver Olympics person who didn’t appear to have been drinking told me that she’s sometimes seen a person follow along behind Quatchi, the 2010 Winter Mascot who looks like Sasquatch (think a smiling version of Chewbacca from Star Wars) whose job is to vacuum loose hairs of the fuzzy guys’ body.
Just in case you think you had a bad job, consider that.

I guess it comes with the territory, like running for mayor and kissing babies and all. But I still cringe when I see photos like the one at right of Vancouver Organizing Committee CEO John Furlong (in front) and IOC prez Jacques Rogge (third man in the bob) taken at an Omega event in downtown Vancouver on Tuesday. It's not quite the same but I remember covering an event in Atlanta where they taking then IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch, a former Spanish ambassador to the USSR, on a tour of the Coca-Cola museum. It was full of good old Southern boy and classic American commercialism, and he had this look on his face that said something like "If I ever step foot in this building again I'm gonna puke."

****

On the hockey front, Furlong was talking Tuesday about the attention that a gold medal game for Canada’s men’s team would bring.
“If we are in the final, there will be nobody in the country not watching TV,” he said. “I don’t now who will be running the country.”
Uh, John, with Parliament in permanent abeyance because of PM Stephen Harper and the Olympics, the question is who’s running it now?

****

Resident Olympic wit John Powers of the Boston Globe asked Canadian officials yesterday about the Own the Podium program. He said it’s the sort of aggressive funding program one would expect in the United States, “but we’d pay for it with a sub-prime loan.”
Best line of the Games so far, John.

****

Still waiting to hear some complaints about not enough French being spoken at Canadian Olympic Committee press conferences. There was a press conference yesterday featuring VANOC, the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Own the Podium program and there were perhaps three words spoken in French outside of the introductions; “Bonjour and merci beaucoup."

****

The final elements of the City of Vancouver's transportation management plan for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games are going into effect this week, including pedestrian corridors, rolling road closures for the torch relay and temporary street and bridge closures related to the Opening Ceremony on Wednesday and Friday. To help reduce vehicle traffic by at least 30 per cent for the Olympic Winter Games period, commuters, delivery drivers and residents are strongly encouraged to leave their vehicle at home and put their personal Games-time travel plan into action, starting on Wednesday and continuing until March 1.

SCANNER IMAGES PART IX

Not sure of the legitimacy of this, but I got an email from a chap who sent me a link to a web story about an Indian film star who claimed that scans of his body were captured at Heathrow Airport and kept for people’s enjoyment, or something like that.

Like I say, I can’t verify it. But it plays into the hands of folks who called me an idiot for supporting the scanners, and I always like to give the opposition their fair due.

Here’s the link to the website on something called prisonplanet.com. 

COME TO JAMAICA AND FEEL ALL RIGHT

For the sixth straight year, Destination Jamaica recorded growth in visitor arrivals from Canada. For 2009, the destination received 22.9% more visitors than in 2008.  In total, 290,307 Canadians visited the country.
Last year also was a banner one as tourism partners added more flights from Toronto and Montreal and added the first-ever direct flight from London, officials said.

 

Protocol advice for Vancouver 2010 draws howls...No sex please, we're Kiwi's...

This is one of the things I love about covering the Olympics.

There's a big fuss out Vancouver way over a city of Vancouver protocol report that outlines everything from proper dress and hand-shaking advice to dealing with dignitaries who make unusual requests (gee, ya think?).

I took a half-hour to read it this morning and nearly coughed up my Tim Horton's coffee. Some of it serious, of course, including a small bit about how some dignitaries could be targeted for assassination. There's no doubt that it's important to greet Prime Ministers the right way and to treat the Canadian flag with respect, but I had to laugh out loud at some of the advice. Apparently brightly coloured shoes aren't allowed, which means I'll have to ditch the yellow crocs I was going to wear to the Opening Ceremony (not really. I'm not going to the Opening Ceremony). And socks are supposed to match the colour of one's pants, as well as not show embarrassing skin.

Here are a few I really enjoyed:

- "Avoid playing with your hair, tie or jewellery, biting your lip, drumming fingers unconsciously, snapping the clip on a ball-point pen and jiggling coins or keys in your pocket."

- "Try not to be chatty. Conversation about the weather is acceptable and doesn't have to be cliche. 'Yes, our climate is generally mild year-round.'" This section left me confused. Is the bit about the year-round mild climate in Vancouver considered acceptable conversation or is that the cliche?

- "Avoid topics such as politics or religion, personal health issues, marital problems, rumours or gossip." I was disappointed. This being a Vancouver document, I half expected the following sentence: "Rubbing your hands together with glee and saying 'Don't those Toronto Maple Leafs really SUCK'  is a perfect introduction to almost all visiting sports dignitaries."

- On a section about shaking hands, folks were told to "make eye contact and extend your right hand with your thumb facing up." Really? I've been doing it wrong all these years? Also, "don't use a loose, limp grip." Not even when meeting figure skating judges, apparently.

- There's a great section about awkward situations and "balancing the protocol scale." One bit mentions that folks should consider the organization's finances. "If a dignitary asks for a ticket to the Games Opening Ceremonies, the cost is $1,100. If they want a ticket to the China/Finland hockey game, the cost is $75."

- Another bit talks about how workers shouldn't accept money from dignitaries. Um, aren't there going to be a bunch of International Olympic Committee members in town? Hasn't the money distribution pattern been the other way around most of the time?

- "Advise dignitaries who you're assisting that public transportation will be the most efficient way to get around." Okay, Mr. Putin, just step right onto this SkyTrain and we'll have you at the airport in no time.

Apparently, security types did a practice run and pretended that former British PM Tony Blair came to town and showed up at a venue without accreditation. Organizers were able to get him a ticket in a non-secured area but he had to go into the arena with the riff-raff (could've been worse, they could've stuck him with the media). They also made the fake Blair pay for his ticket. (Excuse me, Mr. Blair, can we get your American Express number?)

Great stuff. The Chinese got flack in advance of the 2008 Summer Games for telling flight attendants how to dress and advising taxi drivers not to hack and spit. I'm not so sure this is all that much better.

AIR CANADA EXPANDING

Air Canada today said they're adding more U.S. flights from Toronto, including direct flights to Orange County, California, San Diego, Portland, Oregon, Portland, Maine, Cincinnati, Syracuse N.Y. and Memphis. The flghts begin at various times, mostly in April May and June of this year.

They're also adding direct summer flights to Barcelona, Athens and Copenhagen, with flights to Brussels via Montreal without changing planes.

"Today's route announcement is great news for passengers flying between Canada and the US," according to Pamela Griffith-Jones, Vice President, Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA). "We have worked with our airline customers' needs in mind to create opportunities for route expansion. We are very pleased with Air Canada's continued commitment to using Pearson as a connection point with the US, and as a gateway to connect passengers to destinations around the world."

KEEP IT CLEAN, FOLKS

Spotted an item on Travelmole that says economy class "lie-flat beds" are coming later this year on AIr New Zealand flights.

Apparently the airline will install what's called the "Skycouch," a specially designed row of three seats that can be arranged into a flat space;presumably without arm rests clanging you on the head and not so many big bumps and all like you usually get if you try to commandeer a row of empty seats in coach.

Twenty two sets of the seats will be available; the first 11 window rows in economy on the new, long-range Boeing 777 plans coming in November. Two adults will be able to purchase the Skycouch, paying regular price for two seats and about half-off for the third, and that seems like a damn good deal to me ... or anyone who's been stuck on a 12-hour flight. Great idea.

The service apparently will be available between Auckland and London and Auckland and Los Angeles. They're also promising better food options and food that can be cooked from scratch and not just reheated, which sounds intriguing.

"For the past three years we have been designing a new long-haul experience that will reignite the passion of today's travelers," said CEO Rob Fyfe. "For those who choose, the days of sitting in economy and yearning to lie down and sleep are gone. The dream is now a reality, one that you can even share with a traveling companion - just keep your clothes on, thanks."

Spoil sport.

WOMEN TAKE CONTROL

Friday Feb. 5 is the day when villages in Spain honour Santa Agueda, or Saint Agatha, by giving women the chance to take control of men in special parties.

For those unaware (guilty), Saint Agueda was a Christian martyr who was tortured and killed and even had her breasts brutally cut off. She strongly believed in chastity, but things have changed and now, while Spanish women in villages such as Formigal in the Spanish Pyrenees celebrate her strength of character, they also celebrate by letting ladies remove the shirt - or other items of clothing - from whatever man they choose. I don't think many men are going to have a problem with this, but that's just a guess.

The story I saw said that as a final honour to her sacrifice, desserts served on the night of Friday the 5th are two round cakes with cherries on top, and, no, I'm not making this up.

BRITS ARE TWITS (Sorry, Tweets)

I see where the VisitBritain folks want to take advantage of the 2010 Summer Olympics with a major tourism marketing strategy that includes mobile technology and social media such as Twitter. They'll use five core themes: dynamic, luxury, classic, generation Y and gay/lesbian, with social media at the forefront.

 

Security at Pearson...Heading to Margaritaville (Key West)...Vince's wedding pic

 

The new security scanners promised by Transport Canada appear to be up and running at Pearson International Airport.

 

I can't say for sure they're the new ones promised, but there was a large scanner in place at security at Pearson today that I'd never seen before.

 

There were a half dozen security lineups with the usual x-ray style machines, but there also was a lineup at one end of security with a large machine that folks were being told to step inside. Once inside, they were instructed to raise their hands high in the air for a couple seconds.

 

Nobody appeared to be raising a fuss and the lineup seemed to be moving normally.

 

This was my first flight to the U.S. since the Christmas Day incident over Detroit, and there was a huge security contingent at Pearson this morning, with dozens of uniformed workers and supervisors in suits managing the process. The lineup to get to U.S. customs was two or three hundred metres long, at least. Once inside, it was situation normal and people went through U.S. customs in the regular fashion. But after that, at security, they had people step on mats and follow a green sign that pointed folks to the proper security lineup.

 

It was the usual shoes and laptops out of your bag. But what was different than usual, or at least different from the pre-Christmas period, is the care they took going through my knapsack. They leafed through my travel magazines, checked out my laptop and unzipped all the compartments to check everything from my sunglasses case to my lip balm. They ran swabs over my laptop and over my knapsack and then put them through a machine, likely to test for explosive residue.

 

After checking all the bags for all passengers, most folks were being asked to stick their hands into their pants or tuck them under their belt and against their stomach and again deep into their pockets, then remove them and have their hands checked for illegal substances.

 

Folks were told they could bring a carry-on bag in addition to a personal item such as a purse or knapsack; a move announced earlier this week by Transport Canada.

 

Quite the procedure. And to think we used to read our kids a book called "Flying is Fun" whenever we were getting ready for a plane trip. Sigh.

 

JIM B IN THE LAND OF JIMMY B

 

Been a lot of cool places in the world. And spent a lot of time in Florida, what with covering the Blue Jays all those years and making it to golf tournaments for the Star and taking family trips to Orlando, Naples, Miami and Dunedin/Clearwater/St. Pete's.

But I've never been to Key West, and you can't really act as Travel Editor at Canada's largest paper and not see Key West, right? Well, you could. But I'm not.

Transport Canada and U.S. customs and Air Canada willing, I'll be in Miami around 9:30 a.m. after a 3 a.m. wakeup call, a 4 a.m. ride to the airport, a 4:30 a.m. check-in and a 6:30 a.m. flight. From there, it's over to the rental car counter and then south and further south and further south. Okay, and west, too.

Can't wait to drive over the keys. I know folks say it's dull but I can't imagine anything being all that dull if it's sunny and 22 degrees and you can see the water and roll down the windows and let the wind blow back your hair and crank up Jimmy Buffett and the Beach Boys, and if that's a cliche, well, so be it. I'll have my Hawaiian shirt on; probably the blue one with the creme-coloured hibiscus, and maybe my straw fedora-like hat but more likely a Twillingate, Newfoundland ball cap I really like. Guess I should wear some pants, too. It's Florida, but even down there they kinda like drivers to wear pants, I would think. You can probably carry a gun and drink a beer, but you best be wearing pants.

It sounds touristy as hell, but I'm gonna drink in the sunset (so to speak) at Mallory Square and wander Duval and probably taste a margarita or three. But I really want to get away from Duval and explore some funky backstreets, and just soak it all in.

So there you have it. I'll check things out and report back on Friday and again Monday of next week. I'm also heading to Palm Beach on the weekend to check out the Breakers hotel, where I was briefly a few years ago on assignment for the Star, covering Toronto Raptors' star Vince Carter's wedding (mostly from behind some bushes across the street from the church, where the media was NOT welcome). I don't know that the Star ever published a photo I took of young Vince, so here you go. I don't think he knew I was with the Star or he might have done a Hedo Turkoglu and had my photo erased from my camera.

I also plan to check out Coconut Grove in Miami. It sounds pretty touristy, as well, but it's always mentioned in the crazy Florida detective novels I enjoy so much so I'm going to see for myself.

Giant Dubai tower now open...UK security boost?...Dominican renovations...

The latest "world's tallest building" is now open.

The Burj Khalifa, (it was Burj Dubai until a few minutes ago, so this could be confusing for a while) is some 200 stories (818 meters, 2,684 feet, more or less), will be the world's tallest structure. It's also got an observation deck on the 124th floor, which sounds like fun.

Adam Schreck of Associated Press reports the exact height will only be revealed at the evening inauguration.

The Wall Street Journal has a blogger on site, who says she can see Iran from the top and also the manmade islands that have been built; symbols of better economic times in Dubai. The tower is so huge that one reporter said the shadow is like a sundial on the face of the city.

Luxury apartments are said to have been going for $2,855 per square foot at the peak in 2008 but have since dropped to less than half of that, AP says.

"The developer’s chairman said it cost about $1.5 billion to build the tapering metal-and-glass spire billed as a "vertical city" of luxury apartments and offices. It boasts four swimming pools, a private library and a hotel designed by Giorgio Armani, according to Schreck's report.

Cleaning crews were busy scrubbing windows and sweeping the plaza at the tower’s base just hours before festivities began.

Meanwhile, it was announced today that the Armani Hotel Dubai, the first hotel to open under the collaboration between Giorgio Armani S.p.A. and Emaar Properties PJSC, will be officially launched on March 18, 2010.

"Exclusively housed in the distinctive Burj Dubai tower, the world's tallest building, the Armani Hotel Dubai is the first of a series of hotels, resorts and residences designed by Giorgio Armani to be opened around the globe and marks fashion maestro Giorgio Armani's debut in to the world of hospitality," officials said in a press release. "Defined by its unique location, highest standards of aesthetics and service excellence, the Armani Hotel Dubai will be the most exclusive destination in the city."

The online bookings for the Armani Hotel Dubai will go live on late January 2010, and prospective visitors can register online at www.armanihotels.com to receive further details about the hotel.

UK SECURITY BOOST

Travelmole reports that full body scanners are to be introduced at UK airports. The measure has been demanded by prime minister Gordon Brown in the wake of the foiled bombing of an aircraft flying from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas Day.

Increased security covering travellers from 14 countries to the US has also been introduced. But critics of Brown claimed the kneejerk response to the Detroit incident would do little to prevent terrorists passing through airports carrying sophisticated explosives strapped to their bodies.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC RENO JOB

Travel Weekly reports that Casa de Campo in La Romana, Dominican Republic, debuted 80 upgraded, elite-category guestrooms and refurbished public areas on Dec. 30.

The $30 million upgrade included a new lobby, a redesigned pool complex, a fitness center, gardens, shops and a business center. The new La Cana Restaurant & Lounge by Il Ciro is managed by the Maccioni family, owners of New York’s La Cirque restaurant.

Amenities in the new guestrooms include a terrace, one king or two double beds, WiFi, a dressing area, glass-enclosed showers and a deep soaking tub, according to the Travel Weekly report.

The resort, which opened in 1974, offers 265 guestrooms and 100 villa homes, four Pete Dye-designed golf courses (one a private membership course), a 350-slip marina, the Altos de Chavon artist cultural village, and the Casa de Campo/La Romana Airport.

JIM'S DEALS OF THE DAY

 

$170 - Toronto to Los Cabos, Mexico, last-minute round-trip flight ($447 w/tax)

http://www.travelalerts.ca/ccount12/click.php?id=2029

 

Last chance! $323 - Toronto to Varadero, 1 week all-inclusive getaway ($535 w/tax) http://www.travelalerts.ca/ccount12/click.php?id=2030

 

Plan a staycation instead! ‘Unwind Wednesdays’ at Le Scandinave Spa

http://www.travelalerts.ca/ccount12/click.php?id=2031

 

 

More travel madness...Eiffel Tower top landmark in the world (no top-10 for UK)..

In a shocking development, there's more confusion in the world's airports today over U.S. travel regulations.

While Canadians woke up to find that Transport Canada has banned many carry-on items on flights from Canada to the U.S. because of the attempted Christmas Day bombing over Detroit, folks down in Australia seem to think regulations are being eased.

The Age is reporting that Australian airline officials understand there's no longer a requirement that passengers avoid the loo in the final 60 minutes of a flight to the U.S.

"Overnight, the US government has re-issued its regulations of what is required of all passengers and they have lifted the ban that prevented moving around the cabin one hour before arrival," a Qantas spokeswoman told the paper. 

She said the information had come from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), a division of the US Department of Homeland Security. But The Age said it was unable to confirm such a ruling.

Which makes sense given that so many experts are saying that the U.S. is deliberately muddying the waters.

Joseph Schwieterman, a professor at DePaul University in Chicago, told Associated Press that TSA's approach "keeps them (would-be terrorists) guessing."

Schwieterman said not spelling out exact procedures gives airport official more flexibility to focus on perceived threats or sensitive areas; likely big cities like New York and Los Angeles.

"There was criticisim after 9-11 that rules could be way too cookbook; not allowing authorities to adapt them to different settings, to different airports," he said.

Meanwhile, Canadians appear to be adapting to the new realities.

WestJet's Palmer said folks are bringing fewer carry-on bags to Canadian airports, a comment that Air Canada's Peter Fitzpatrick echoed.

"There are still delays but it's getting better," Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick wrote in an email to me this morning. "People are bringing less carry-on. Also, the government has provided more resources to beef up their security screening."

Palmer said WestJet is sticking with its suggestion that folks arrive three hours early for flights to the U.S.

"Oh, yeah, that should be fine," he said when asked if it's enough time. "You're not allowed to clear U.S. customs until 2-1/2 hours before your flight."

The Greater Toronto Airports Authority website, gtaa.com, is showing some delays for flights to Chicago and New York and a couple cancellations. But most flights appear to be operating on a normal or relatively normal schedule.

EIFFEL TOWER LEADS THE WAY

That's gotta hurt.

I spotted a survey of 1,000 folks around the world by hotels.com, asking people to name their favourite landmarks around the globe.

No surprise that the Eiffel Tower would come first. It's a wonderful structure, and I always find it amusing that the French HATED it when it was first unveiled.

(Of course, many of us said the same thing about the military statue on University Avenue that was once nicknamed "Gumby Goes to Heaven," and look what it did for Toronto tourism.)

Anywho, the hotels.com survey found the following 10 items as the top landmarks in the world:

1. Eiffel Tower (hard to imagine Paris without it)

2. St. Peter's Basilica, Rome (I'd probably have it down a few spots)

3. Taj Mahal, Agra, India (never been but can't argue with the placement)

4. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco (I'm biased as I grew up there, but it's still awesome)

5. Empire State Building, New York (especially cool at night; see photo)

6. Statue of Liberty, New York (always an awesome sight)

7. Sydney Opera House (terrific spot that matches function with great form)

8. Sagrada Familia, Barcelona (Not my favourite Gaudi architecture, to be honest)

9. The Acropolis (should be top five)

10. Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro (again, never been but it certainly LOOKS impressive).

So there you have it. Nothing from the UK or Great Britain or England made it. Not Big Ben. Not the Houses of Parliament. Not the London Eye. Not Trafalgar Square. Zippo. Nada.

That's not gonna make folks happy across the pond, and one can imagine the Queen won't be putting hotels.com on the top of her favourite website list anytime soon. (Makes me think, what ARE on her favourites, anyway? What's her home page? Oprah? Chelsea? Manchester United? RyanAir? Ashley Madison? Desperate Housewives? Honestly, I'd love to know.)

I spotted a story on the BBC web site that points out Big Ben came in 11th and The London Eye was 12th. Of course, they had to put out a list showing the top 12, not the top 10.

Big Ben deserves the top 12. I like the London Eye just fine, but I can't see how it would beat out the Colosseum, the Pyramids or Machu Picchu. Let alone Easter Island, Edinburgh Castle, and the Great Wall of China. Come to think of it, we're also missing Mick Jagger's lips, Penelope Cruz's backside and Michael Ignatieff's ego...

 

  

 

Iranian Rappers and Persian Porn?...Biz Class on Sale (sort of)...Jim's deal/day

Got ya with that headline, didn't I?

I have no idea if it's any good, and I really don't like using shock words like that in a headline, but I spotted a tweet during my afternoon Twitter searching and there was a mention by a twitter user named travel_book of a, well, travel book that's titled,  Iranian Rappers and Persian Porn: A Hitchhiker's Adventures in the New Iran.

It's written by a chap named Jamie Maslin and it sounds pretty hilarious.

Amazon.com calls it "a backpacker’s charming, hilarious account of the secret world of counterculture Iran."

The web site continues: "Maslin finds himself suddenly plunged into a subversive, contradictory world of Iranian subculture, where he is embraced by locals who are more than happy to show him the true Iran as they see it—the one where unmarried men and women mingle in Western clothes at secret parties, where alcohol (the possession of which is punishable by hand-amputation) is readily available on the black market, where Christian churches are national heritage sites, and where he discovers the real meaning of friendship, nationality, and hospitality."

HOTELIER OF THE YEAR

Hotelier Magazine has named David Mounteer, General Manager of Auberge Saint-Antoine in Quebec City, the 2009 Hotelier of the Year.

The hotel is a stunner, blending important archaeological artefacts with wonderful rooms and an incredible restaurant, Panache (see photo)

The award is to be given out on Dec. 3 at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel as part of the hospitality industry's Pinnacle Awards Luncheon.

BIZ CLASS DISCOUNTS

USA Today says business fares to Europe this fall have dropped 33% to 66% compared to a year ago.

Still, before all us ordinary travelers get TOO excited, keep in mind that they're still awfully high. The paper said Delta Air Lines' cheapest round trip, a non-stop New York-London coach ticket on Oct. 7, for example, was $716 for an Oct. 23 departure and an Oct. 30 return. The least-expensive business-class fare for the same flight was $4,634 U.S. (about $35 Canadian the way the loonie has been going).

I just checked Air Canada, and a ticket for a Toronto departure to London on Oct. 30 and a return to T.O. on Nov. 7 was priced at $6254.48 CAD for the class of "executive first lowest."

YIKES.

JIM'S DEAL OF THE DAY

A new package at the Westin Trillium House offers the best of the fall season: a scenic country drive, hot apple crumble and reduced room rates. Celebrating the launch of the Blue Mountains Apple Pie Trail, the Westin is offering special rates between $149 and $209 per night. Normally at this time of year, rates range from $189 to $229. To sweeten the deal, the Westin is also including two complimentary slices of Sour Cream Apple Crumble Tart from the Oliver & Bonacini Café Grill, located on-site at the hotel. The new year-round Apple Pie Trail winds its way from Collingwood through the Blue Mountains and on to Thornbury and Meaford, with stops at orchards, markets and restaurants along the way. See www.westin.com/bluemountain.

CZECH CHANGES

Czech Tourism Canada has advised that Czech Airlines will terminate its summer schedule to YYZ as planned 13OCT and will not resume its Canadian operation for the summer of 2010.

Pee Before you Fly...Conquest Founder Aims for New Tour Biz in 2010...NYCGo!

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water...

Nippon Airways, according to the Daily Mail, has announced that 'loo monitors' will be positioned by the boarding gates in terminals to ask waiting passengers to use the toilets before entering the aircraft.

The company reportedly thinks that empty bladders means lighter passengers and a reduction in carbon emissions. Maybe other kinds of emissions, too (sorry about that).

Ryanair earlier this year was talking about charging people to use on-board toilets, although I was never sure if it wasn't just a publicity gag by a company that knows a thing or two about manipulating the media.

Either way, it sounds absolutely silly. I didn't want to get into specifics but the Star's Katie Daubs was braver than I and figured that the average human bladder holds up to a litre of fluid, which weighs about one kilogram. On a flight with 247 people, the number on a Nippon Airways Boeing 777, that would mean 247 kilos; or about the weight of three people.

Nippon Airways officials are said to have figured that the weight saved could lead to a five-tonne reduction in carbon emissions over the course of a month.

But it's crazy. Does anyone arrive at an airport gate with a kilo worth of liquid in their bladder? Maybe it's just cuz I'm (barely) over the half-century mark in age, but doesn't everyone stop and use the toilet before they get on board, unless you're making one of those last-minute dashes because you were at Pearson changing flights and it took them 45 minutes to get your bag I mean?

Our correspondent didn't get Air Canada to comment, but thank goodness for the response from Robert Palmer of WestJet, who said the company feels the responsibility to save money is theirs, not their customers. And it's honestly that kind of talk that makes people fans out of West Jet, don't you think?

Personally, I'd say that getting rid of stale, leaden sandwiches might save more money. Or how about replacing water with Champagne? Didn't I read a study once that said Champagne weighs less than water?

CONQUEST FOUNDER RISES AGAIN?

Open Jaw reports that Conquest Vacations founder Robbie Goldberg has announced that he'll be launching a new tour operation business in November of 2010, and that's excellent news for Canadian travellers.

"With changes in the marketplace of late, the supply and choices will become limited for consumers and prices will rise and a new tour company will offer more choices," Goldberg said. The new company, which he will own and operate, will specialize in packaged holidays to major southern sun destinations from major Canadian cities; almost certainly including Florida, the Caribbean and Mexico.

Further details on the new company are expected next month. Goldberg in 2007 sold Conquest Vacations, the company he had started 35 years earlier, to a management group headed by Errol Francis.

There's been no shortage of news in the travel biz in Canada this year. Sunwing recently announced it wanted to snap up Signature Vacations, although it says nothing will change with Signature over the next few months. Some experts have suggested that could lead to higher prices, but if Goldberg is coming back to the tour business that should help moderate any price hikes.

Earlier this year, Conquest - which Goldberg sold just two years ago - announced it was suddenly going out of business.

WesJet has been raising money, and some observers feel the company might be trolling for a tour operations business. Or even for Porter Air, which keeps expanding and which had its first-ever flight from Toronto to St. John's Newfoundland on Monday, Oct. 5.

Interesting times, for sure.

NEW YORK CITY ON THE GO

The folks in New York are ramping up the savings. Go to www.nycgo.com for the least deals on theatre, spas, restaurants and more.

And keep an eye peeled for a coming story in the Star and on our website on some cool hotel options in the Big Apple.

GREAT SPOTS IN CANADA

Lonely Planet has come up with a new book for Christmas, called 1,000 Ultimate Experiences. The publicist says the Ultimate Canadian destinations include:

Best Road Trips -- Cabot Trail, Cape Breton Island

Classic Train Trips -- Rocky Mountaineer

Most Extreme Environment -- Banff National Park (I bet they didn't stay at the Banff Springs)

Best Adventure Travel Ideas -- Cycling the Icefields Parkway

Top 10 Boys (and girls) - own Adventures -- Cattle drive, Alberta

Best Party Cities -- Montreal, Canada (guess they've never been to a Queen's homecoming)

The World's Best Human Races -- Grouse Grind Mountain Run

Most Lip-Smacking Street Food -- Poutine (Toronto hot dogs lose out again)

JIM'S DEAL OF THE DAY

Globus’ Exotics brochure outlines tours and packages in such far-flung destinations as South America, Asia, South Pacific, Hawaii, Mexico and Central America. New in Asia this year, Globus is offering independent travel combinations in Tokyo / Kyoto, Beijing / Hong Kong and Bangkok / Phuket. Group tours in Vietnam, Cambodia, India and Thailand are also available. In Hawaii, Globus has added its first ‘Platinum-rated’ tour, an eight-day getaway featuring superior hotels in Honolulu and Maui. Book any of the Exotics itineraries by Oct. 13 and you can save up to $300 per person. See www.globusjourneys.ca.

Signature and Sunwing to fly together; good for consumers?...Jim's Deal of Day

A remarkable year in Canadian travel just got a whole lot more interesting.

The news today is that Sunwing Vacations has agreed to combine with Signature Vacations for what will be a huge player in the Canadian travel business. Sunwing has been flying high, while First Choice Canada, which runs Signature Vacations and SellOffVacations, has been having considerable trouble.

What it means to consumers is hard to say. On the one hand, the new company, called Sunwing Travel Group, will have more buying power. On the other hand, it means less competition for business; and that's usually not good for buyers.

Colin Hunter, chairman and majority shareholder of the Sunwing Travel Group, said the proposed amalgamation "will create a stronger company better able to compete against Canada's leading tour operators, while offering a broader range of travel destinations to the travelling public. The proposed company will be in a position to improve its product range and offer competitive prices with increased efficiencies resulting from the transaction."

Improved product range and competitive prices sound like good terms. But how competitive will they be? Certainly, Sunwing has been an aggressive travel company, seeing revenues go from something like $30 million to $660 million in the last five years.

Based in Toronto, Sunwing Vacations departs to 31 sun destinations, including standbys such as Cuba, Mexico, Florida and Jamaica but also "newer" spots such as Honduras and Belize.

Earlier this year, Conquest Vacations suddenly shut its doors after 37 years of operation. Conquest said it was a victim of overcapacity issues and a price war between groups such as Sunwing, WestJet Vacations, Air Canada Vacations and Transat A.T.

Meanwhile, in the airlines business, you have West Jet and Air Canada engaged in some solid price wars, while Porter Airlines continues to expand out of the Toronto Island Airport.

Interesting times.

JIM'S DEAL OF THE DAY.. NEW MEXICO

A number of Santa Fe hotels have put together special packages with savings over the winter – when average temperatures, at least during the day, hit the double-digits. The Inn and Spa at Loretto’s Santa Fe 400 package, marking the city’s 400th anniversary, includes two nights’ accommodation, a $40 (U.S.) dining credits as well as a $40 spa credit, plus valet parking and the daily resort fee. Travel must be completed by March 31, 2010. For details see www.innatloretto.com. Another promotion, at the Inn on the Alameda, offers third consecutive nights for $24 for travel Oct. 25 through Feb. 28, for all rooms and suites. Some black-out dates apply with this deal. See www.innonthealameda.com.

 

CALL ME OLD-FASHIONED

Got an email today from the folks at Gansevoort Hotel Group, who are making Reader Digital Books available for poolside readings at their properties in New York City and the Turks and Caicos.

They say they're working with Sony to customize the Readers, so guests can view the hotel’s spa and dining menus as well.

As well, New York's Algonquin Hotel is offering "Amazon Kindles" pre-loaded with "best sellers and classics to use anywhere inside the property."

Nothing wrong with that, and it sounds convenient. But I don't get the idea of reading a "book" on some electronic device. I know perfectly sane people who swear by it, but it's not for me.

I'm not into collecting hardcover books or special edition books with gilded lining or anything (not like Helene Hanff, who wrote a delightful book called 84 Charing Cross Road and was devoted to a good, well-made book). No, I'm perfectly content with a five dollar paperback.

But I like paper. It's portable, it doesn't require batteries, and I don't have so much to lose if I drop it in the bathtub.

ALL THAT JAZZ - ONTARIO STYLE

It's coming up on musical festival time in Ontario. The Art of Jazz takes place in the Distillery District of Toronto June 5-7, while the Toronto Jazz Festival begins in town June 26. The Ottawa International Jazz Fesitval runs June 25 to July 5, while Kingston hosts the Limestone City Blues Festival Aug. 27 to 30.

AIRLINE RECOVERY?

It's still pretty tentative, but there are some signs of recovery in the airline industry down south. USA Today reports Continental last month found that traffic, as measured in passenger miles flown, was down 3.8 per cent from April of 2008. Not good, but a lot better than the 9.7 per cent drop they saw between March of 2008 and March of this year.