Clearwater to St. Augustine, with beer ... World Golf Hall of Fame ... Jaunt Deal

CLEARWATER to ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA – It started with a glorious sunrise. And ended with a party at the World Golf Hall of Fame. Not a bad way to spend a day in Florida.

If you’ve never had the chance, you should check out the Sheraton Sand Key Resort/Hotel in Clearwater Beach. The rooms are what’d you’d expect from a Sheraton, which means a decent sized room with a good TV and all that and a pretty small but perfectly adequate bathroom (the sink is just outside the room with the bath/shower and toilet). It’s the grounds and the beach that’ll keep you coming back, though.

The pool sits out back, alongside the white sand beach, with a couple hot tubs and a poolside bar and beautiful landscaping. The beach here is enormously wide, but you can get to the water in a couple minutes and do some people-watching along the way.

The Sheraton is on the north end of Sand Key, just over the bridge to Clearwater Beach proper. Which means it’s quiet but close to the shops, restaurants and activities of Clearwater Beach, including the aquarium/marine research center where you’ll find Winter the Dolphin, the dolphin who was found with a damaged tail and had a prosthetic tail built for it and was featured in a recent movie that did pretty well at the box office. They also have sea turtles and manta rays you can feed and touch, and it’s a great, educational spot for kids and adults both.

Dunedin is just over the bridge to the mainland and up the road a couple miles, so we went back for drinks and dinner. I highly recommend the margaritas at Casa Tina, a standby on Main St. in Dunedin with lots of Mexican dolls and photos and crazy stuff on the wall. Splurge and spend an extra buck for the top margarita on the menu, called a Tina Rita. I always find it’s better to spend a bit more on a margarita and get the better juice mix and better tequila.

For dinner it was The Living Room, on the far east end of Main St. It’s got a fun atmosphere, with orangey-red walls and a large room out back with drapes hanging off to one side and bookcases with books and old photos and mementoes. A tad eclectic in both style and menu, but the food was pretty good. We sampled Kobe beef sliders with brie and caramelized onions that were pretty good, and the shrimp on the jambalaya skewers were fat and perfectly cooked with peppers and onions. We also had sautéed green beans just to up the veggie quotient a bit.

The wait staff served us rather too quickly but the waitress was charming, so we didn’t mind. It’s mostly a sharing/large tapas style place, so you get a good variety for reasonable prices, and there’s a very good wine list. It was about 12 degrees Celsius at dinner time outside but one hardy group opted to eat al fresco while the rest of us stayed warm.

We made the drive up to St. Augustine in about four hours, stopping – of course – at the outlet mall in Orlando. Much to my surprise, I spotted a food/drinks cart outside one of the stores that sold not only juice and pop but also bottles of beer. A godsend for overshopped guys, no doubt. And God Bless America for selling beer openly off a food cart.

I’m at a convention called Florida Huddle from Thursday to Saturday, with tourism/travel reps from all over the Sunshine State and some 54 media from around the world. So that should be great. They had an opening reception Thursday night at the World Golf Hall of Fame, next to the Renaissance Hotel/Convention Center. As the Star’s former golf writer and golf magazine editor, I got quite the charge out of seeing things like the Claret Jug, given to the winner of the British Open each year (Sorry, THE OPEN, as they call it) and old photos of Bob Hope and Bobby Jones and crazy, old clubs and gutta percha golf balls and featherie golf balls, old-time balls fashioned from feathers and sewn up together. Light as, well, a feather, those balls were.

I didn’t have a lot of time to browse but I was happy to see the bust/likeness of legendary Canadian golfer Marlene Stewart Streit, inducted a few years back after a stellar amateur career in which she won dozens of titles, often beating women half her age.

Good stuff. Congrats, Marlene, for being the first Canadian inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

CANADIAN HOTELS HONOURED

Congrats to two new members of the Canadian Automobile Association’s prestigious five-diamond hotel group. The CAA on Wednesday announced that four Canadian properties were awarded five-diamond (like five-star) status for 2013; holdovers The Four Seasons Whistler and the Ritz Carlton Toronto and, now, the Shangri-La Vancouver and the new Ritz Carlton Montreal (see photo)

Pretty impressive that the Ritz has two of the four highest-rated properties. I haven’t got a final answer, but the Shangri-La in Toronto wasn’t rated for the 2013 awards, perhaps because it opened too late in the year (pretty much September). Ditto for the Four Seasons new hotel in Yorkville, which opened even later.

So perhaps next year we’ll get more five-diamond properties in Toronto.

I also feel compelled to note that the Trump International Hotel on Bay St. downtown failed to get the five-diamond status it had hoped for. I don’t much like the lobby but the spa looks tremendous and I hear good things from guests who’ve stayed.

I’d like another five-diamond property in Toronto, but I gotta say it doesn’t make me sad to see a blowhard like Trump fall short and have to settle for four diamonds instead of five. Better luck next year, Donald.

Not that I put much stock in it, but the CAA report surely indicates what a crock the recent Trip Advisor ratings were. As readers of this space may recall, I recently raised an eyebrow or two at how British Columbia hotels dominated the top 10 of the Trip Advisor ratings for Canadian hotels.

In the CAA report, they got two of the four five-diamond properties, but at least we got one in Quebec and one in Ontario. Which seems a little more logical to me.

SPEAKING OF RATINGS

Air Canada is the only international network carried in North America to get a four-star ranking from the U.K. research firm Skytrax.

The airline on Thursday said it was immensely chuffed at the award, calling it a “significant industry benchmark” that “reflects the professionalism and skll of Air Canada’s employees in taking care of our customers and delivering an award-winning product that continues to set industry standards.”

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a couple of Avalon river cruises on special. The two for one Tulip Time river cruise goes through the Netherlands and runs for $1,725 plus $133 in taxes.  There's also a two for one river cruise through Burgundy and Provence; both fabulously beautiful areas of France for $2,086 plus $133 in taxes.

Check both out at jaunt.ca or by clicking on the above links....

 

Best Breakfast in Florida: Andy's Flour Power ... Jaunt.ca cruise deal

Somedays you just get lucky in this business.

A public relations person for Panama City Beach, Florida a couple weeks ago asked me where I might want to have breakfast. He gave me a list of five or six spots and, for some reason, (maybe the name and the fact they advertised great breakfast potatoes), I chose Andy's Flour Power.

It was a brilliant call, as it turned out. The minute I walked in and was greeted by bright, colourful paintings and a cheery atmosphere I knew it'd probably work. By the time I met owner/chief chef John Certo the deal was sealed.

Certo was born and raised in Staten Island, New York, with Italian grandmothers who knew a thing or two about cooking. Another grandmother, I think he said, lived part of the time or full-time near Panama City Beach, so he became familiar with the area ... and with grits and southern food.

He fled New York a few years back to raise a family in clean, comfortable Panama City Beach and hasn't looked back. His funky and fabulous restaurant is open only for breakfast and lunch, so he gets home by 3 p.m.

"My son can go out and play with his friends and I tell him, 'I'll whistle for you when it's dinner time.'"

How cool is that?

Certo uses as many local ingredients as he can, including delicious, locally smoked ham, but volunteers that his bacon comes from a smokehouse in Texas. Wherever it comes from, it's absolutely unbelievable. The eggs and omelettes are perfect and he makes fabulous grits with Vermont white cheddar cheese, not to mention a spicy, perfect sausage gravy that's poured onto homemade biscuits. My Dad would be in heaven. The potatoes were quite good. Maybe not quite as wonderful as I'd expected, but everything else more than made up for a very minor disappointment on the tater front.

I also sampled the French toast, which is a fresh baguette (they do great baked goods) topped with strawberries and nuts. Sinfully good. I'm allergic to nuts but my breakfast companions said Certo's large - and very green - pistachio muffins are outstanding.

All in all, a perfectly wonderful and very reasonably priced to start your day. It's worth the visit to Panama City Beach just to talk with Certo and watch him smile in his kitchen and restaurant and, of course, eat his food.

Made a very long drive from Panama City Beach to delightful Dunedin during the day, avoiding Highways 10 and 75 and instead driving along smaller highways parallel to the interstate. A few slowdowns to go through small towns such as Perry and Chiefland, and Highway 19 isn't much fun from Port Richey down to Dunedin with all the stop lights and tile stores and strip clubs and such. But it's a nice drive; very pretty and relaxing and with a lot more to see, including signs for local events and advertisements for "Ed and Bernice's Fish Camp." Beats the heck out of counting Waffle Houses on the Interstate....

I hadn't been before, so I stopped in at Pan Y Vino on Main Street in Dunedin for dinner. Service was quick and the pizza with arugula and proscuitto was quite good. They have a wood-burning oven and serve almost exclusively pizza, although you can get enormous salads for about $6, too. The pizzas range from $11.50 to $14 or so and they have a good list of fun beers and a decent wine list for reasonable prices, so check it out.

More on delightfully different and occasionally decadent Dunedin in tomorrow's report, and then on to St. Augustine....

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal on for a free-drinks Caribbean cruise with Celebrity. The cost is $1,344 and includes $220 in taxes and also includes air fare.

Jaunt Highlights

• BONUS: Includes Free Beverages - valued at $88 per day! See offer details for more info.
• 7-night Eastern Caribbean Cruise sailing on the Celebrity Reflection
• Includes return airfare on WestJet from Toronto or Montreal to Miami
• Two itineraries available, both Departing and returning to Miami, Florida. Ports of Call include:
  Option One: Miami, Florida; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Basseterre, St. Kitts
  Option Two: Miami, Florida; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; Philipsburg, St. Maarten
• Accommodations in one of the following staterooms: Oceanview (Category 8 or AY), Balcony Partially Obstruced View (Category 2C) or Balcony (Category X or AX)

• The brand new Celebrity Reflection has the most up-to-date amenities and attractions
• The beautiful grassy knoll of the Lawn Club has private alcove hideaways, a delicious grill and other activities
• Visit some of the best ports the Eastern Caribbean has to offer

 

• Free Beverage Bonus includes the following: beers up to $5 per serving, spirits, cocktails, and wine up to $8 per serving, all soda selections, fresh squeezed and bottled juices, premium coffees, teas and non-premium bottled water. Server gratuities are included.
• Valid for travel on the following departure dates:
  Toronto: March 2, 16, 23, 2013
  Montreal: March 9, 16, 23, 2013
• Pricing (Rates are per person based on double occupancy):
  
  March 2
  Toronto:
  Oceanview (Category 8): $1149 + $220 tax
  Balcony Partially Obstructed View (Category 2C): $1309 + $220 tax
  
  March 9
  Montreal:
  Oceanview (Category AY): $1299 + $219 tax
  Balcony (Category AX): $1449 + $219 tax
  
  March 16
  Toronto:
  Oceanview (Category 8): $1124 + $220 tax
  Balcony (Category X): $1224 + $220 tax
  Montreal:
  Oceanview (Category 8): $1149 + $219 tax
  Balcony (Category X): $1249 + $219 tax
  
  March 23
  Toronto:
  Oceanview (Category 8 & AY): $1349 + $220 tax
  Balcony (Category 2C): $1409 + $220 tax
  Montreal
  Oceanview (Category 8 & AY): $1399 + $219 tax
  Balcony (Category 2C): $1459 + $219 tax
• Airport/port transfers are NOT included
• This offer is 100% non-refundable at time of booking 

 

 

Canadians stuck in a rut for holiday spots? We dream of Oz but do the Caribbean

A very cool study was released today by the folks at Cheapflights.ca. The company surveyed more than 1,000 Canadians and found that more than 80 per cent of us are likely to return to the same place over and over again for a holiday. And eat the same dishes. At the same restaurants.

"We learned that, while travellers dream of trips to Australia, they find themselves in Florida, again and again," said Melisse Hinkle, site editor for Cheapflights.ca. "Another years means another trip to the same Disney Resort or the same beach condo."

Yeah, I bet the Florida tourism people hate that.

Forty four per cent of Canadians surveyed said they ate at the same restaurant on repeat visits, with 36 per cent visiting the same attractions. More than 32 per cent of us stay at the same hotel and almost 20 per cent eat the same meal over and over again.

I can see that being the case. There are a whack of restaurants on Main St. in Dunedin, Florida. But when I go I invariably end up on the patio at Sea Sea Rider's (see photo below) for a blackened fish sandwich at lunch. And I usually have dinner at Kelly's. They remind me of my days covering the Blue Jays in spring training and I like the ambience at both. And the food, of course.

The study found that, to no one's surprise, the Caribbean is our favourite spot for repeat visits, with 12.7 per cent of the vote. Next was Florida at 10.3 per cent, then Western Europe (7.3), Las Vegas/Southwest U.S. (6.9), Hawaii (6.7), the Maritimes (6.0), Mexico (5.9), the UK (5.5), Banff/Calgary/The Rockies (5.0), Toronto (4.5), California (4.4), Vancouver (3.8), Montreal/Quebec (3.1), New York (3.0) and Ottawa (1.9).

There was a bit of a difference between men and women on some of the destinations. The two sexes agreed mostly on the Caribbean and Florida. But men liked Western Europe more than women (8.3 per cent for men, 6.7 for women, which I find quite surprising). On the subject of Vegas/Southwest U.S., men named it their third favourite spot with a 9.2 per cent vote. Women had it number nine, with just 5.2 per cent support. Which probably isn't too surprising.

Men put a higher value on Hawaii (7.6 versus 6.0), while women liked the Maritimes more (7.1 versus 4.4 for men). Toronto? Women had us eighth at 5.4 per cent, while men put us in the 12th spot at 3.2 per cent. Montreal/Quebec I found strange. Men had the two cities ranked number nine at 4.4 per cent. Women had them down in 14th spot at just 2.3 per cent. Maybe men like the gentlemen's clubs in Montreal, who knows?

Asked where we'd go if we could travel to a new destination, the clear winner - by a country kilometer - was Australia and New Zealand. Those two countries garnered a whopping 31 per cent of the vote. Next was Eastern Europe, left in the dust at 7.0. Those two were followed by Costa Rica (6.7), the South Pacific (5.9), Alaska (5.4) and Belize (3.9). Then came, in order, Japan, Brazil, South Africa, China/Hong Kong, Thailand, India, Russia, Argentina and the Middle East.

Still, we seem to love going back to the same places an awful lot. Asked how likely they are to vacation at the same spot more than once, 20.8 per cent of us non-adventurous Canadians said it was "extremely likely." Another 32.7 per cent said it was very likely and 26.9 per cent said it was "moderately likely" and 11.5 said it was somewhat slightly likely. Meaning 80.4 per cent said it was slightly to extremely likely they'd go back. Only 8.2 per cent of us said it was not at all likely.

Asked why they would go or do go back to the same vacation spot, the top response was great weather, followed by value, "best holiday I've found," ease of access, peace of mind and safety.

Cheapflights.ca asked chartered psychologist Dr. Jane McCartney for some thoughts. The good doctor said the numbers can partly be explained because there's comfort in routine.

"Although it is widely accepted that a certain amount of structure and order is required for a healthy and productive life, having too much control can lead to boredom, tedium and being un-stimulated," she said.

WIKIMEDIA GOES TRAVEL

More on this tomorrow, but check out wikivoyage.org for the Wikimedia folks new foray into the travel biz. Interesting.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal on for a WestJet/Royal Caribbean cruise package. The deal is priced at $1,214, plus $253 in taxes, for a total of $1,467.

My family and I did a Royal Caribbean cruise to the same spots a few years ago and loved it. It's a wonderful family holiday, with something for everyone, and we were able to get off the ship a few times and do tours of the various islands, including St. Maarten/St. Martin and St. Thomas, which is beautiful and is an island I featured recently in Star Travel after a visit in October.

Here are the deal details:

Jaunt Highlights

• BONUS: Includes $50 Onboard Credit per cabin
• 7-night Eastern Caribbean Cruise sailing on the RCI Allure of the Seas
• Includes return airfare on WestJet from Toronto or Montreal to Fort Lauderdale 
• Departs and returns to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Other Ports of Call include: Nassau, Bahamas; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas & Philipsburg, St. Maarten
• Accommodations in an Inside Stateroom (March 3: Category N, March 17: Category Q)

Also included:

• The exciting DreamWorks Experience Character breakfast 
• Broadway calibre production of Chicago: The Musical
• Kids can't get enough of the Adventure Ocean Youth Program

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on the following departure dates:
  Toronto: March 3 & 17, 2013
  Montreal: March 17, 2013
• Pricing (Rates are per person based on double occupancy):
  Toronto
  March 3: $1214 + $253 tax
  March 17: $1364 + $253 tax
  
  Montreal
  March 17: $1658 tax included
• Airport/port transfers are NOT included
• This offer is 100% non-refundable at time of booking

 

 

Trouble in Thailand and Belfast not helping tourism ... Jaunt.ca deal of the day

It's a shame to see such great destinations struggling with tourism concerns.

I spotted an item on travelmole.com's British website today that suggested tour operators in Thailand are nervous about sending clients to at least one major spot; the island of Koh Phangan. Following the fatal shooting of a British tourist in a Thai bar that's popular with backpackers on Koh Phangan, TravelMole did a poll asking about the shooting and if operators felt it puts them off from selling marketing or visiting.

A massive 83% voted yes, it does put them off while only 17% voted no - taken from more than 1,400 votes. I dont' know how scientific that is, but it has to scare folks in Thailand just a little.

There have been other incidents of late, mostly on the islands from what I've seen and not in Bangkok, for what it's worth.

Half a world away, there are tourism concerns about recent protests by pro-British forces in Belfast, Northern Ireland (see photo above right).

Things have been thankfully peaceful in the north since 1998, when a peace deal was struck to end 30 years of conflict between Protestants and Catholics. But riots began again last month when mostly pro-Irish councillors in Belfast voted to end the century-old tradition of flying the British flag atop Belfast City Hall.

A Reuters report today says businesses have been disrupted and Belfast's reputation tarnished by some of the worst scenes in a dozen years.

"We are already aware of investors who have lost interest in Northern Ireland because of these disruptions," said a Confederation of British Industry statement.

From what I've seen there are no threats to tourists. Still, it can't help the country's tourism situation. And the timing is unfortunate as Ireland and Northern Ireland are together celebrating The Gathering 2013 this year, asking folks of Irish heritage (of those who wish they were) to come for all sorts of reunion/gathering activities.

I was quite surprised by Belfast when I visited a couple years ago. The food was exeptionally good and varied, the pubs were (understandably) fabulous and the architecture was hugely impressive. Definitely a spot worth visiting, and here's to hoping things calm down soon.

THIS AND THAT

Google is apparently helping install free Wi-Fi across a wide swath of the Chelsea District of Manhattan. Cool idea ... Elvis Presley would've been 78 yesterday, which meant it was time for fans to flock to Graceland. Personally, I've never been a big Elvis fan. I think mostly because his best years were over by the time I started paying attention to music, that being around the time of the Beatles arrival in North America ... Happy Birthday number 150 today to the London Underground, otherwise known as the Tube. It's still a world-class system, with enormous, snaking lines all over town that should make a Torontonian green with envy. I don't like the endless hallways and stairs, but in an old system you have to expect some inconveniences, I guess. I remember visiting England for the first time ever in 1979 and buying a white t-shirt with a map of the system and the words "I'd be lost without it." The damn thing shrunk in the dryer when I got home and I've been wanting that t-shirt ever since!

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a divison of Torstar, is offering a deal for a Scandinavian cruise from just $678 plus $75 in taxes. The cruise is with Royal Caribbean International's Vision of the Seas and leaves from and returns to Copenhagen. Here are the details:

Jaunt Highlights

• BONUS: Includes $50 Onboard Credit per cabin
• 7-night Norwegian Fjords Cruise sailing aboard the RCI Vision of the Seas
• Departs and returns to Copenhagen, Denmark. Other Ports of Call include: Alesund, Norway; Geiranger, Norway; Flam, Norway; and Bergen, Norway
• Accommodations in one of the following staterooms: Inside (Category N, M or K), Oceanview (Category I), or Balcony Oceanview (Category D1)

• Ports of call offer a substantial mix of historic insight and natural beauty
• Vision of the Seas offers guests the utmost in comfort and luxury
• Plenty of time to explore each unique and wondrous port of call

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on May 18, 2013 departure
• Pricing (Rates are per person, plus tax):
  
  Inside Stateroom (Category N)
  Double Occupancy
  1st and 2nd passenger: $678
  
  Inside Stateroom (Category M)
  Double, Triple or Quad Occupancy
  1st and 2nd guest: $688
  3rd and 4th guest: $499
  
  Inside Stateroom (Category K)
  Double, Triple or Quad Occupancy
  1st and 2nd guest: $728
  3rd and 4th guest: $499
  
  Oceanview Stateroom (Category I)
  Double Occupancy
  1st and 2nd guest: $738
  
  Balcony Oceanview Stateroom (Category D1)
  Double, Triple or Quad Occupancy
  1st and 2nd guest: $1439
  3rd and 4th guest: $499
  
  Tax per person for each option: $75

 

Great numbers for Air Canada and WestJet for 2012 ... Starbucks in Vietnam

The good times continue for both Air Canada and WestJet.

For the month of December 2012, Air Canada reported a record system load factor of 82.1 per cent, versus 81.0 per cent in December 2011, an increase of 1.1 percentage points. For the full year 2012, load factor was a record 82.7 per cent, versus 81.6 per cent, an increase of 1.1 percentage points.

Officials said there was a 6.6 per cent hike in U.S. transborder traffic and a 5.1 per cent increase in the Atlantic market.

For the year, Air Canada served more than 33 million customers.

WestJet today reported a record load factor of 81.9 per cent for December 2012. The airline flew 17.4 million guests in all of 2012 which is a year-over-year increase of 8.6 per cent or approximately 1,383,000 additional guests.

Good times for the Canadian airline industry, indeed. And a competitive time. Air Canada last month launched its low-cost airline, Rouge, aimed at Europe and the Caribbean. WestJet this month is expected to outline the cities that will be first up to receive its new regional service, called Encore.

DEAL OF THE DAY

Target Vacations, a division of Torstar, is offering a "cruise blowout March Madness" sale, with eastern and western Caribbean cruises from $982. Prices quoted include roundtrip airfare from Toronto to Ft. Lauderdale on WestJet. 

Cruise lines in the deal include Celebrity, Carnival, Royal Caribbean. Holland America and Norwegian Cruise Lines.

GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM!

Vietnamese folks love their coffee, and there's no shortage of good places for it across the country. I saw some fine shops when I was in Hanoi a couple years ago.

Now comes word that that familiar green and white sign might soon sprout up in Vietnamese cities. Starbucks says it will open its first cafe in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) as part of its initial foray into Vietnam and as part of an overall growth strategy in Asia.

"Our prices are affordable for average Vietnamese," an official said.

Still, Vietnam's French past means there's a strong coffee culture, and the American-based chain could find it tough slogging to take on long-time favourites of an independent nature.

MARDI GRAS APPROACHETH

Fat Tuesday is still a ways away (Feb. 12 in New Orleans), but they like to get things started early. The first big event of the official Mardi Gras season is Saturday, Jan. 19, when the Krewe de Vieux and Krewe Delusion kick things off in the French Quarter.

The Phunny Phorty Phellows parade was held yesterday, Sunday Jan. 6. This morning, Mayor Mitch Landrieu was supposed to greet royalty from the Rex and Zulu clubs at histori Gallier Hall, where they were to unveil their official 2013 posters and eat some tasty cake.

ISTANBUL AIMS FOR 2020 GAMES

Officials from the Turkish city of Istanbul today presented their candidate file to the International Olympic Committee. Istanbul is aiming for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

The city has aimed for several Olympics prior to this, including the 1996 Games in a fight against Toronto and the ultimate winner, Atlanta. But this time the city has really progressed and I have a very good feeling about their bid.

They're up against Madrid and Tokyo.

The IOC will visit the three finalist cities this spring, and the winner will be announced at an IOC gathering in Buenos Aires on Sept. 7 of this year.

There was some talk of a Toronto bid for 2020 but it never happened. There's a chance the city will bid for the 2024 Summer Games, and the chances likely would be pretty decent, although competition from the U.S. could prove fierce. Possible American bidders include New York and Chicago, which have bid previously, as well as Dallas and Philadelphia.

With the U.S. and the IOC having finally resolved a nasty revenue sharing debate that went on for years, the time looks good for an American bidder.

 

 

Canada ranks 18th in world as tourism brand; USA takes home the gold medal

Earlier this year, a group called Future Brand released its annual "Country Brand Index" that rates countries according to their key attributes. They gave Canada the number two spot on the planet in terms of a tourism brand, putting behind only Switzerland.

The third, fourth and fifth spots in the Future Brand report went to Japan, Sweden and New Zealand.

It was a slight drop for Canada, as we finished tops in the Country Brand Index in 2010 and 2011.

But now there's a new report out by a compnay called Bloom Consulting, called the Country Branding Ranking. It would require a degree in something I don't understand to figure out how it's different from Future Brand's report, but one thing they say is that take a ton of factors into account and also that they're the only ones in this business (and I guess there is one) that takes tourist demand into account.

Readers of this blog will remember, perhaps, that Canada has slipped a fair bit in terms of international arrivals the last few years and is no longer in the top ten. Canada ranked seventh in international arrivals in 2007, but the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) recently stated we're now 18th.

And 18th is exactly where we stand in the world in the new Bloom Consulting report, which attempts to measure how much revenue a country could potentially add to its economy via trade and tourism.

Anyway, for what it's worth, here's the Bloom report's top 20:

1. United States 2. Spain 3. France 4. China 5. Turkey 6. Thailand 7. Germany 8. Macau 9. United Kingdom 10. Australia 11. Austria 12. Italy 13. Hong Kong 14. Malaysia 15. Netherlands 16. Mexico 17. Switzerland 18. Canada 19. Croatia 20. Russian Federation

So at least we finished ahead of Russia. Let's hope that continues at the World Junior Hockey Championships, eh?

Here are a few other notables: 21. Portugal, 233. India, 24. Greece 25. Republic of Korea 28. Japan 32. Ireland.

The bottom ten? Here ya go: 152. Tajikistan (there goes my holiday plan) 153. Swaziland 154. Federation States of Micronesia 155. Sao Tome and Principe 156. Djibouti 157. Tonga 158. Kiribati 159. Papua New Guinea 160. Burundi and, at the bottom: 161. Marshall Islands (see photo at left, which looks pretty damn good to me).

Asia had eight countries in the top 25. Japan wasn't in that group due to the residual effects of the tsunami.

I don't remember seeing this report last year, but I found a website that shows the 2011 Bloom rankings, and Canada was 23rd. So I guess we're moving in the right direction. The U.S. was first last year as well, followed by Spain, France, Germany and the UK.

Bloom on Thursday also released a U.S. state by state analysis (plus D.C., for 51 ranking spots). Tops was California, no surprise given the plethora of things to do, followed by Florida and New York. Illinois was fourth and then it went Texas, Michigan (good to see), Georgia, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Colorado.

The bottom five were: 47. Kansas 48. Vermont (a surprise to me) 49. West Virginia 50. Rhode Island and 51. Delaware. Poor Delaware. Makes me think I should do a trip there sometime and see for myself.

DO WE HATE OUR FAMILIES OR SOMETHING?

Geez. A study by Cheapflights.ca finds that more than 80 per cent of Canadians want to travel tos ee family this Christmas, but less than 30 per cent have actually made travel plans.

Given the economy that might not be surprising.

Based on answers from more than 400 Canadians, the survey also found that just over 18 per cent of us wish we could travel to ESCAPE our family, though only 3.2 per cent of us actually are doing so.

Parents and children topped the list of fave family members to see, while in-laws, shockingly, were at the bottom, with less than two per cent of folks having them on their holiday travel wish-list.

More than 12 per cent of survey respondents said they will avoid seeing their brother or sister. But, just to end this on a nice note, 23 per cent said there were NO relatives they wanted to avoid.

HOTEL OMNI MONT-ROYAL IMPROVEMENTS

The folks at the Hotel Omni Mont-Royal (in Montreal, of course) say they've undergone a "spectacular" $20 million transformation.

Officials said it involved a "complete re-design and refurbishment of its facilities, including all 200 guest rooms and suites" and a new lobby, which now features "an upscale lounge bar and restaurant."

Other amenities include an outdoor pool (for summer, naturally) and "state of the art" fitness centre. They also have added Italian marble bathrooms and 42-inch LCD flat screen TV's.

They say rooms have views of either Mont-Royal Park or the Montreal skyline.

AIR CANADA ADDS VIRTUAL HOLD

This oughta help a few folks. Air Canada sent me a note today to say that what they call "virtual hold" has now rolled out at their call centres in Canada and the U.S. and is currently offered for general reservations and web support services.

“"With this new product, customers are now given an estimated wait time and the option of a call-back rather than remaining on hold," officials said.

Here's what they said about it in an employee newsletter: "Virtual Hold certainly helps alleviate customer frustration from being on hold indefinitely.  The estimated wait time information and option to continue on hold or have a call-back is very much appreciated by our customers - especially during irregular operations. Our IT team worked tirelessly for several months upon months to overcome the multiple challenges of installing new technology on a legacy phone system. The next step is to add a service where customers can schedule a call back time. Call Centres continues to focus on reducing the amount of time customers wait with ongoing hiring and implementation of technology and process improvements."

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a two-for-one Avalon River Cruise special that's exclusive to Jaunt. It's a cruise through central Europe's capital cities on the Avalon Tranquility and it's going for $1,633 plus $133 in taxes for a total of $1,766.

Here are the highlights:

• BONUS: Two for One: for every one person (paid in full), the second traveller's cruise is FREE (reflected in the pricing)
• 12-day River Cruise and stay along the Danube River, starting in Budapest and ending in Prague
• Includes the following ports of call with daily sightseeing programs in: Budapest, Hungary; Bratislava, Slovakia; Vienna, Austria; Krems, Austria; Melk, Austria; Grein, Austria; Passau, Germany; and Prague, Czech Republic
• Accommodations in a Deluxe Outside Stateroom, located on the Indigo Deck (Category E) featuring twin windows. Upgraded cabin categories with French Balconies available at 1.855.GO.JAUNT
• Includes all meals on the ship, complimentary sparkling wine with breakfast, soft drinks with lunch, and wine, beer, or soft drinks with dinner
• 2 nights' accommodations in Prague at the InterContinental

More details:

• For every traveller paid in full another traveller's cruise is free
• The tour employs local guides so you have the best exposure to the places visited
• The cruise visits renowned capitals and lesser known destinations

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on April 11, 2013 sailing
• Pricing (per person, based on double occupancy, plus port charges)
  
  Deluxe Outside Stateroom (Category E)
  $1632.50 per person, double occupancy
  Tax: $133
  
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is 100% non-refundable at time of booking

 

 

 

 

No Cathay smiles/Philippines tourism boom/Jaunt.ca cruise deal is deal of day

 There's talk of a workers' strike on Dec. 20 at JFK International Airport in New York. Which would be rather traumatic for travelers around Christmas, for sure.

Things are tough in Asia, too. In case you hadn't heard, staff at Cathay Pacific are pissed off about their working situation and flight attendants are poised to take action.

No, they're not going to strike (at least not yet). They're going to stop smiling! And maybe stop serving food. And perhaps, horror of horrors, stop selling booze on board!! 

AP reports that "cabin staff at the airline, which has a reputation for top-notch service, voted at a union meeting this week in favor of industrial action that could also result in flight delays."

The union is demanding a 5 per cent pay increase but the airline, which is struggling to cut costs after posting a first-half loss of $120.5 million, has offered 2 percent and a 13th month bonus.

AP reports the union is considering a strike as a last resort, but not until the new year.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, is offering a deal for a trans-atlantic cruise, along with some time in Euorpe. The deal starts at $2,099 plus $697 in taxes for a total of $2,796.

Here are the highlights:

• Transatlantic Crossing Cruise onboard the MSC Poesia with Post-Cruise Europe Stay
• Option 1:  18-day/17-night vacation including a 15-night Transatlantic Crossing Cruise, and 2-night post-cruise stay in London (UK)
  
  • Departure flight from Toronto to Fort Lauderdale, and return flight from London-Gatwick to Toronto
  • Ports of call include: Fort Lauderdale, USA; New York, USA; Ponta Delgada-Azores, Portugal; Lisbon, Portugal; La Coruna, Spain; and London, UK
  • Post-cruise stay in London, featuring 4-star hotel accommodations, city tour via deluxe motorcoach with English-speaking guide and dining as per itinerary
• Option 2:  27-day/26-night vacation inclouding a 17-Night Cruise, Post-Cruise Tour: 2-Nights In Berlin (Germany), 2-Nights In Prague (Czech Republic), 2-Nights in Vienna (Austria) & 3-Nights in Rome (Italy)
  • Departure flight from Toronto to Fort Lauderdale, and return flight from Rome to Toronto
  • Ports of call include: Fort Lauderdale, USA; New York, USA; Ponta Delgada-Azores, Portugal; Lisbon, Portugal; La Coruna, Spain; London, UK; and Kiel-Lubeck, Germany
  • Post-cruise stays in Berlin, Prague, Vienna and Rome, featuring 4-star accommodations, city tours via deluxe motorcoach with English-speaking guide and dining as per itinerary
• Includes accommodations, dining and entertainment aboard MSC Poesia. Accommodations available in Outside (Cat. 4/5), Standard Balcony Ocean View (Cat. 6/7/8), or Superior Balcony Ocean View (Cat. 9, 10, 11) staterooms
• All transfers between airport, hotels, and piers included

Jaunt.ca offers deals in Ontario and other parts of Canada as well as the Caribbean and other hot spots, so check them out at www.jaunt.ca.

PHILIPPINES ON THE RISE

There's a big boom coming in tourism to the Philippines.

Starwood Hotels this week announced plans to build a Westin and a Sheraton hotel in Manila, which follows news a couple days ago that Hilton has signed a deal with a local group to manage the Hilton Manila.

Starwood plans to open the Westin Manila Bayshore in mid-2016 as part of the Resorts World Bayshore in the Entertainment City development in Paranaque. Sheraton Manila is slated to open in the Resorts World Manila development in Newport City, Pasay in early 2017.

Starwood notes that the opening of the two hotels (well, announced plans to open) "fuels Starwood's remarkablle growth trajectory in Asia Pacific." The company currently operates more than 230 hotels in Asia Pacific, with plans to have 400 in operation by 2016.

Scheduled to open in 2014, the 350-room Hilton Manila is located on Newport Boulevard next to Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and it marks Hilton's first property in the city.

Philippines Air Lines earlier this month announced plans to fly directly from Manila to Toronto.

I've never been, but I hear great things about Boracay for swimming and diving, and the island archipelago seems to have come a long way. It's certainly beautiful. And it appears to be growing in tourism terms by leaps and bounds...

HAITI MOVING UP

The opening of the posh Royal Oasis Hotel in Haiti this week seems to be a turning point for the troubled Caribbean nation. The island's sizable homeless situation still festers, but with any luck the new hotel will help provide a few jobs and a bit of hope.

The Oasis is located in Petionville, desribed by Reuters as "a business and social hub in the hills south of Port-au-Prince."

The hotel will have restaurants, shops and a conference centre. A night in the Royal Club Presidential Suite will cost more than $1,000 and come with butler service.

Other hotels are said to be on the way, including a Marriott (groundbreaking is supposed to be next week) and a Best Western Premier that's supposed to open in January.

A couple days ago, Transat announced it will offer vacation packages to Haiti out of Montreal, beginning Jan. 23, 2013. The packages will combine stays in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, and on the Côte des Arcadins, featuring magnificent beaches, with an extensive program of guided excursions: museums, historical and natural sites, theme routes, sports and seaside activities.

"More and more travellers want to enjoy an enriching human experience when they take their Sun holiday,” said Annick Guérard, General Manager, Transat Tours Canada. "These new packages are designed for customers seeking vacations that combine discovery and relaxation.

 

 

Hate Paris/Love Paris: how can we feel so differently? Jaunt.ca deal of the day

The travel game is a funny one.

I've been surrounded lately by pitches from freelance writers and columnists about Christmas. "Ten great places to shop this holiday season," or "Europe's best Christmas markets." Things like that. It's nice, as we here at the Star have 100-plus travel sections a year and it's nice to have a theme to fall back on every now and then.

Yesterday I was reading a Rick Steves' column about Christmas traditions in Europe. He talked at one point about places in France where they sell "santons," which I believe are the small, ceramic figurines that folks can put around a creche or nativity scene. It immediately reminded me of a trip I took to Paris and the south of France (sorry about that) a couple years ago for the Star's epic series "The Grand Tour." I visited the town of Aix-en-Provence for a couple days in early December and fell in love with the stalls selling tiny, detailed and brightly coloured figures of bakers, butchers and, this being the home of Cezanne, painters.

Paris was absolutely wonderful at Christmas, with the interior of the Galeries Lafayette all done up in remarkable decorations and the Champs Elysees ablaze with coloured lights and a dusting of snow on the ground and collecting around the edges of the Metro subway signs and on the tops of restaurant awnings, including the fabled Les Deux Magots on Blvd. St. Germain.

The first time I saw Paris I was underwhelmed. I liked it but thought it noisy and thought the people impolite. The second time I quite enjoyed it. The third time I loved it. And the Christmas visit was exquisite. Mind you, I stayed at Le Bristol, one of the cities' top hotels. That probably helped. But I also was delighted by a $5 cup of incredible hot chocolate in the Marais district, which is full of great shops and fun shopping streets. And we ate cheaply in a great brasserie with tons of atmosphere in the Canal St. Martin area. I found the people charming for the most part and helpful and I came away with a renewed love for Paris.

So Monday morning and afternoon I have these warm, fuzzy feelings about France and Paris, with visions of snow-covered streets and romantic restaurants and tiny Christmas figures in my head. Monday night I gathered in a bar on Yonge St. and started chatting with a friend. And he said he was in Paris recently.

And HATED it.

"Worst part of my trip," he said.

Mind you, this buddy of mine is Italian and he said he absolutely adored Florence. I basically met my wife in Florence so I have to be careful here, but the last time I was there I wasn't so crazy about it. I liked it fine, but I didn't (and never have) like the art too much (WAY too heavy on the religious imagery for me) and it was impossibly crowded. Very pretty but perhaps a bit overrated in my book.

But the point, and there is one here I think, is that that's why travel is so great. I can go to, say, Birmingham and get an upgrade to a room overlooking the park and have a smashing meal and meet some great locals and come away RAVING about the place. But you could go the next week and get the tiny, cramped room with no heat next to the dumpster and get rained on and wander into a tourist trap restaurant and get waited on by a woman who just broke up with her boyfriend and hates the world and you come back and tell all your friends DO NOT GO TO BIRMINGHAM.

None of us is right. None of us is wrong. So when it comes time to make that trip, talk to your friends. But when they say they hated Paris find out why. Read Trip Advisor. Read the Star's travel stories on Paris. But don't let anyone else rule your plans. It's a big world out there and we're all different and we look at things in varied ways.

You might like classical music and be dying to visit the birthplace in Germany of Richard Wagner, born 200 years ago in 2013. I'm a Beatles guy and would rather see where Richard (Ringo) Starkey grew up in Liverpool.

As my buddy Dave Perkins likes to say, "That's why they have menus in restaurants."

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, is offering a 7-day south Caribbean cruise for $999, plus $596 in taxes, per person. Here's what you get:

• BONUS: Upgraded accommodations in an Oceanview Stateroom (Category EP), featuring two lower beds
• 7-Night Southern Caribbean cruise aboard the Costa Luminosa, starting from and ending in La Romana, Dominican Republic
• Includes return airfare from Toronto to La Romana and round-trip airport/cruise transfers
• Ports of call include: La Romana, Dominican Republic; Catalina Island, Dominican Republic; Tortola, British Virgin Islands; St. John's, Antigua; Fort de France, Martinique; Pointe a Pitre, Guadeloupe; and Philipsburg, St. Maarten.
• Standard onboard dining included.
• There's a "decadent and deliciou coffe and chocolate bar on board and the ship features "beautiful glasswork and other incredible decorative features." The ship also stops at Catalina Island, a private retreat owned by Costa cruises.
• The offer is valid for travel on Dec. 31, 2012.

What's old in Scotland ... new art centre for Montreal ... Jaunt.ca cruise deals

The tourism job is a tricky one.

On one hand, folks like to talk about what’s new. It’s a natural way to start a conversation, of course. But it also can be a dangerous game.

I get dozens of emails a week from tourism boards in Canada and the U.S. and Europe, all giving me thousands of words on a new hotel in this town or a new art festival in that one.

But sometimes I think everyone in the industry, myself included, gets too focused on what’s new that we forget about the stuff that makes a city or a tourism region popular in the first place. I mean, most tourists heading to Paris don’t care if there’s a new Shangri-La hotel opening. They want to know about the Eiffel Tower or Notre Dame or the Louvre.

So when I met with Mike Cantlay of Visit Scotland yesterday, I jokingly started our chat by telling him, “I don’t care what’s new; tell me what’s old in Scotland.”

He laughed but he said he completely understood where I was coming from (a rarity in my life).

“Tourism is our biggest industry,” he said. “We want people to understand the unique features that make Scotland different.”

Cantlay, sporting a white shirt with a red and blue tartan tie for our coffee meeting, said Scotland has to make sure it keeps its iconic sights and activities front and centre as they’re what make Scotland Scotland. That means golf, castles, whisky, Robert Burns, tartans and bagpipes.

Plus, of course, a certain emphasis on other activities and, naturally, at least some focus on what’s coming up that’s different and might bring people back a second or third time.

Sports have been a big focus for Scotland, and it’s hosting the Ryder Cup golf tourney in 2014 at Gleneagles and also playing host to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow that year. The Commonwealth Games will bring some 6,500 athletes from 71 countries and they expect to sell a million tickets.

They’re bidding for the Youth Olympic Games in 2018 and are lobbying the Tour de France to start a future race in Scotland, which would be interesting to say the least.

The year 2014 also marks a Scotland Homecoming year, and there are plans for a new branch of the Victoria and Albert museum in Dundee for 2015 or 2016.

“Tourism is the easiest industry” to help Scotland stay on its feet, Cantlay said. “You invest one dollar and you’ll get 20 dollars back.”

The British pound has fallen mightily against the Canadian dollar over the past couple years, to the point where a visit now is probably one-third cheaper than two or three years ago.

“The whole country is one-third off,” Cantlay said with a laugh. “But it won’t stay that way forever.”

NEW MONTREAL CENTRE

I don’t recall hearing about it before, but the folks at Montreal Tourism tell me The Phi Centre opened up this summer as a new art spot. It’s a multi-disciplinary centre with films, music, a new exhibition space with “cutting edge interactive installations” and room for conferences, corporate events and more.

A restaurant is planned for late 2013 or early 2014, and the centre is located at 407 Saint-Pierre at the corner of St. Pierre and Rue St. Paul in Old Montreal.

JAUNT DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, still has a great deal on for cruises. Their exclusive Norwegian Cruise Lines Balcony Sale ends this coming Saturday evening and features three of NCL’s top ships, the Pride of America in Hawaii, the Norwegian Epic in the Western Mediterranean and also in the Eastern Caribbean and the Norwegian Breakaway out of New York City.

The deal includes added value such as paid gratuities, onboard credits and reduced rates.

Jaunt also has deals across Canada and other parts of the world, so check them out at jaunt.ca.

 

Club Med comes to Canada (minus the palm trees) ... Drag queens on Carnival

Travel Pulse reports that ClubMed and Le Groupe Massif in Quebec have signed a deal to jointly operate the first Club Med resort in Canada.

You won't see any palm trees, at least not outdoors, but plans call for the resort to be built at the renowned ski hill at Le Massif de Charlevoix, in Petite-Rivière-Saint-François.

Le Massif Chairman Daniel Gauthier (of Cirque du Soleil fame) made the announcement at a Chamber of Commerce and Industry conference in Quebec City.

Plans call for a 300-room hotel to be built by Dec. 2015. Gauthier said that represents 24 per cent of the total number of units in phase one of the development project at Le Massif.

“Club Med’s interest confirms Le Massif de Charlevoix’s vast tourism potential," Gauthier said in the Travel Pulse story. “It coincides perfectly with our aspiration to offer all-inclusive lodgings at the mountain. It is nevertheless important to mention that this hotel, which will be jointly operated with Club Med, represents only a portion of the mountain’s overall lodging offer.”

DRAG QUEENS BACK ON BOARD

Etravelblackboard reportsthat Carnival Cruise Lines "will now allow guests aboard what is being dubbed as the largest gathering of drag queens at sea to wear drag during the cruise, following outrage at a letter sent to passengers advising them that they will not be permitted to do so in public areas."

The letter, sent by Carnival Cruise Lines vice president of guest services Vicky Ray, told passengers sailing on the 2 December Carnival Glory voyage out of Miami that guests who violate the policy, “will be disembarked at their own expense and no refund will be given.”

Ms Ray attributed the decision to the amount of families and children that sail aboard the ship and expressed the line’s expectation that passengers “recognise that minors are onboard and refrain from engaging in inappropriate conduct in public areas.”

Carnival Cruise Lines president and CEO Gerry Cahill has taken to social media to explain what he says was a miscommunication between the cruise line and travel agency, Al and Chuck Travel, who booked the cruise.

“When the group was presented to us we were advised that only the performers would be dressed in drag during the private events,” Mr Cahill writes. 

“However, we are now aware that this was not clearly communicated to members of the group and therefore anyone who wishes to dress in drag may do so.

Mr Cahill goes on to express the importance of onboard safety and security procedures asking passengers to keep in mind that people must still be recognisable by their government-issued ID.

ZIP AROUND VEGAS

Tourists will soon have a new way to see the lights of Las Vegas: By being spit out of the mouth of an 11-story slot machine and zinged down a five-block zip line past some of the city's oldest casinos, says a story from Associated Press.

Officials on Tuesday unveiled plans for a permanent zip line on the downtown Las Vegas promenade known as the Fremont Street Experience.

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman said the thrill ride dubbed SlotZilla was destined to become an iconic city landmark.

"This is going to be known around the world: Come ride our Slotzilla," she said, standing beside showgirls and a scale model at the unveiling.

The monster zip line will cost $11 million to build and between $20 and $30 to ride. Construction is expected to start in January.

The attraction, expected to open in June, is an expansion of a much smaller, temporary zip line that has for two years scooted families, newlyweds and Elvis impersonators beneath a long metal canopy that displays an hourly light show.

That ride was intended to be a 30-day novelty, but it proved such a crowd pleaser the business community began working to make it permanent.

Currently, riders launch four at a time from a 67-foot (20-meter) metal scaffolding and land 800 feet (244 metres) away near the Four Queens casino, halfway across the pedestrian mall that features the world's largest video screen.

The new tower will be twice as tall, feature twice as many lines, and will look like a giant slot machine spitting out disoriented tourists.

With each new batch of zip-liners, the handle will dip, the wheels will spin, and the doors will open, revealing the course to the tourists on top.

"If you're going to do something here, you have to do it bigger and better than anywhere else," said Fremont Street Experience marketing director Thomas Bruney.

Officials are betting the new attraction will lure more visitors the downtown area, which has struggled to compete with the flashier Strip three miles (less than five kilometres) away.

It is intended to reflect the "vintage Vegas" vibe that characterizes the promenade, nicknamed "Glitter Gulch" for the classic casino signs that glow amid the souvenir shops and buffet signs.

Riders will be able to stop halfway, or continue to the end of the 1,700 course, landing near the Golden Gate casino. They will have the option of flying along the lines in a horizontal "superman" position, and accelerating their ride using a new "power launch" system.

Bootleg Canyon Flightlines operates the current ride. The new structure will be built by the Hawaii-based company Skyline, better known for zip lines that span waterfalls and forests.

“However, we are now aware that this was not clearly communicated to members of the group and therefore anyone who wishes to dress in drag may do so.