Iceland looks for new name? RBC poll says (surprise) we want winter warmth

Hey, Leif Ericsson, don't let the door hit you on the way out.

I read today in the Huffington Post that Iceland is asking travelers to give their exotic, well-regarded island a new name. Yeah, as marketing gimmicks go, calling your country Iceland isn't exactly a great concept. It'd be like Edmonton saying welcome to Murderville, Alberta or Tonawanda being called "Fire City." Oh, wait ...

I don't know if it's true, but I read as a kid once that Ericsson, the great sailor/discovered, intentionally called Greenland that name because it was, in fact, almost all ice. Iceland, on the other hand, had things going for it so he slapped the ice word on it to discourage other folks from checking it out. It's pretty clever but I suspect it didn't do a lot in the long run except damage Iceland's modern-day tourism numbers.

The Huff Post quotes Inga Hiln Palsdottir, director of marketing and Visit Iceland at Promote Iceland, as saying her group is embracing the talk of a name change and that "some of the naming suggestions will appear on marketing materials and online properties."

Yahoo.com reports that "a naming booth has been installed at Keflavik airport where visitors are actively encouraged to share what Iceland is to them: name and all. A brand new naming page is now visible on the http://www.inspiredbyiceland.com website and the most popular contributions can be viewed along with the latest videos and images from the campaign. The conversation will also be available on The Inspired by Iceland Facebook and Twitter pages."

One guy, Floria Thomasson of Germany, apparently has suggested Landofendlessskyland. Someone on Twitter sent in AwesomelandUnicornMichaelJackson. As much as I like the funkiness of the latter suggestion, I somehow doubt it'll fly. It should sound European, I'd think, so people associate it more with Europe. PlungingEuroland, maybe? WeallneedabailoutbyGermanyland?

HAPPY WORLD TOURISM DAY

It's World Tourism Day, apparently, although I didn't get the memo.

I did, however, get a note about how Ipsos Reid recently did a study on behalf of World Vision and found that 77 per cent of vacationing Canadians are disturbed to see children working in the tourism industry. It also found that half of Canadians (a bit disappointing) would be willing to spend an average of 27 per cent more on their holidays if travel companies guaranteed they didn't use child labour.

"We wear maple leafs on our backpacks and lapels, but it's time we started recognizing how we may be unintentionally fueling the problem of child exploitation," said Caroline Riseboro, vice president of marketing and communications for World Vision Canada.

Food for thought.

PALM TREES AND PYRAMIDS

The latest RBC Travel Rewards Poll says Disney World, Machu Picchu and the Great Pyramids of Egypt remain high on our vacation wish list.

Asked to name their 2012 top city, 13 per cent named Honolulu, Hawaii. Yeah, it's got Waikiki Beach and hula girls and fab sunsets and surfing and all that, but it also has excellent food (Hawaiian chefs do great Asian-influenced seafood and all sorts of other great stuff), perfect weather and lots to do for city folks, including fine museums and great shopping. The wonders of Oahu are close by, too. Next on the list was Paris at 12 per cent, followed by Rome at 11, London at nine, New York at six and Las Vegas at six. New York was up from four per cent in the previous year's poll, by the way, so they're doing something right. All those added flights from WestJet and Air Canada and Porter likely are helping fuel the Big Apple boom as well, I'd think.

The top-ranked tourist destination (as opposed to city) was the Great Pyramids of Egypt at 18 per cent, followed by Machu Picchu in Peru (11), Disney World (10), the Canadian Rockies (nine) and the Great Wall of China (nine).

The poll found that the top activities likely to be part of the next vacation include sightseeing (64 per cent), staying in a hotel (51 per cent), shopping (49 per cent) and relaxing on a beach (45 per cent).

WALK NEW ZEALAND

Air New Zealand is looking for four great walkers to complete all nine of New Zealand's "spectacular and sometimes gruelling great walks," which span 550 km of terrain that includes alpine peaks, glacial valleys, native bush, golden beaches and rainforests.

Entries for the Great Walker can be found at www.greatwalkernz.com until Oct. 22. Winners will travel to New Zealand in Feburary 2013 to complete the "epic Kiwi adventure of a lifetime."

 

 

 

More great wine tasting spots: B.C., Australia, Hawaii and, of course, France

Yesterday I mentioned a whack of my favourite wine tasting places. Today I'm adding five more, with some random thoughts at the bottom just because it's a Wednesday and we need to celebrate the week is almost half-over. (Speaking of which, I saw an outstanding cartoon in the paper on Tuesday that showed a management type talking with a camel wearing a suit inthe camel's office. There was a calendar on the wall that said "Tuesday, Sept. 25" and the management guy had this great look on his face with a caption above that said something like "If you wish me 'Happy Hump Day' again tomorrow you're fired." Absolutely hilarious, if completely off topic. Because we were talking about wine. I don't know any good wine jokes, but I do remember a great episode of the Tonight Show once where Johnny Carson was talking about a wine and cheese event in Ohio somewhere in the 1970's where they had trays of Velveeta and glasses of wine, thoughtfully with bowls of sugar alongside in case folks found the wines too dry. Also hilarious.

So, anyhoo, with those side issues out of the way, here's my Wednesday look at some of my favourite wine-tasting-sipping-slurping-guzzling spots around the globe.

1. Australia. The Barossa Valley near Adelaide is Australia’s best-known area for high quality wines but you also can try the Yarra Valley near Melbourne for a great variety, including fine sparkling wines at the lovely Domaine Chandon (see photo). Heading further afield? Check out the increasingly high-profile Margaret River region in Western Australia for great Cabs and Shiraz. Only headed to Sydney?  The Hunter Valley is close by and they make very good reds and whites. They also do fun events such as “Jazz in the Vines” and “Opera in the Vineyards.”

2. British Columbia. The Okanagan Valley has great food and fabulous, award-winning wines. In the
south section around dry (think tumbleweeds and cactus) Osoyoos, they make excellent Syrah blends that are big and round, with a bit of California meets France halfway feel. Angels Gate and other wineries further north, near Kelowna, make fabulous Pinot Gris. Not washy, tasteless Pinot Grigio but fine, balanced Pinot Gris that’s excellent with food. An outdoor seat at the restaurant at Mission Hill is about as spectacular as you can get, with rows of vineyards sweeping down to the lake and dusty mountains off in the background. I've yet to find a winery in California with a view as nice as those in the hills above Okanagan Lake.

3. South Africa. I’m not a huge fan of the leathery reds they make (barnyard notes might be more accurate) but perhaps that’s because I grew up drinking fruity, new world wines. I’ve quite
enjoyed the whites I’ve had from SA, however, and they make a great range of Sauvignon Blancs and crisp Chardonnays. Sitting on a patio overlooking the harbour in Cape Town and gazing up at Table Mountain looks to be about as romantic a wine experience as you could have. 

4. Hawaii. Want something truly exotic? Tedeschi Winery on Maui makes surprisingly decent white and red wines, as well as pineapple wine that’s best left to give to Uncle Fred for his 80^th birthday celebration. The quaint and pretty winery/tasting room  is located high up the slopes of Mt. Haleakala in lovely countryside (see photo at right), with rolling hills, cattle, eucalyptus trees and stunning views out over the island of Maui.

5. France. Of course. But you already knew that. Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne are legendary. Ditto for the Loire, with great, crisp whites. Increasingly good products from Languedoc, and always consistent rose’ from Provence. Oh, don’t forget the versatile Pinot Gris/Pinot Blanc and Riesling
from up near the German border. Bordeaux is the king internationally, so much so that China is now the largest importer of Bordeaux wines in the world. The city of Bordeaux doesn't get a lot of exposure but it's got lovely, old buildings and stately squares and a terribly fun old quarter with cafes that spill out into tiny, pedestrian-only lanes. Awesome food and, of course, good wine lists. The area around St. Emilion is a personal fave. It's a beautiful town (see photo below left) filled with gorgeous, creamy buildings and built on top of enormous caves. There's an historic, underground church and plenty of tasting rooms and lovely, small hotels. Good macaroons, too, if you have a sweet tooth. I haven't been to Burgundy in years but I love small towns like Vezelay and Avalon. There's even a Montreal if you want to have fun with some photos. I haven't spent much time in the Loire but I love a good, crisp Sancerre white - a favourite if I remember correctly of former Star reporter Ernest Hemingway. The wines of Provence aren't as notable, but there are fabulous wines and great tasting opportunities down around the lovely town of Aix-en-Provence, which is only a short drive from the Cote d'Azur. In Aix itself, be sure to tour the former home of Cezanne, who did much of his painting in the home and in the area. It's quite a beautiful spot and there are tons of great cafes and terrific shopping opportunities in the old streets of town.

FURTHER THOUGHTS:

I've never been to South America but Chilean wines are exceptional. A few of the Cabernet Sauvignons at the low end have too much of a green pepper taste for my liking, but most of it is excellent and well-priced. Argentina does wonders with Malbec, also grown in the Cahors region of France, and a good Malbec goes great with a steak. They make some pretty good stuff in Uruguay and even parts of Brazil ... Further north you can get some tasty fruit from Mexico, mostly Baja California ... Back on the continent, Germany and Switzerland make very good whites and even some reasonably hefty reds . The vineyards along the Rhine and Mosel rivers are stunningly beautiful, as are the ones that cascade down the steep hills on the north side of Lake Geneva (or Lac Leman if you choose) in Switzerland… Looking for something different that’s great with food? Try a Gruner Veltliner white from Austria … Spain makes fab reds and terrific white wines. Rioja is king but you also can find good value from the Penedes and excellent sparkling wines for a quarter the price of French champagne … Israel makes some excellent red wine, as does Lebanon … Italy’s a no-brainer. My personal fave for value is Nero d’Avola, with full body that’s more to my North American taste than most Italian wines … Greece makes some lovely, crisp whites that are perfect for a seaside patio … Folks tell me Chinese wines are improving but the stuff I tried when I was last there wasn’t so great … Headed to the States? New York has great wineries in the Finger Lakes. More surprising is the quality of wine in Virginia and even Texas. Oregon and Washington you might know about, with similar grapes to B.C., but also in the up-and-coming market are places like Arizona, North Carolina and Colorado ... I've had some decent whites made on the Ile d'Orleans outside Quebec City, too ... Okay, it's not wine but Japan has won dozens of awards for its Scotch whisky. Something about the water, I guess, and the typical Japanese attention to detail. It's quite tasty.

Cruise with a favourite major league ballplayer ... World to reach 1 billion tourists

You gotta hand it to the cruise industry. They know what we like and they keep giving it to us; free drinks packages, fabulous swimming pools and rock-climbing walls and, increasingly these days, theme cruises with special guests.

Notwithstanding the fact that none of them seem to want to invite travel editors on board, they seem to have some pretty good concepts. The latest one I've read about involves former ballplayers, ranging from Ken Griffey Jr. and Juan Marichal to former Jays outfielder Jesse Barfield.

USA Today reports that MSC cruises has announced another round of 'baseball greats' voyages to the Caribbean this coming winter. There will be five sailings, all on the 3,010-passenger MSC Poesia (what kind of a name is that, anyway) out of Ft. Lauderdale and ranging from seven to 10 nights.

Barfield apparently will be on a 10-night southern Caribbean voyage that leaves Dec. 11 and also features former big leaguers Bill Russell, Dave Campbell and Stan Bahnsen. Former player and Jays manager Jim Fregosi, who I think would be pretty entertaining if my dealings with him in my career as a Jays/baseball reporter are any indication, will be on a seven-night eastern Caribbean trip leaving Feb. 9 with Banhsen, Larry Parrish and Griffey (senior, not junior).

The list I saw isn't bad. But I'm not seeing too many guys in their 40's on the list. I'd think MSC, in an ideal world, would want to mix in a few younger baseball guys to go along with the Griffeys, Marichals and Barfields, and you don't often see Jesse Barfield's name mixed in with Griffey and the legendary Marichal, do ya? (A side note here: I grew up outside of San Francisco and saw him pitch his no-hitter in June, 1963. Very cool, although I remember my dad telling me in later years I was bored by the lack of scoring in the game. Stupid kid.)

I was noodling about on cruisecritic.com this morning and found there are far more theme cruises than I had expected. There are art cruises (I'd heard about those) and history cruises (of course), but also nature cruises, "gaming and technology" cruises and political cruises. Yeah, that's gonna be awesome; talking with wrinkly, former senators around the hot tub.

The music ones sound pretty good to me. I'm not a metal fan but I read that Foreigner, Kansas, Blue Oyster Cult and more than 20 other bands will do a four-night cruise from Fort Lauderdale on Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas early next year. Cruise critic says they'll "perform multiple times in three different venues aboard the ship, which will sail to Labadee, Haiti (the cruise line's private beach area), and back. Meet-and-greet sessions will be available, too.

A BILLION TOURISTS?

An amazing stat here from the World Tourism Organization: there were a record 467 million "tourists" around the world in the first six months of the year. If the numbers hold up, we could be on track to reach ONE BILLION tourists by the end of the year.

The number for the first six months of 2012 was up five per cent from last year, and officials at the WTO say we could very well crack the 1,000,000,000 mark by Dec. 31.

"Tourism is one of the few economic sectors in the world growing strongly, driving economic progress in developing and developed counries alike and, most importantly, created much needed jobs," said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai.

The WTO says Asia and Pacific tourism numbers are up a sizable eight per cent from last year, while Africa and Central America rose seven per cent and South America visitation numbers were up six per cent.

Numbers for the Caribbean were up five per cent. I didn't see numbers for Europe or North America as a whole but they can't be up too much if the world overall is up five per cent.

The report said outbound travel was up a whopping 30 per cent for China and 15 per cent for Russia, compared to nine per cent for the U.S. and six per cent for Canada and Germany. Growth was slow or even negative for the UK, Australia, Italy and France...

THANKS TO FRANCE TOURISM

The folks with Atout France held a nice gathering in Toronto Wednesday night, complete with French cuisine and French wines. The emphasis was on some of the southerly regions of the country, including Marseille, Provence and the Midi Pyrenees region, which is the largest region of the country.

Looking at the videos shown during the evening reminded me just how vast and varied France is. Sure, there are gentle valleys and wineries in Bordeaux and the Loire Valley (check this coming Saturday's Star Travel for a nice piece on the Loire), and there's Paris and the French Riviera, of course. But the mountain villages and swift-flowing rivers and deep valleys and snow-capped peaks were the images that had me gazing in wonder.

I've seen the Gorges de l'Ardeche in southern France, and it's quite something. And a couple years ago I spent several days along the Lot and Dordogne rivers, which feature great canoeing and fabulous, fabulous food and wonderful castles and gardens. If you've never been to France and have an image in your mind of "typical" French countryside, the Dordogne just might be your ticket.

Canadians want Mexico, Florida! Also Hong Kong and Sunwing USA news ...

Really interesting study from Bank of Montreal this week shows that more than one-half of Canadians are planning a fall vacation, and almost three in ten of those folks intend to leave the country.

The BMO study says 54 per cent of Canadians plan to travel this fall and that 29 per cent of those will do so outside of Canada. It's a growing trend that may be good for the airlines but not so much for Canada's tourism industry. The study found that since January 2012, outbound travel from Canada has jumped 5.2 per cent; reaching almost 16 milliion overnight trips. Travel to the U.S. in June jumped 8.9 per cent, thanks in part, I suspect, to the strong Canadian dollar and the new, much-improved higher duty-free limits at the border.

So, where are we headed? The study found Florida is, to no surprise, our top American destination. Sixteen per cent of respondents in the poll, conducted by Leger Marketing, said they were headed to the Sunshine State this fall. Just behind, at 15 per cent, was New York state, followed by Nevada (Viva Las Vegas!) ar 14, and then Illinois (Chicago, no doubt), California and Massachusetts (mostly Boston, I assume) at five per cent each.

Probably no surprise, although I did read a story online in the Central Valley (California) Business Times that suggested officials were shocked and appalled that Illinois and Massachusetts were tied with their beloved state. They're forgetting, of course, the dominance of Toronto in the Canadian marketplace and the distance we sadly have to go to for a trip to California. I mean, San Francisco and LA and San Diego are great, but air fares these days are $600 ON SALE from Toronto, while we can get to New York, Boston or Chicago for maybe half that. Or we can drive and buy cheaper U.S. gas and bring back oodles of new stuff in the back seat thanks to the duty-free changes.

I later got a breakdown that shows where Ontario folks want to travel. It's not radically different, but there are some interesting findings. The number one destination for the U.S. for Ontario folks was Florida, way up at 24 per cent. That's much higher than for Canadians as a whole (16). Next was New York at 14, then Nevada (10), Illinois (8), Pennsylvania (6), South Carolina and Michigan at 5 and California at 4.

For destinations outside the U.S. and Canada, Ontarians favoured Mexico (12), then Cuba and the Caribbean Islands at 10, unspecified Europe or East Europe (8), France (6), the Dominican Republic (5), England, Italy and Holland at 4 each and China and Australia at 3. Among the destinations getting a 2 per cent notice were Turkey, Germany, Hong Kong, Thailand and Costa Rica. Spain only got 1 per cent, as did Japan, Indonesia and The Bahamas.

As for international destinations, Mexico took the grand prize with a whopping 18 per cent support. Next was France, which obviously has a ton to offer for foodies, wine fans, history and culture afficionados and just about everybody else, at 10 per cent. Next was Cuba at 8 per cent, tied with unspecified European countries. The Caribbean in general was at 7 per cent.

Those numbers surprise me a bit, although it's certainly good for Mexico. I would've thought the attraction of cheap spots in the Dominican Republic, plus other faves such as Barbados, St. Lucia and the Bahamas, would put the Caribbean (I know, I know, the Bahamas technically aren't in the Caribbean) a touch higher. And where's the UK in this study? They just spent all that money on the Olympics and more Canadians want to go to France? Ai-yai-yai.

While we're travelling more, it looks like we're more focussed on value. Asked about their travel plans prior to summer, 35 per cent of Canadians said they'd spend less than $1,000 on their holiday. Asked about plans for this fall, a full 42 per cent said thyey'd be spending less than $1,000.

On a more ominous note, the study found that Canada's international travel account deficit - payments by Canadian travellers abroad vs. receipts from foreign travellers in Canada - reached $16.25 billion at the end of 2011. Which is not so good.

"If the growing trend in outbound travel continues, it will certainly put pressure on Canada's domestic tourism industry," said Robert Kavcic, Economist, BMO Capital Markets.

SUNWING ADDS USA COLLECTION

Speaking of increased travel to the U.S. by Canadians, Sunwing recently announced an expansion of its USA program with the debut of its new "USA Collection" brochure.

Sunwing continues to offer flights, hotels and vacation packages to spots like Florida and Vegas (see above). What's new this year are "USA City Escapes" to places like Boston, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New Orleans and Oahu and Maui in Hawaii.

"With the increasing demand for flights, hotels and vacation packages in the USA, we are certain our new 'USA Collection' brochure will be well received by travellers," said Reg Mendes, vice president, USA and Cruise Division at Sunwing.

All Sunwing flights are on Sunwing AIrlines, with free 20 kg of checcked baggage, hot towel service and a choice of hotel meals with wine or a hot snack, soft drink and free in-flight entertainment. They also have Elite Plus for $40, with extra leg room, advance seat selection, a 30 kg bag allowance and more.

For more information, visit www.sunwing.ca.

HONG KONG GOES WILD IN THE FALL

Tons going on in Hong Kong this fall, with festivals galore. Tourism officials say the season gets underway with the Hong Kong Mid-Autumn Festival – one of the world’s great celebrations marking the ancient Chinese Harvest Festival, due to take place Sept. 27 to Oct. 2. Hong Kong puts a modern twist on the celebrations, with traditional lanterns merging with the city’s trademark neon beneath which fiery dragons dance through the busy streets and a full moon shines down on the revelers.

This year, the Lee Kum Lee Lantern Wonderland, located in Victoria Park, will once again be at the heart of the celebrations. This year’s award-winning lantern bears the name “Golden Moon”. It is a dome-shaped sculpture of light, 21 metres in diameter and 18 metres in height. It will be situated in a vast pool, surrounded by dozens of floating Chinese lanterns, with a pathway link allowing spectactors to walk inside the structure.  The interior will be filled with even more lanterns, suspended to illuminate the scene with constantly varying brightness. “Golden Moon” was designed by two architects: Kristof Crolla from Belgium and Adam Fingrut from Canada.

In Tai Hang (once a small village, now part of the city on Causeway Bay) the Festival is celebrated over three days with a fire dragon dance consisting of hundred of performers, tens of thousands of sticks of incense and a 67-metre dragon that will "wend its way through the crowded city streets in a spectacle of fire and fury."

Food always takes the limelight through the fall, and this year will be extra-special due to the 10^th staging of The Best of the Best Culinary Awards, co-organized by the HKTB and The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Ltd. This event showcases the cooking talent of local Chinese chefs and in the years since its inception has grown into Hong Kong’s largest culinary event. Ten finalists from September’s preliminary competition will be competing for the awards in the final competitions to be held on 4 and 5 October. The winning restaurants and their dishes are a great guide to the best in Chinese cuisine in Hong Kong.

When October arrives, thoughts turn towards Halloween as parties are planned and costumes created. Hong Kong is the perfect place to mark this occasion as this is a region with thousands of years of folklore populated with ghosts, ghouls and demons. Disneyland, Madame Tussauds, Discovery Harbour, the Avenue of Stars and spooky Ocean Park will all be getting into the mood. After that comes Hong Kong’s Wine & Dine Festival, due to take place Nov. 1-4. In fact, this festival will extend throughout the Hong Kong Wine & Dine month of November with street carnivals, the Festival of Restaurants and wine-and-dine promotions. The city’s top restaurants will share their finest offerings, while for those still in a party mood, the Lan Kwai Fong Carnival (Nov. 17-18) will bring together not only  and beer stalls but also arts and crafts, dancers and musicians and other live performers from around the world. And for visitors who miss those dates, a World of Food and Music festival will take place Nov. 24 and 25 in beach-side Stanley.

For more information, visit www.discoverhongkong.com/ca.

 

 

 

 

Canadians invited to sell our country to overseas tourists with new CTC project

This could be fun to watch.

The Canadian Tourism Commission today announced it's trying to lure more folks to our fair shores with something called the 35 Million Directors project. They're asking Canadians by the score to upload videos and images to a new website that they hope will inspire travellers from around the world to choose Canada (see Yukon photo below) for their holidays.

"Footage and photos must showcase Canadian travel experiences - from a favourite hike to a music festival, a sporting event to dining al fresco downtown," officials said. "‘Directors’ will want to capture moments that will whet the appetite of international travellers looking for unique and authentic examples of what is available across Canada."

There is, of course, a contest for the best entries and a random draw so even the worst of us gets a shot at something. The contest runs until September 16, 2012, when the CTC will then look at the story-line Canadians have created, select the best entries, and mix in the work of a few professional directors to create a grassroots video advertisement to inspire travellers from around the world to visit Canada.

“We’re out to create a story from the point of view of Canadians and what makes them proud about our great cities, our geography and nature, our cuisine, our culture, or perhaps the friendliness of a local festival,” said Michele McKenzie, CTC president and CEO. “We hope Canadians are out there this summer enjoying what our country offers whether on a trip or during a lunch break. Many are already capturing what moves them on phones and cameras and sharing with friends and family. We want to share these images big time with the world, and add a grassroots dimension to our marketing efforts in attracting more and more international visitors to Canada.”

It would've been nice to get this started a touch earlier in the year, as a lot of folks have already taken their Canadian summer vacations. Then again, maybe with 35 million invitees it's better to trim the field a bit!

PASSENGERS ASKED TO PAY FOR FUEL - WHAT'S NEXT?

When I first saw this headline, I thought it was one of those crazy, small airlines again. But, no, it appears that this time it was Air France asking passengers to chip in for gas.

Travelmole.com reports that Air France admits it had to ask passengers for fuel on a flight bound from Paris to Beirut that had to be diverted to Damascus, Syria. In the end, it turned out they didn't need the cash after all.

Air France released a statement to CNN saying that payments for fuel in Damascus can only be made in cash, which I guess I can see given what's happening in Syria these days. As it turned out, Air France apparently found some pop bottles or some cash hidden under some seats and was able to get the fuel they needed without hitting up the passengers.

Just remember that next time you want to complain about pricey Subway sandwiches on a flight to Calgary.

QANTAS BOSS TAKES A BIG HIT

You don't see THIS everyday. Travelmole.com reports that Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce has agreed to wave goodbye to his bonus and pay rise this year after the airline suffered a sharp drop in profits.

He told the Australian Financial Review: "It's absolutely appropriate that when company returns go down, executive pay should go down as well.

"It has been an extremely tough year for Qantas shareholders and what we want to show is that my pay has to have a huge correlation with the profitability of the company."

The Australian airline has forecast a 90% fall in its profits for the financial year ending 30 June, blaming international operations, high fuel costs and the impact of strikes and labour disputes.

It is due to announce its full-year financial results on Wednesday of this week, Aug. 23.

Sounds tough, but I applaud Joyce's move.

Looking for bargains? Try Mexico ... Also, worldwide airline fees top $22 billion

Looking to book your winter vacation or something for the fall? Mexico might be a great option, says Taylor Cole of Hotels.com.

I had a coffee with Cole in Toronto on Monday and she said she hasn’t seen a concerted tourism push like the one Mexico is putting on in a long time. A spate of shootings and violent incidents in Mexico a few months ago put the nation on alert, and she said the tourism chief has been on TV all over the place, seeking to assure would-be visitors that all is fine.

“We’re seeing 30 per cent off right now for some places,” Cole told me. She singled out Los Cabos, Acapulco and Cancun/Riviera Maya (see photo) as places to look for deals. Cancun and the Riviera Maya, as well as Cabos, are particularly known as some of the safest spots in the country.

One might expect huge deals in Spain given the economy, but Cole said there are really only “pockets” of bargains to be had. One piece of advice she likes to give, and it goes for many countries/cities/destinations, is to stay outside of the most popular spots and commute. Or check out a secondary destination as well as the big boys.

In Spain, I’d advocate checking out Madrid or Barcelona but also spending time in the coastal city of Valencia, which has a fabulous old town and castles and a great market, plus a long stretch of coastline and excellent food. It’s the home of traditional Spanish paella. It’s also got a fabulous museum with marvelous, modern design and a great aquarium that the kids will love.

“When I go to France I love Strasbourg,” Cole said. “It feels German (see photo) but you speak French and it’s a great mix. It’s only 2.5 hours from Paris on the TGV, too.”

There’s been an “influx of inventory” (that’s code for a lot of new hotels) in New York, which helps visitors. But it’s still expensive if you want to stay in Times Square. Instead, Cole advocates mixing it up and moving to another part of the city and taking a short commute to the theatre.

If you don’t mind waiting a while to nail down your accommodations, Cole suggests booking your hotel at the last minute.

“Hoteliers don’t want to leave rooms empty. Check out upper category hotels for last-minute deals if you want that four or five-star room with a view.”

Other areas of note from our talk include:

-         New Orleans. Decent room rates and hospitable people in a city that’s definitely rebounded from Hurricane Katrina.

-         Indonesia. “You can often find really good hotel deals for a beach bungalow or something near the rain forest.”

-         Manila. “I didn’t know what to expect but the Shangri La in Manila is a fabulous property with great service.”

-         Toronto. “To have four big luxury properties built in such a small radius is quite a bit. There’s a bit of that in New York, of course, and maybe Dallas and California. But not like this.”

In a related note, Carlson Wagonlit Travel yesterday released its 2013 Travel Price Forecast. The report calls for modest growth in travel costs next year, with the highest increases coming in the Asia/Pacific and Latin American regions.

That’s probably no surprise given the economic growth (with some exceptions of course) in those regions.

Airline prices should go up about 2.5 per cent in the Asia Pacific region, while hotel rates will go up about 3.5 per cent. Singapore will lead the way with a healthy 8 per cent hike, the study said.

You think that’s bad? Carlson Wagonlit is forecasting a double digit price hike for hotels in Brazil (see Rio photo at right) as the economy booms and because of strong demand linked to limited supply. That could ease a bit as hotels come on line for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics, officials said.

Overall, Latin America hotel rates are expected to rise about 6.3 per cent next year. Which means not all countries are as red hot as Brazil.

Here in North America, Carlson Wagonlit expects airline prices to go up 2.8 per cent in 2013. A whack of U.S. airlines raised air fares on the weekend. Yeah, it was only by a few bucks per ticket, but still….

North American hotel rates are expected to rise 3.2 per cent next year, but car rental prices should drop 1.1 per cent, the report said.

Over in Europe, airfares should climb 2.5 per cent next year, while hotel rates will go up only 1.3 per cent. Car rental rates in Europe should climb about 1.2 per cent, but the cost of a high-speed rail ticket likely will go up 4.5 per cent, so keep an eye on that.

$22.6 BILLION IN BAG FEES AND SKINNY BLANKETS

Wow. A report says that 50 worldwide airlines last year brought in $22.6 billion in ancillary revenue through fees for bags and other services. Not only is that a huge amount of money on its own, it represents a 66 per cent increase from what airlines brought in two years ago, according to the study by IdeaWorks, a consultant specializing in ancillary revenue and brand development.

So, if you have the feeling that you’re getting nickel and dimed and quartered and dollared to death, you’re pretty much bang on.

Amazing, isn’t it? I mean, $22.6 billion?? That’s a lot of extra bags and skinny blanket fees and tinny headphone rental fees, folks.

Want to avoid the fees? You might want to skip United, which brought in $5.2 billion in ancillary fees. Next on the list was Delta at a relatively paltry $2.5 billion, followed by American Airlines and Qantas, which I didn’t realize was so heavy into the extra fee policy.

Figures for Canada weren’t available, but there were no Canadian airlines in the top 10 fee earnings list.

 

Hey, Mayor Ford - great world cities invest in their infrastructure and citizens

Think about the cities of the world you really want to visit. London. Paris. Hong Kong. New York. Rome. Buenos Aires. Sydney. Barcelona (see photo).

All of those cities are top-notch places with vibrant night life and museums and all sorts of attractions. One other thing you'll find in most of those cities, and that's a rapid transit system that works.

Toronto's infrastructure is a joke. The subway is a scrawny, two-line affair. It breaks down with alarming regularity in a way that NO OTHER SYSTEM I'VE BEEN ON IN THE WORLD does. The streetcar system gets expanded maybe once every 20 years. Lord, even Los Angeles is kicking our butt in building new transit lines, with a huge whack of them now spreading out over the L.A. basin like tentacles on an octopus.

So here comes Toronto councillor Karen Stintz with a solid, well-researched plan to kickstart 30 years of negligence and she gets criticized for wanting to raise taxes. Of course she wants to raise taxes. That's how you build cities.

When Barcelona got the Olympics, they went NUTS and built parks and plazas and bridges and redeveloped their waterfront. The city went from a backwater in Europe to one of the great cities of the continent almost overnight. Paris has its incredible museums and the Eiffel Tower. Those aren't free to maintain but they help make the city the great destination it is.

What happens here in Toronto? Former hizzoner Mel Lastman, who you think would know something about running a business, refuses to invest in his city and instead campaigns on low property taxes. David Miller had some good ideas but even he failed to push the investment in transit issue hard enough. Now comes Rob Ford, who's well intentioned for the most part but incredibly ignorant about cities and what makes them work.

Ford's idea is to freeze taxes. It sounds good to citizens. It might get him (please, no) re-elected. But it's a travesty and a disservice to the people he's supposed to serve.

Great cities invest in themselves. They invest in their citizens. They build parks. They build subways. They build, yes, roads. But they build. And that requires money. Not so much as to bankrupt their citizens, but enough to move their cities along in an age of increasing global competition.

Have you ever woken up and looked at the Travel pages and said to your husband, "Hey, George. Let's go to Albany, New York (or Prince Rupert B.C. or Whitby, the city isn't the point). I hear they have really low taxes."

Of course not. You look upon vibrant, urban places like Paris and Hong Kong (recently named the most livable city in the world) and think, "Wow, that's a place I'd like to go."

Did Canada become the country we know and love, with good (mostly) service and free health care (mostly) by slavishly keeping down tax rates? Nope. We all pay higher taxes than our brethren in the U.S. I hate paying $18 for a bottle of California wine I can buy near my Dad's house in the San Francisco Bay Area for $7. It's a pain paying higher taxes on everything I buy. BUT I GET SOMETHING FOR IT. I get a more livable, safer country. And that's what makes us who we are as Canadians.

Ford is right about keeping an eye on expenses. City politicians DO feather their own nests and waste a ton of money on stupid projects. And on themselves. But he's dead wrong about the overall direction he's taking this city.

Cut back on the waste. Please. But don't trim taxes, Mayor Ford. Invest in our city. Invest in our people. Bring Frank Gehry back into town to build a fantastic bridge somewhere. Invite top architects to re-do Nathan Phillips Square and give them $100 million for it. It'll cost the average taxpayer an extra dollar or so on next year's taxes. Ooh, maybe even $3. But instead of saving enough for an ice cream cone, they'll get something in return. A more liveable city. And one that's more attractive to tourists who spend money at restaurants and galleries and keep our citizens employed and keep our city filled at night and safe.

Rome didn't become the city it is by keeping taxes low. They built monuments and squares and Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountains. You think it didn't cost New York City money to clean up Times Square? To scrub the graffiti out of their subway trains? Of course it did. But look at how things have improved.

By all means, Mayor Ford, get the private sector to help out. But you can't rely on them for everything. You have to kick in some cash of your own, and that means modest tax increases.

Maybe Stintz's plan to hike property taxes something like $45 a year is a tad high. Perhaps there's a more progressive, income-based plan that would spread the pain a bit. Whether her formula is correct is debatable. But her overall point is an excellent one.

Toronto can be so much more. We can be a great world destination like Barcelona or Sydney. But to be a great city, you have to spend money. You have to invest. And it's grand time Toronto got off its ass and figured that out.

 

Ten great places to check out in Europe this summer; from the UK to Italy

It's never a bad time to go to Europe. Well, July and August can be pretty intense, which is why I tell folks that May and June - as well as September and October - are terrific times to hit the continent. The weather is (usually) good and the crowds are (generally) lighter, which means less jostling in front of the Mona Lisa and fewer elbows flying on the way up the Spanish Steps in Rome.

I could list a hundred places in Europe that I love, but here's a quick Monday morning look at ten particular favourites you might want to check out:

1. Scotland. I had a coffee last week with the Scotland Tourism folks, and they've dreamed up a lovely campaign for 2012 that's based on Scottish culture. They brought over several artists to explain the concept; a bagpiper who plays with all sorts of other musicians, including a band that plays Indian music. He's also part of something called The Treacherous Orchestra, which looks like all kinds of fun. They also had a maker of lovely jewelry from up in the Orkney Islands and a fabulous watercolour painter from southern Scotland. All that talk of the lovely hills and sounds of Scotland got me all fired up on Saturday to watch Local Hero, one of the great movies of the 1980s and a lovely, quirky bit of filmmaking. Made me want to go back so badly!

2. Portugal. I've been harping on this country for a while, because it's both beautiful and a bargain. You can often find four-star hotels for $100 a night; about what you'd pay for a chain hotel in Belleville. There are gorgeous beaches, top-class cities such as Lisbon with its famous trams, lovely mountain villages and great food and wine. Good golf, too.

3. Holland. This year marks Floriade, an incredible horticultural display that happens every 10 years. Or maybe once a decade. This time it's centred in southern Holland in Venlo, and it's said they've planted 1.8 million bulbs, plus 5,000 rose bushes (it's not just spring flowers) and 190,000 perennials. I can only imagine what that must look like. There's also a cultural program, including concerts, and it runs from April to the fall.

4. Prague. I was there only once, but fell in love with the architecture and the old streets. Oh, and the beer. Toss in the Charles River bridge and the old castle on the hill above town and you've got a lovely spot that's also a bit cheaper than many cities in Europe.

5. Sweden. It's expensive, but it's a beautiful place. Stockholm is a stunning city on the water, surrounded by small islands. The city comes alive in summer when the good weather comes. Not a fan of big cities? My son studied in Lund, in southern Sweden, last year and said it was a great university town. The New York Times featured Lund in a story last year.

6. Switzerland. The mountains and lakes are even prettier than you might imagine. But there's also a huge variety in this country. The south is Italian-speaking, near Ticino, while other parts are quite French or speak Swiss-German and feel more like Germany. And the cities are quite sophisticated and lively. Pride Day is a big thing in Zurich. I was there near Pride Day a couple years ago and the place was jumping. I also saw an older guy riding a bike ahead of me on the street wearing nothing but a red thong. So there is that....

7. Ponza, Italy. I featured this island in Star Travel last year. It's a stunner that's maybe an hour or an hour and-a-half ferry ride from the coast, not far from Rome. There are huge, chalky cliffs and lovely beaches and a small town with a beautiful harbour. You can rent a small boat if the weather's good and explore the beaches and caves, or just soak up the atmosphere at a harbour-side table at lunch or dinner (see photo).

8. Slovenia. Another perennial fave. It used to be part of Yugoslavia but has been its own country for some time now. The eastern part feels like Hungary, while the northern section has towering mountains and borders on Austria. There's a small section that dips onto the Adriatic as well, sandwiched between Italy and Croatia. And the town of Ljubljana has a bit of a Salzburg feel to it, but cozier and less touristed. Great plazas and fun shops and great food, plus the tidy, wondrous Lake Bled, with its island church and mountain and castle views. Really one of the jewels of Europe.

9. Bordeaux. Even if you don't like wine, it's a beautiful area of France. The city itself surprised me, with its gracious architecture and small cafes in narrow, teeming streets packed with atmosphere. East of the city, in the Dordogne Valley, are lovely rivers and winding, country roads and huge castles and fabulous food; fresh fruits and incredible cheeses and lots more. Definitely one of this country's top regions.

10. Wales. Another way to enjoy the UK while skipping the London Olympics. A beautiful coastline that goes on forever, with fabulous hiking and walking trails and glorious golf courses. I found several old abbeys to explore, and there are rivers for canoeing or kayaking and surprisingly good and sophisticated cuisine in both Cardiff and even at smaller, out-of-the-way Bed and Breakfast places.

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @JIMBYERSTRAVEL

 

 

 

Orlando rated best value in American travel, but SF hotel prices on the way up

Thinking of your summer holidays? On a budget? The folks at Hotwire.com (based in San Francisco, and more on that in a minute) have announced their seventh annual Hotwire Travel Value Index study.

They named Orlando as the place to get the most for your holiday/vacation spending, with an overall Travel Value Index of 100 from a study that takes into account low prices for air, hotels and rental cars, discounts on those same items and affordable entertainment.

It's hard to argue with the Orlando findings. I've been a few times in the past and it seems to me you can always find a hotel for $70 or $80 a night, almost always with a pool and a shuttle to take you to the theme parks. And the parks are getting bigger and better each year, with the Harry Potter rides/park at Universal the most noted addition but also Legoland. Oh, yeah, and Disney of course.

The state of Florida did very well in this study, as Tampa (presumably including St. Petersburg and Clearwater/Dunedin) came sixth in the U.S. and Miami 10th, which is perhaps a tad surprising. Texas also did a great job, with Dallas coming third and Houston fourth.

Here's the full list with scores:

1. Orlando, 100

2. Atlanta, 98

3. Dallas Fort-Worth, 97

4. Houston, 93

5. Phoenix, 92

6. Tampa, 91

7. Denver, 84

8. Charlotte, 80

9.Albuquerque, New Mexico, 79

10. Miami, 79

If you're looking for summer holidays, I'd probably avoid most of these cities except Orlando, which is great for the kids (and a lot of adults) and possibly Tampa or Miami as at least they have the beach. The other cities are pretty darn warm in the summer, aside from mile-high Denver, which is a pretty good city to visit due to great restaurants, brewpubs and some fun shopping districts. Not to mention the nearby mountains and historic sights.

Of course, a lot of this is based on affordability. Which isn't necessarily the same thing as value. One of the glossy travel magazines I read regularly, it might have been Lonely Planet, rated New York and the U.S. northeast as one of the best values in the world a few months ago. It sounds silly in a way, but it's also kinda true. If you're in Toronto, New York is cheap to get to, especially with AIr Canada, WestJet and Porter in an airfare/public relations war over New York City. Hotels are more expensive than Orlando, for sure, but you still can find reasonable deals in the city for less than $200 a night. Theatre can be expensive, but there are plenty of lower-cost options. There are a billion inexpensive Italian and Thai and other restaurants all over Manhattan, some of the museums offer free days or discounts, and last time I checked it was free to walk through Central Park (see photo at left) and stroll up and down Fifth Avenue or gaze at the cast-iron buildings in SoHo or walk over the Brooklyn Bridge and check out the increasing hip areas on the other side of the East River.

Any big city can be cheap outside of perhaps Scandinavia. London has a slew of hotel rooms for $100 or less, some of them pretty decent in reasonable parts of town. Paris can be quite reasonable if you go a little away from the major tourist spots or don't mind a small room at a Best Western Hotel, almost all of which are clean and include breakfast. So check out the Hotwire list, but be sure to cast your eyes all over this wonderful world of ours. There are deals aplenty if you look around a little.

SAN FRANCISCO PRICES ON THE WAY UP?

On the other hand, I spotted an item in the San Francisco Chronicle the other day that said hotel owners are quite happy and that more good news is coming.

"Anything in San Francisco is in demand," Al Reay of Atlas Hospitality Group, a hotel industry research group, told Andrew Ross of the Chronicle.

Reay said hotels in the San Francisco Bay Area have enjoyed the largest revenue increases in the country during the recent recovery. The Chronicle story said sales volumes and dollar amounts being posted by SF hotels haven't been this good since 2007. Reay said the average increase last year was a solid 15 per cent and that numbers could be even rosier (for hotel people) in 2012.

"Rates are nowhere near maxed out," he said.

Just for fun, I went to one of the major websites this morning and looked for rooms in San Francisco for four nights, beginning Friday June 13th (heck, why not?). I found a room at the Handlery Union Square (pretty busy area but the room reviews were pretty decent) for $189. The Westin on Market Street had only limited rooms available but it was listed on Expedia for $204 per night; pretty good value. The Serrano, run by the high-end Kimpton group, had rooms for $239.

I like to occasionally steer adventurous folks (especially if you have a car) to the Seal Rock Inn, just steps from the beach and the wonderful Cliff House restaurant. I don't know what their vacancies are like right now, but in summer you can get rooms starting as low as $125.

It's an old-time, funky spot that bills itself as the city's only oceanfront, motor inn. I stayed there for a wedding a few years back and it was delightful, with a great little cafe and, wait for it, free parking. That's gold, Jerry, gold!

STARWOOD'S LUXURY HOTEL SPREE AND EUROPE BOOM

The folks at Starwood this week announced they'll open 25 new hotels in Europe this year. They just opened a W hotel in Paris and a Le Meridien (we have one in Toronto, the King Edward) in Istanbul, and they're planning a big push in Russia, Ukraine and Turkey.

Perhaps more interesting is that officials say Starwood has grown its luxury room count around the world by 75 per cent in the last four years. In 2012, more than 60 per cent of their new hotels will be in the luxury and "upper-upscale segment," and, yes, that's the first time I've ever typed out the phrase "upper-upscale." I mean, what's lower-upscale or medium-upscale? Worse, what's lower-lowscale?

The W hotels have been a big boon for Starwood all over the globe. They just opened the W Paris - Opera (see photo above left) and also have hotels in London, Barcelona, St. Petersburg and Istanbul. They'lll open the new W Milan this year and also their first ski resort, the W Verbier Retreat and Spa in Switzerland.

 THANKS TO WASHINGTON D.C. AND VIRGINIA BEACH

Oops, don't want to forget to say thank you to the tourism folks from Washington D.C. and Virginia Beach. They joined forces with Porter Airlines this week to throw an incredible, and I mean incredible, dinner at Le Germain Maple Leaf Square to celebrate Porter's soon-to-come flights from Toronto to D.C. (starting April 16).

Virginia Beach is a fun and lively spot a couple hours from D.C., with lots of great hotels and miles of beach for the kids. And D.C. is always an incredible destination, a real cross between the north and south with history galore, great shopping, fine hotels and an embarrassment of tourist sights; everything from the White House to the remarkable Smithsonian Institution to the powerful Lincoln Memorial. I always enjoy strolling and dining in Georgetown, which has a great waterfront (see photo above right).

An overlooked city, in some ways. But a definite must-see for Canadians and Americans alike.

 

 

 

 

Lonely Planet rates best countries in the world for food (what, no USA?)

I'm often chiding U.S. tourism folks or websites for being too Ameri-centric. Here's an instance of things going the other way around, though.

Lonely Planet has published a list of the 11 top countries in the world for food, and the USA didn't make the list. No, in all likelihood the Lonely Planet folks were writing for Americans who want to travel to other parts of the world. Still, you'd think they might slip the US in there somewhere, given the magical array of fresh and inventive dishes on display in California, New York, Chicago and Miami alone, not to mention the barbeque of Texas or Tennessee and the remarkable Cajun/Creole cuisine of Louisiana.

I was talking with a friend at work the other day, and he surprised me by defending Americans for not spending as much time out of their own country as do Canadians or Brits or Aussies or other folks in the world.

"They've got just about everything you can imagine in the U.S., so it only makes sense to stay," he said, or words to that effect. It IS pretty remarkable that in one nation you can find everything from some of the highest mountain peaks in the world - permanent zones of ice and snow and black rock - to tropical flowers on a sweeping beach lined with palm trees to vast, painted deserts and mesmerizing cities and bayous and backwoods lakes and rolling hills and misty rainforests.

From a geographic standpoint, the U.S. pretty much covers it all. Culturally, of course, it's another story. There's nothing in the U.S. to resemble Quebec City, and there aren't many places in the U.S. where you get the feelilng you're in another country.

Anyway, notwithstanding the U.S. issue there's some solid thought behind the Lonely Planet list. There's a huge, tasty world out there and they've pretty much nailed some of the top spots in my book. These have numbers assigned but the LP folks said they weren't ranking them; just mentioning their top 11

1. Thailand. The crossroads of China, Oceania and India. Remember when we only had a few Thai joints in Toronto? Now there's one on almost every block in some neighbourhoods.

2. Greece. Oven-fresh bread, rosy tomatoes and fish fresh from the Mediterranean.

3. China. Incredible regional variety and a real balance of yin and yang; sour and sweet, salty and fresh. A no-brainer for any top food list.

4. France. No kidding. Worth it just for the cheese alone. I don't know if it's true, but I once saw a quote attributed to former leader Charles DeGaulle that went something like this: "How do you expect me to run a country that makes 763 (or something) types of cheese?"

5. Spain. Excellent food but always a little hard to define Spanish cuisine in my opinion. When you think Italy you know what comes to mind. Ditto for Greece or Thai. Spanish food is a little harder to put into a box, but it's still excellent. Full marks just for inventing the tapas bar, too.

6. Mexico. You wouldn't know it by staying at some all-inclusives, I suppose, or by trying Tex-Mex joints iN Toronto. But Mexican chefs do remarkable things with fish, chocolate and other foods. Kind of a marriage between Europe and new world, I think.

7. Italy. Also remarkably varied. Risotto and game meats in the north, couscous in western Sicily, pasta and fresh veggies and seafood just about everywhere. Hell, even folks in Arkansas who've never been outside of the state like Italian food.

8. India. Hear, hear. So rich and flavourful and exotic and varied; with huge disparities in style from one region to another. I had some dynamite Keralan cuisine my last day in Delhi a year ago.

9. Japan. Inventive and classic and such attention to detail. There's plenty to love, even if you don't like sushi or even if you don't like any kind of fish. Also, a fine Japanese meal is an exquisite, beautiful experience.

10 and 11. Malaysia and Indonesia. I don't see as many of these restaurants in Toronto as I used to. I loved Ole Malacca up on St. Clair, and there used to be a fine rijsttafel (Dutch for 'rice table') place downtown for Indonesian food. Again, a real crossroads with traces of India, China and more.

It's not quite top 10, but I will say that British food has come a long way in the past 20 years. And I'm quite partial to the fish in Hawaii, where they use a mix of world cuisine styles to make wonderfully fresh and inventive food. I haven't been, but I heard they make a mean steak in Argentina...