The perfect road trip?

Not a bad theme for a tourism campaign aimed at folks from eastern Canada and the northeastern U.S. In this case, it’s the new marketing scheme put in place to lure folks to the lovely shores of Nova Scotia; an “aggressive emarketing campaign to increase first-time visitors and boost overall tourism.”

“The province’s new tourism direction and marketing campaign will allow us to compete as a top travel destination,” said Economic and Rural Development and Tourism Minister Percy Paris.

The new campaign, “Take Yourself There,” portrays the province as a place where a "diverse, vibrant landscape and culture combines with friendly and engaging locals and accessible seacoast and communities to create the spirit of a perfect road trip."

I get the bit about the friendly locals. When I was in Halifax last year, on two occasions I was attempting to jaywalk and had drivers pull up and stop and wave me across the street. Try THAT on Yonge St. sometime.

Because first time visitors spend 42 per cent more and travel more extensively through the province, the campaign is aimed at bringing in more first-timers, said Patrick Sullivan, CEO of the Nova Scotia tourism Agency.

“If we get them here once, our research shows that they come back again and again.”

The new ads will run in Ontario and also, for the first time in three years, in Quebec in both French and English. They’re also going after the mid-Atlantic and New England states, as well as the UK and Germany.

Our family took a road trip through Halifax and Cape Breton and the south shore of Mahone Bay and Chester many years ago, where we toured the waterfront in the city, drove the jaw-dropping Cabot Trail, spotted a moose and played the wonderful Highlands Links Golf Course. I seem to remember our first lobster boil, too, up in Ingonish at a small cottage.

I hadn’t been back for a while until my daughter enrolled in grad school at Dalhousie University in Halifax a couple years ago. That allowed me to go and do a quick story or two on the city, which is a real treat and feels a bit like Vancouver to me with its seaside heritage and slower pace of life. There are awesome walks and boat tours and fabulous restaurants and breweries and nearby lakes; a great place to visit or to raise a family, I’d think.

I also found time on that trip to dash up to Cabot Links, the new golf course in Inverness on Cape Breton Island. It’s the only true links course in Canada, with views of the ocean from every hole and a handful of holes directly along the sea. It’s also a beauty and a huge asset to the community, complete now with accommodations and a fine restaurant and more.

Last year I was able to take a trip in May and explore a bit more of the province, taking in more time in lovely Lunenburg, as well as Annapolis Royal and Wolfville. Lunenburg was great; with some of the best food of my life at the Salt Shaker Deli (killer scallops with pancetta and an award-winning chowder) and Fleur de Sel (a fabulous, inventive menu in a beautiful old home with some wonderfully tasty drinks). There’s also, of course, the lovingly resotred Bluenose II and lots of maritime heritage. Be sure to drive out of town a bit to check out the fishing village of Blue Rocks.

From there I drove up past the lakes and ponds and hills of Kejimkujik National Park, passing small villages and cute roadside stops as I wound pass rivers I imagine are teeming with fish and hardly a soul to be found.

I had a day and a bit in Annapolis Royal, which has fun, colourful shops due to the many artists in the community. Good food, too, and a great inn called HIllsdale House with (when I was there) the most marvellous blackberry-lemon muffins you can imagine.

The town of Bear River is nearby and has some some nice galleries and pretty wineries. The Bay of Fundy is only a short drive from Annapolis Royal, and the shore road that goes along the bay is a beauty; very gentle with lovely sea views and small villages and rocky bays. Just as striking is the Annapolis Valley, with its rolling hills and orchards and the Annapolis River running through it all. It feels like a kinder, gentler era in these parts, and it's a real tonic for the soul.

Wolfville features the oh-so-pretty Acadia University and some fun shops on the main street. Tempest, a restaurant in town, was serving up an incredible chowder when I was there, with chunks of smoked haddock (a common ingredient in chowder in these parts), local chorizo sausage and smoky paprika oil. The Blomidon Inn is a fabulous B and B with good food and lovely rooms and grounds and a great porch that's an excellent place to read a book or sip a local beer, or a glass of wine from one of the many wineries in the area. My personal favourite winery was Luckett Vineyards (see photo at right) but there are more opening up all the time.

And don't forget to check out Grand Pre, with its nice museum explaining the history of the Acadians and their expulsion from this part of North America. A pretty chapel, too, with a large statue of Evangeline, heroine of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem.

There's a ton more in this most lovely province, and I hope to get back sometime soon. 

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal on tap for Panama's Pacific Coast.

 

Jaunt Highlights

• BONUS: Sunwing's SMILE inclusions offer: Includes spa discounts, welcome cocktail, two in-room beach towels and more!
• All-inclusive 7-night stay at the 4-star SMILE at Playa Blanca Resort, located in Panama
• Includes return airfare from Toronto to Panama City and round-trip airport/hotel transfers in Panama
• Accommodations in a Deluxe Room, featuring 2 Queen beds. Maximum occupancy: 4 adults or 2 adults and 2 children
• Daily breakfast, lunch and dinner, and unlimited alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks

 

• Panama is an up-and-coming resort favourite
• Includes SMILE inclusions perfect for a family getaway
• Engage with resort activities like kayaking and mini-golf, or head off the resort to bustling Panama City or the historic Panama Canal

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on March 22, 29 & April 5, 2013
  Other DATES and GATEWAYS available. Call us at 1-855-687-5925.
  
• Pricing (Rates are per person, plus tax):
  
  Toronto:
  Single: $815
  Double: $665
  Triple: $635
  Quad :$615
  Child (2-12): $295
  Tax  $310
  
  
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is refundable until March 20 at 5PM EST. After this time, this offer is 100% non-refundable

 

 

Hockey sticks back on planes in U.S., but not Canada??!! - Deal of Day: D.R.

So, the U.S. Transportation Safety Administration says it will once again allow folks to carry pocket knives on board airplanes. Ditto for golf clubs and hockey sticks.

Here in Canada? No such plans. At least not yet.

As a Canadian, I’m appalled. I mean, hockey sticks could go on American planes flying from, say, Chicago to Toronto. But not on flights from Montreal to Boston?

It’s like outlawing double-doubles, or having United Airlines institute free poutine in economy class but not Air Canada.

Seriously, I’m not sure how it works. I’d like to think the Canadian folks will go along eventually. But we are, last time I checked, a separate country and we have our own rules and we do not simply follow the U.S. lead.

The TSA announcement from the States says knives with a blade of 6 cm (2.36 inches) or shorter are allowed. They can’t be more than a half-inch across at their widest point, cannot have a molded grip and can’t have a locking or fixed blade.

It'’s interesting. But the bit about golf clubs caught my eye. I mean, at a time when overhead bins are already full to the brim who takes their golf clubs on as a carry-on item? Other than Donald Trump, I mean.

Personally, I’d love to practice my putting at 35,000 feet. Or maybe even try some four-irons, which I could always aim at the guy who likes to slam his seat back into my face as soon as the seat belt light goes off.

MIAMI TOURISM ON THE RISE

The Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau announced that overnight visitors to what’'s called Greater Miami and the Beaches rose 3.5 per cent last year to a record 13.9 million overnight visitors overall.

It’s the third consecutive year of record overnight visits to the area, which we all know has awesome hotels, restaurants and beaches.

Officials said there was a 5.2 per cent hike in international visitors to 6.8 million. Domestic overnight visits rose 1.8 per cent to 7.1 million.

They also said a record $21.8 billion in visitor expenditures was generated in 2012, an increase of  5.1 per cent from 2011.

I didn’t see a breakdown of countries, but I can imagine Canadians were at the top of international visitors. We go a lot, but we can’t match the folks from Brazil or Russia for spending, I’m told.

"“The Bureau’'s aggressive marketing and expansion of the popular summer and shoulder season promotions, including Miami Museum Month, Miami Romance Month, Miami Spice Restaurant Month, Miami Spa Month, Miami Attractions Month and Miami Live Music Month were enjoyed by more visitors and residents than ever in 2012,”" said visitors bureau president & CEO William D. Talbert, III.
“

"These GMCVB promotions continued to fuel the momentum that established year-round travel and tourism for the destination,”" he said. "In 2012, the GMCVB added to the menu of these popular promotions in March by launching the first Miami Film Month to raise awareness of Greater Miami’s spectacular art cinemas, film festivals and connection to the film and entertainment industry.  In addition, as home to some of the most spectacular, challenging and desirable golf courses in the world, the GMCVB launched the first ever Miami Golf Month in April, providing visitors and residents with extraordinary offers and options at courses and hotels throughout the destination."

The World Golf Championship-Cadillac Championship is being held at Miami’s Trump Doral resort this week.

BEST CANADIAN HOTELS FOR FAMILIES

TripAdvisor this week came out with its Travelers' Choice Awards for Hotels for Families. Here are there top 10 for Canada.

1. Safari Beach Condo Resort, Osoyoos, B.C. 2. Great Wolf Lodge, Niagara Falls, 3. Douglas Fir Resort and Chalets, Banff, 4. Sunny Point Resort Cottages and Inn, Parry Sound, Ontario, 5. Lakeview Inn and Suites Miramichi, Miramichi, New Brunswick, 6. La Seigneurie du Triton, Lac-Edouard, Quebec, 7. Super 8 Motel Three Hills, Three Hills, Alberta, 8. Skyline Inn, Niagara Falls, 9. Legends, Whistler, B.C. and 10. Comfort Inn Clifton Hill, Niagara Falls.

That's a nice four of the top ten for Ontario, for those keeping score at home.

STARWOOD ON THE MOVE

Starwood this week said it plans to open 50 new hotels in Europe in the next five years, including three in Turkey and a third hotel in Moscow. They're also getting into Tajikistan and adding a hotel in Kazakhstan. Officials also said they're aiming to have 100 hotels under operation and development in Latin America by the end of 2013. Currently, Starwood has a strong footprint of 71 hotels in 13 countries.

By 2015, six new Aloft branded hotels will open in Latin America, bringing the total number to eight. This year, Aloft will debut in Panama and Mexico and by 2015 the brand will arrive in Asuncion, Paraguay and in Uruguay.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal this week for lovely Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic for just $885, including $390 in taxes.

Jaunt Highlights

• EXCLUSIVE SAVINGS: Save up to $560 per couple by booking with Jaunt.ca
• All-inclusive 7-night stay at the 4-Star IFA Villas Bavaro Resort & Spa, in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
• Includes return airfare from Toronto, Halifax or Montreal to Punta Cana, with round-trip airport/hotel transfers in the Dominican Republic
• Accommodations in a Superior Room featuring 1 King or 2 Double beds, a French balcony and a garden, pool or partial ocean view
• Daily breakfast, lunch and dinner, and unlimited alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks

Why We Love It:

• Seven distinct restaurants and seven bars offer lots of diversity
• Pamper yourself at the IFA Corallium Spa
• Playa Bavaro is considered to be one of the most beautiful beaches in the world

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on the following departure dates:
  Toronto: May 14 ,21, 28 & Jun 4, 11, 18, 2013
  Halifax: May 4, 2013
  Montreal: May 06, 13, 20 & Jun 3, 10, 17, 2013
  
  Other DATES and GATEWAYS available.
  Call us at 1-855-687-5925.
  
  
• Pricing (Rates are per person):
  Toronto:
  Single: $645 plus tax
  Double: $495 plus tax
  Triple: $475 plus tax
  Quad: $455 plus tax
  Children (2-12 yrs): $395 plus tax
  Tax: $390
  
  Halifax:
  Single: $745 plus tax
  Double: $595 plus tax
  Triple: $575 plus tax
  Quad: $555 plus tax
  Children (2-12 yrs): $495 plus tax
  Tax: $392
  
  Montreal:
  Single: $1045 tax included
  Double: $895 tax included
  Triple: $875 tax included
  Quad: $855 tax included
  Children (2-12 yrs): $795 tax included
  
  
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is refundable until 5PM EST on March 13, 2013. After this time, this offer is 100% non-refundable.

                

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

They certainly love Canadians down in Myrtle Beach.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oh, well.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY: ST. MAARTEN

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

Jaunt Highlights

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

 

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

Offer Details

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

 

 

Happy 125th to Fairmont Banff Springs ... Hot times in Hilton Head...Deal of Day

Thanks to the folks at Travel Alberta for filling the media in last week on what's happening out their way.

Top of the news for most folks might be that Canada's most iconic hotel (other than that really nice Comfort Inn in Niagara Falls, that is) is celebrating its 125th birthday this year. The Fairmont Banff Springs was opened in 1888 in a stunning part of the Rockies and remains a standard-bearer in the industry; a regal and beautiful hotel in an equally magical setting.

"Opened in 1888, the landmark hotel was the inspiration of Sir William Cornelius Van Horne, 19th century railway pioneer and hotel visionary, who famously quipped, “If we can't export the scenery, we'll import the tourists.” 125th anniversary celebrations will run year long including special events, exclusive offers, community engagement and much more," according to the hotel web site.

They've recently renovated the Royal Suite and the hotel's two signature Terrace Suites, overlooking the lovely Bow River Valley. Both the Rundle Lounge and Waldhaus Restaurant & Pub, the original golf course clubhouse, also have been given a re-do for the birthday, officials said.

Check the website for special promotions and deals for a special birthday.

Banff was the first national park in Canada and only the third in the world, apparently. And that's pretty cool.

Things will soon heat up in Edmonton, as well, with another edition of the fabulous Fringe Fest, plus a stop on the LPGA golf tour this summer, the CN Canadian Women's Open Aug. 22-25. The city also will host the start of the Tour of Alberta cycling race.

Down in Calgary they're celebrating an increasingly sophisticated city, with new restaurants and micro-breweries and new festivals, including what's billed as Canada's first professional outdoor opera festival come September.

HILTON HEAD HEATS UP

Great beaches. Beautiful waterways for boating. Fabulous golf courses. And no high-rises in sight.

Sounds better than a foot of wet snow outside your doorstep here in Toronto, doesn’t it?

I had a chance to sit down with folks from Hilton Head, South Carolina the other day and I learned the area was “the first planned eco planned destination in the country,” with no buildings over five storeys high and no bright lights allowed to block night viewing of the stars.

Charlie Clark of the Hilton Head tourism bureau (check) said all the island’s waterfront properties are currently undergoing renovation of some kind, those being the Westin, Marriott, Omni, Sonesta (formerly the Crowne Plaza) and the Beach House (formerly the Holiday Inn).

“Our biggest secret is how lush it is,” Clark told me. “There’s a natural dolphin habitat. Kids as young as five are out there in kayaks and there’s a Disney resort on the island, too.”

The island, just north of the Georgia border, is about 12 by 5 miles, roughly the size of Manhattan, with 24 golf courses. Some are as low as $49, but you also can try your luck at Harbour Town, where the RBC Heritage classic will be played April 15-21.

Not a golfer? There are miles of bike paths and the sand is firm enough that you can ride your bike on the beach.

“Just remember to ride upwind first,” Clark said with a smile.

Tennis is also huge,e with more than 300 courts.

The island has a bit of a reputation as fairly high-falutin, but Clark said there are a variety of lodging styles available including Hampton Inn with a kids’ suite.

It’s a lot closer than Florida, maybe a 16 or 17-hour drive from Toronto, and the weather is excellent about this time of year. Today’s high is slated to be 20 degrees Celsius, and wouldn’t that feel nice right about now?

For families that want extra space, there are a ton of home and villa resorts available, some quite closwe to the beach.

I went online at Expedia.com the other day and found a room at the Red Roof Inn for four days in mid-March for just $60 a night and a condo for as little as $74. The Hilton Head Island Beach and tennis Resort was showing rooms for just $89, while the Omni’s rooms were listed at $179 and up.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY: ITALY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal on offer for a great trip to Italy, priced at $4,690 for 16 days and 14 nights.

Jaunt Highlights

• 16-day/14-night Country Roads & the Vineyards of Italy tour, featuring visits to Cinque Terre - a UNESCO World Heritage site, the vineyards of Tuscany, the ‘Gates of Paradise’ on the Baptistery and more!
• Includes roundtrip hotel/airport transfers, transportation in Italy via Luxury air-conditioned coach, services of a professional tour guide, and headsets for all visits and walking tours
• 14 nights' hotel accommodation in Premium Hotels. See Offer Details section below for hotels included (based on double occupancy)
• Includes 14 buffet breakfasts, a welcome reception, 1 celebration dinner, and 4 three-course evening meals with choice of tea or coffee

• Hotels are conveniently located and range from rustic Tuscan villas to romantic Roman rooftops
• You'll taste your way through the Italian countryside and also enjoy Italy's major city sights
• Insight Vacations is a luxury tour provider with attentive guides and spacious coach buses

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on the following departure dates: May 11 & September 21, 2013

• Pricing (Rates are per person, based on double occupancy):
  Double: $4690
  Single: $5929
  Triple: $4392
  Child: $4196
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer 100% non-refundable at time of booking

 

 

 

 

 

West Jet ups the ante in fight with Air Canada, Porter ... Deal of Day is Turkey

Big news in the Canadian airline biz today, as WestJet takes aim at both Air Canada and Porter.

Calgary-based WestJet announced today it will start flying twice weekly between Toronto and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (see photo at right), beginning May 2. Air Canada doesn't fly that route but Porter does, out of the Toronto island airport.

Myrtle Beach folks are obviously excited to welcome hundreds more Canadians to their beaches, golf courses and fine restaurants each week.

The Star's Vanessa Lu reports that within Canada, WestJet also is increasing the number of flights between Toronto and Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon and Regina, and will introduce new non-stop service between Toronto and Fort McMurray.

The airline will also boost flights between Toronto and Orlando to 11 weekly from seven a week, which is great news for Florida fans.

It is moving service between Calgary and Los Angeles to twice daily from once a day. Beginning April 29, it is also introducing daily service between Calgary and Dallas-Fort Worth, which is a hub for WestJet’s code-share partner American Airlines, Lu reported.

A lot of that sounds like warning shots across Air Canada's bow to me. And let's hope it means an air fare war of some kind, as prices these days are crazy high.

The Financial Post is reporting that Encore will serve Fort St. John, Saskatoon, and Nanaimo, from Calgary starting June 24. The Post also said they'll provide Encore service between Vancouver and Victoria with a 78-seat Bombardier Q400 turboprop.

The airline has plans to expand the Encore service to several other routes including flights between Calgary and Edmonton, Regina, and Grande Prairie as of Aug. 13, the paper said.

Last week, WestJet reported strong profits for 2012 of $242.4 million, or $1.78 a share, up from $148.7 million in 2011. Still the airline is embarking on a $100 million cost-cutting initiative over the next three years.

CHAOS AT PEARSON

It’s not bad enough that ordinary Torontonians don’t know how to drive in the snow. It’s worse when folks at Pearson Airport can’t handle a dump of the white stuff.

It was chaos at Pearson on the weekend. Every time I turned on the news there was some poor schlep standing in front of a camera explaining how he’s been at the airport since 1998, or something like that, and was still waiting to take his trip to Florida.

“The bad news is I’ve had to wait 15 years for the de-icing equipment to work and for a new flight crew to arrive,” I thought I heard one man say. “The good news is I’m now 75 and I won’t have to take off my shoes when I go through security.”

It was not only crazy inside the airport, but a story in today’s Star outlines how folks had to wait hours and hours just to get their cars out of the lot at the Park'N Fly, which seems crazy.

A report on travelmole.com this morning says more than 7,000 flights were cancelled because of the winter storm that hit eastern Canada and the northeast U.S.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for spring and summer. Because all we’ve have to worry about then is flooding and thunderstorms and hurricanes.

CRUISE SHIP TRAGEDY

It was about a year ago that the Costa ship ran aground in Italy. Now comes word of another tragedy, this one, bizarrely, during a drill lifeboat usage.

The incident took place during a safety drill on the cruise ship Thomson Majesty while it was docked in Santa Cruz on La Palma in the Canary Islands.

The lifeboat fell into the water killing five members of crew and injuring three.

Nautilus International, the union for seafarers and maritime professionals, argues that more people get killed and injured during lifeboat drills than rescued by lifeboats.

Andrew Linington, head of communications, said: "This is just ridiculous. There have been dozens of fatalities in the last few years alone due to these drills.”

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has an offering for a trip to fabulous Turkey.

Jaunt Highlights

• 16-day/14-night Ottoman Discoveries Turkey Tour with visits to ancient cities, mosques, Turkish markets and more!
• Optional return air from Toronto to Istanbul via Air Transat. Land-only option also available.
• Includes all transfers in Turkey via air-conditioned motorcoach, services of a professional English speaking tour guide, and all sightseeing and entrance fees as per itinerary
• 14 nights' accommodation based on double occupancy. See below for hotels included (or similar).
• Includes 40 meals throughout the tour

• Your small tour and boutique-style accommodations ensure a unique, personalized experience
• You'll visit famous sites of antiquity like Ephesus and Troy
• You'll experience the energy of Istanbul and the healing powers of Turkey's countryside

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on May 19, 2013
• Pricing (based on double occupancy):
  
  Land Only:
  Double: $2029 per person, tax included
  Single: $2679 per person, tax included
  
  Including Toronto Air:
  Double: $2609 + tax
  Single: $3259 + tax
  Tax: $457.60 per person
  
  
• Accommodations included (or similar): Aziyade (Istanbul), Iris (Canakkale), Kalehan (Selcuk), Pam (Pamukkale), Dogan (Antalya), Anamas Konukevi (Beysehir), Upper Greek House (Cappadocia), The Apple Palace (Amasya) & Kadioglu Sehzade Konagi (Safranbolu)
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is refundable until Feb 13 at 5PM EST. After this time, this offer is 100% non-refundable

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....

 

Busy times at Blue Mountain as Skyline International eyes an expansion plan

 

Skyline is making its mark.

A lot of you probably don't know much about this company, but chances are you've heard of their (growing) lineup of resorts and hotels.

It was announced on Thursday that Skyline International has acquired a $20 million stake in Blue Mountain, the province's largest ski and golf resort. The company plans to double the size of the village at the base of the mountain over the next 10 years, with some 1,200 condos, townhouses and detached houses within walking distance of the ski hill. It also will add 20,000 square feet of retail space.

Skyline has been picking up properties all over southern Ontario in the past eight years. They also own Horseshoe Ski/Golf Resort and Deerhurst, plus three downtown Toronto hotels: the King Edward, the Pantages and the Cosmopolitan.

Apparently there have been plans for more ski runs at Blue but they haven't gotten off the drawing board, The Star's Susan Pigg reported in today's Business section.

"We don't have any say in what Blue Mountain does, but they have expansion capacity to the south of the (existing) hill," said Skyline CEO Michael Sneyd. "It's up to them but we'd love to see them expand."

Blue Mountain Development - half-owned by Fortress Investment Development, which bought Intrawest in 2006 - will continue to control mountain, commercial and condo rental operations, Pigg reported.

Sneyd apparently isn't content to have locked up so much of southern Ontario's resort biz, and he's said to be eyeing other hospitality holdings in Eastern and Western Canada.

Whatever their plans are for the rest of the country, the investment in Blue Mountain ought to mean good things for hotels, inns and restaurants in and around Collingwood. And that's positive news.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, is offering a pretty sweet package at the Marriott Gateway at the Falls in Niagara Falls. You get accomodations for two people Sunday to Friday for $119 for a one-night stay in a Cityview Room and $249 for a two-night stay. If you want a Fallsview Room from Sunday to Friday, it's $149 for one night and $279 for two nights.

The deal includes:

• Buffet Breakfast for two daily
• One $25 Milestone dinner voucher
• 2 48-hr WEGO Shuttle Passes
• 2 Drink tickets 
• One $25 Casino slot voucher for Fallsview Casino or Casino Niagara

Offer Details

• Valid for travel: December 26, 2012 – March 14th, 2013
• Blackout dates: December 25, 31, 2012, January 1, February 17, 2013
• Reservations must be made by February 28, 2013
• For more information, go to www.jaunt.ca

 

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.

 

 

You have to think they’re not hockey or basketball fans. Or soccer enthusiasts, for that matter.

The folks at Travelzoo Inc. released its 2012 Travelzoo Awards list on Thursday and there was a rather large surprise in the category of “Best Overall Provider of Entertainment Experiences in Canada.” The winner? Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.

I had to give my head a shake. At first I thought it was an award for “best condo builder.” But no. Then I thought it was “most outrageously profitable entertainment experiences where fans are continually hosed by owners who don’t care if their teams win.” But no. It was “best overall provider of entertainment experiences.” IN ALL OF CANADA!!

MLSE? The folks who struggle to put even a mediocre product on the ice and the basketball court and the soccer pitch? The laughingstock of North American sports? The organization that's part of a league that isn't even playing this fall?

You gotta be kidding me. Yes, Real Sports is a great sports bar. Yes, the Raptors dance pack features some pretty hot routines. And yes, the Raptor himself continues to dazzle (I think, I haven’t seen a game in a couple years).

But this is an organization that has run Toronto FC into the ground and can’t field a hockey playoff team and a basketball team that's consistently below average with a general manager that is riding on his success in Phoenix a century or two ago.

Good concerts at the ACC? Maybe that’s what did it, but not if you judge that category by the feedback from fans at this week’s mysterious Bob Dylan show.

The other Canadian categories in the Travelzoo awards were for best overall provider of Airfare (Porter), best overall provider of hotel deals (Sutton Place, Vancouver, which is often on sale on various websites) and best provider of vacation and cruise packaging (Cruise Connections, Inc.).

 

QUEBEC CITY HOTELS KICK BUTT

Congrats to Quebec City for having the highest rated hotels in the U.S. and Canada.

CheapHotels.org released a survey this week of 30 destinations north and south of the border. It was based on evaluations written by customers over the past 12 months following their stays.

To ensure proper comparisons, the study was based only on 3-star hotels (the kind most of us stay in most often) in the city centre. Two booking sites, Expedia and Priceline, served as the aggregator from which reviews were drawn.

The winner, with 75 per cent positive reviews, was Quebec City. Next was Washington D.C. at 73, followed by Chicago (72) and a tie between Boston and Montreal at 71. So, good on La Belle Province for a great showing.

The bottom five were Las Vegas (61), Honolulu (59), Ottawa (a terrible 57 score), Atlantic City (56) and, at the very bottom, Miami at 54.

Sounds like theirs food for thought down Florida way….

For the record, Toronto was pretty much in the middle (slightly above average) at 67, one spot behind Niagara Falls (68), although the study doesn’t say whether that’s the U.S. or Canadian side of the falls.

New York City was at 65.

 

THIS AND THAT

Fairmont is opening its first-ever property in the Philippines, which seem to be getting more and more travel press these days. The Fairmont Makati opens Dec. 3 in Metro Manila. Fairmont Makati will have 280 rooms and suites with a Filipino design. The tower housing the Makati also is home to the 32-room, all-suite Raffles Makati and to condos under the Raffles Residences brand. Raffles is a sister brand of Fairmont under the parent company Fairmont Raffles Hotels International … Kudos to Cabot Links on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia for being named best new golf course by SCOREGolf. It’s a no-brainer, really, as it’s by far the best new course opened in this country in some time. It’s a true links course, the only one in Canada, and it’s absolutely marvelous.

 

The diversity of beautiful St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands; gardens, beaches, diving

ST. CROIX, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS - A short 20 minute flight. A world away.

You leave the busy, bustling waterfront of Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas on a 17-passenger (or so) seaplane and quickly rise up over the blue Caribbean. Twenty minutes later you've slid to a gentle stop on the water outside the seaplane port in Christiansted, the biggest "city" on this most diverse of the three main islands in the U.S.V.I. chain.

St. Croix has a fairly dry, hilly eastern end with long beaches and a few golf courses. It's quite lovely and looks a bit like Barbados or the less mountainous sections of St. Lucia. The western end isn't technically a rainforest as it doesn't get enough precipitation, but it's quite moist and the mountains rise more than a 1,000 feet up over the sea, attracting plenty of wet stuff.

We had tours of the luscious St. George Villa botanical garden (see photo), where old plantation buildings now mix with herb gardens, fabulous displays of bougainvillea and cactus and plenty of oddities from around the world; giant kapok trees with huge, billowing trunks, sausage trees with giant fruit that look like World Series hot dogs and something called a noni tree, which produces a fruit so foul smelling (think three-day old bleu cheese after a power outage in downtown Toronto in summer) it's sometimes called "starvation fruit."

We also had a look at the lovely, old-time plantation buildings at the Whim Plantation Museum. There's beautiful period furniture dating back to the 1600's and also an old windmill and other buildings from the time when almost all of St. Croix was covered with sugar cane.

The island relies heavily on tourism these days, and it's going to get even more dependent on Canadians and Americans soon as one of the biggest employers on the island, the Hovensa oil refinery, announced earlier this year that's it's shutting its doors.

The town of Frederiksted is a small, colourful affair on the far western side of the island. There's a beautiful and stately promenade that goes along the waterfront and some fun shops on the main street. We had good sandwiches and salad and excellent coffee at Polly's on the Pier, then drove up to another old estate called Mt. Washington. It sits high on a hill in the rainforest area and also is a working farm. There are more ruins of old sugar mills to be seen, plus there's a labyrinth and a working garden with avocados the size of a volleyball. Simply amazing.

We stayed Saturday night at the Renaissance Carambola beach resort (see photo at right), which is nestled in a lush valley near the rainforest and feels a bit like the area near the Pitons in St. Lucia or Hana on Maui or the north shore of Kauai with its steep mountains clad in deep green trees and vines. The staff at Carambola were some of the nicest folks I've ever met on the road and the pool is lovely. The beach is a pretty one but not terribly long and it's a bit rocky for swimming.

There's also a Robert Trent Jones Sr. golf course on property that looks stunning.

I'll have more to say tomorrow on Christiansted and the utterly fabulous Buck Island snorkeling/diving scene...