Sliding Euro makes this a great time to see Europe ... Kudos for Toronto travel

A couple of things worth keeping an eye on if you're even THINKING about a trip to Europe.

Number one is that the Euro, used in almost all European countries (but not the UK, too bad for us) has fallen quite sharply against the dollar in the last while. It was up around $1.40 a year or two ago, and was then down around $1.35 against the Canadian buck for most of 2012.

I checked today and it's all the way down $1.29, which makes a visit all the more attractive. I also spotted an item on Travel Weekly that says tour operators have cut prices from a modest two per cent to a whopping 18 per cent for 2013.

TW said that according to a survey of members of the U.S. Tour Operators Association (USTOA), the top emerging destination for 2013 is Myanmar (aka Burma), "the Southeast Asian nation that is emerging from seclusion after years of military rule."

Abercrombie & Kent has seen Myanmar bookings increase more than 80% in 2012 compared with 2011, Travel Weekly said. But with few new hotels coming this year, availability is a challenge.

Other off-the-beaten-path destinations USTOA members see gaining in popularity in 2013 are Vietnam, India, Peru, Cambodia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica and Ecuador, the publication said.

As for Europe, I've seen hotels in Lisbon and Madrid going for crazy-good prices on hotels.com. It's easy to find a ton of three-star and four-star and even occasionally five-star hotels for $100 a night or a bit more. You can find good prices in London, too; often three or four-star places for around $150/night.

The secret is to travel in the off-season. January is a great month for Europe. Sure, it might be cold but the cafes and pubs and museums will be open and if you're not looking to get a tan on the Spanish Steps in Rome (see photo above right) does it really matter if it's 10 degrees in Italy or 20? March and even April aren't bad, either, with probably warmer weather and still reasonable prices.

KUDOS FOR TORONTO TOURISM/TRAVEL

I see that Conde Nast Traveler has named good old T.O. as one of its five "must-see" destinations for 2013.

Funny, but I made the same point in today's paper, citing Toronto's tremendous hotel growth as a factor.

CN Traveler made a similar point. Here's what they had to say about the Big Smoke: "the thrills in Toronto come from the stunning architecture, diverse array of restaurants, and energetic arts and cultural scene. The restaurant scene has really taken off in recent years, with New York's famous chef David Chang just opening a new outpost of his Momofuku empire. Plus, this city has some hot new hotels."

So there you have it. Tourism Toronto folks were understandably chuffed at the news, as the Conde Nast bit also went out on the Today Show on New Year's Day on NBC television in the U.S. (and here, of course).

The other four spots mentioned by Conde Nast? Seoul, Amsterdam, Nashville and New Orleans. I mentioned New Orleans as one of my hot spots for 2013, as well, plus Ireland, The Philippines, Florida (celebrating its first 500 years) and Spain/Portugal/Greece.

 

 

 

 

New York City sets record for tourism, still aiming for giant Ferris Wheel...

Congrats to the folks in New York City. Mayor Michael Bloomberg and tourism officials this week announced they welcomed 52 million visitors in 2012.

It's a new record and represents a modest, 2.1 per cent increase in visits from 2011, officials said.

Of those visitors, 41 million were from the U.S. and 11 million were international visitors. I was told a little more than 1 million of the visits were from Canadians, which is no surprise given the wealth of things to do in the city that never sleeps.

Officials said one out of three overseas visitors to the U.S. stops in New York, which is pretty amazing when you think about it. The 33 per cent figure is an increase from 28 per cent in the previous year.

Tourism types said the city's tourism industry generated $55.3 billion in economic impact and employed 356,000 New Yorkers in the hospitality sector.

Word today is that the guy who was talking about building a giant Ferris Wheel on Staten Island plans to go ahead, despite concerns about the type of winds generated by Tropical Storm Sandy last fall.

While Brooklyn and, lately, Queens have seen an influx of tourism, both the Bronx and Staten Island don't seem to be getting much tourism business or new developments. So the idea of the giant wheel, although hardly a new concept in the tourism world, is no doubt intriguing.

About the same time New York was announcing its 2012 tourism figures, U.S. officials were quoted as saying they brought in almost 12 per cent more visitors last year than in 2011.

"It was a very good year," Roger Dow, president of the U.S. Travel Association, told Helen Anders of the New York Times.

While the Canadian government has hacked and slashed tourism spending north of the border, the U.S. (as well as Australia and other countries with some common sense and understanding of the impact of travel on their economies) has invested big time in trying to attract more tourists. Dow said the travel industry last year created jobs 17 per cent faster than other industries, which must mean something.

JAMAICA TOURISM IMPROVES

On a related note, Jamaica tourism officials say visits increased 2.3 per cent from January to November, 2012 compared to the previous year. Cruise arrivals were said to be up 26.6 per cent from January to October, helping spark an increase in tourism earnings of three per cent for the first 11 months of 2012.

Good news, for sure, for a place that's a favourite of Canadians. I spent some time in Jamaica in 2011 and loved it. The food was excellent and I stayed in a variety of cool places; the gorgeous Half Moon Bay/A Rock Resort and also at a fabulous, colourful spot on the south coast near Treasure Beach called Jake's; one of the most enjoyable spots I've ever stayed at anywhere in the world.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has the following deal for a trip to see the pubs and countryside of fabulous Ireland. If you've never spent a night singing and maybe even dancing to live music at an Irish Pub in the old country, you haven't lived. It's astonishingly good fun and the people of Ireland are everything they're made out to be. Here's the deal:

Jaunt Highlights

• BONUS: $150 Future Travel Voucher per person
• BONUS: Extend your flight for up to 30 days at no extra charge and return from anywhere Transat flies in Europe
• 9-day/7-night Irish Pub & Folk Tour with visits to Dublin, Kilkenny, Waterford, Kilarney, Westport and more
• Includes return airfare from Toronto to Dublin on Air Transat and transfers to/from airport to hotel
• 7 nights' hotel accommodation: Ashling Hotel (1 night), Kilkenny Ormonde Hotel (1 night), International Hotel Kilarney (2 night), Wyatt Hotel (2 nights) and Ashling Hotel (1 night)
• Meals throughout your tour (as outlined in itinerary below)
• Includes professionally guided tours of Ireland via air conditioned Deluxe Motorcoach, and all admission fees as per itinerary

• Enjoy the traditional Irish pub life with tours, samplings and shows
• Take advantage of your pockets of free time to explore Ireland at your own pace while still enjoying the services of a local guide in Dublin
• Tour includes entry into popular Irish attractions like the Blarney Castle, Guinness Storehouse and more.
• OFFER DETAILS

• Valid for travel on April 26, 2013 departure
• Pricing:
  
  Single: $2388 per person, plus tax
  Double: $1998 per person, plus tax
  Tax: $476
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is 100% non-refundable at time of booking

 

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DO WE HATE OUR FAMILIES OR SOMETHING?

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

Given the economy that might not be surprising.

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

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

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

HOTEL OMNI MONT-ROYAL IMPROVEMENTS

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

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

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

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

AIR CANADA ADDS VIRTUAL HOLD

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

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

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

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

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

Here are the highlights:

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

More details:

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

Offer Details

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

 

 

 

 

"The Gathering" in Ireland in 2013; their biggest tourism push ever coming soon

The good folks of Ireland have no shortage of story-lines to sell. Great cities like Dublin and Galway, fabulous golf courses, historic castles, an increasingly sophisticated food scene and, of course, the Irish people themselves.

Now, they're going that one better - or tens of thousands better - with their biggest tourism campaign ever. It's called The Gathering 2013, and it's invite for the 70 million members of the Irish diaspora around the world - plus anyone who's dreamed of going or wants to go again - to make the trip next year for what promises to be a wild time. And that's saying something.

Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, told a breakfast meeting in downtown Toronto today (Monday) that The Gathering is a community led initiative with more than 300 events already planned. Officials said those include everything from a gathering of female veterinarians to gatherings for twins and meetings of redheads. County Clare has invited anyone named Clare or Clair or Clara or anything similar to come on over for a good time.

Ireland Tourism and Sport Minister Leo Varadkar said Ireland wants to "reconnect" with Irish folks around the world.

"Perhaps we didn't pay enough attention when things were going well" with the Irish economy, he said, but that's changing now.

Some 17 per cent of all folks in Ontario claim Irish heritage, officials said. 

On top of meetings of Fitzgerald's and others of Irish heritage, Ireland tourism also is giving folks around the world a chance to apply to march in the St. Patrick's Day parade in Dublin next year. And how much fun would that be?

There also will be festivals and sporting events and cultural displays and, of course, lots of great music.

I think I have a bit of Irish blood in me. But my wife is most definitely of Irish heritage, so when we went to Ireland for the first time a few years ago we traipsed about looking for O'Keefe's and Lonergans to chat with. We naturally found a bar with each name and met up with the owners and established a connection.

You'd think owners of these bars would get tired of Canadians and Americans and Aussies and others coming in and saying, "Hey, MY name is Fitzpatrick, too." But apparently they don't, as we were treated extremely well and had a ton of fun checking them out.

For more information, go to www.discoverireland.com or www.thegatheringireland.com.

 

 

 

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

There's a lesson in here somewhere.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MEANEST USA AIRLINES

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

Consider yourself warned.

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

SASKATOON GOES LUXE

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

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

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

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

 

2012 a great year for Northern Ireland ... A quick look at Variety Cruise lines

There are few things better than a good breakfast, and an Ulster fry certainly qualifies. Today they were celebrating the launch of the 2012 Northern Ireland tourism campaign in Canada "Your Time, Our Place," it's called) and put on a great show with eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes (natch) and broiled tomatoes, not to mention croissants and fruit and all that. I'm still stuffed.

More important, it was a chance to talk about the wonders of Northern Ireland, which doesn't get as much press at it deserves. I was there two years ago for what remains possibly the best trip of my life; a great time in the south followed by three days in Northern Ireland, which was a surprise and an absolute delight.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Belfast, which has outstanding architecture, great neighbourhoods, fabulous pubs such as The Spaniard and the Crown Liquor Saloon, a terrific museum about The Troubles, cutting-edge restaurants and lots more. Of course, they also have a ton of Irish people, which makes any place on earth a good one.

The First MInister, the delightful Peter Robinson had everyone in stitches yesterday, talking up old legends and newer ones. The deputy, Martin McGuinness, had a few jokes of his own.

Interesting fact: they come from different backgrounds and diferent parties in a part of the world where that hasn't always worked so well. Robinson is from the Democratic Unionist Party, while McGuinness is Sinn Fein. But they form what together might be the best comedy duo I've seen in years.

It's funny in a way, but also quite revealing that these two men work together so well.

"The conflict is well and truly over," said McGuinness. "I'm proud that compromises were made."

Heady stuff.

On a less political level, this year, as most of the world knows, marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. The new Titanic Belfast Experience opens March 31 and promises to draw a ton of tourists. It's a six-storey affair that covers everything from the ship's origins to its construction, launch and sinking. www.titanicbelfast.com

There's also a Titanic Belfast Festival in town from March 31 until May, with plays, tours, exhibitions and more, and a giant MTV Titanic concert in April. There's also a Peace One-Day Concert in Derry-Londonderry on June 21. www.peaceoneday.org. Derry-Londonderry is the UK City of Culture for 2013.

Further north, they're adding a new visitors centre at the fabulous Giant's Causeway this summer. The causeway is a remarkable series of basalt columns - about 40,000 - that jut out of the ocean on the wonderfully scenic north coast.

This year also marks the playing of the Irish Open golf tourney at legendary Royal Portrush golf course; as pretty a links course as there is in the world.

ANOTHER MESSY DAY FOR AIR CANADA

Sounds like things got a little hairy for Air Canada passengers at Pearson and in Montreal today. Last I heard, the "work action" by disgruntled employees had slowed and things were operating in a more normal fashion. Still, it seems the airline simply can't buy any labour peace these days, and I fear more of this sort of thing to come in the near future.

VARIETY CRUISES - SOUNDS GOOD

Interesting today to learn more about Variety Cruises, a Greek-based company that offers up cruises that are more like a yacht charter.

"The concept is smaller trips where you can learn more about the history of a place and go to ports without the usual crowds," explained Constantine Venetopoulos, the sales manager and grandson of the company's founder.

"Our average is 50 guests per ship, with en suite baths and mini-fridges and free wi-fi. Plus all rooms are outside, meaning a window or at least a port hole. Because of the size of our ships, we can go into villages and there's no tendering and no lines when you get off the ship. People think it's a private yacht when they see it, and the captain can drop you off in the water at a small beach if you like."

Some of the ships can cruise under sail power, while others look like the fanciest of yachts. They have a new, super-luxury ship called the Voyager, which will be "five-star plus" with cabins up to 300 square feet.

"We aren't a Disney cruise with entertainment," Venetopoulos told me. "We tend to attract an older clientele, plus honeymooners. And we tell people that because of the size of our boats we can be affected by weather. It's possible we won't be able to make a place on our itinerary.

"But it's a great experience and a wonderful way to see the world."

Many cruises take in various Greek islands, but they also include spots the big ships often don't take in; Paros (a personal fave), Folegrandos and others. But also the "usual" spots such as Santorini.

They also have ships for Cuba, as well as Abu Dhabi/Oman, The Seychelles and the Gambia River in North Africa.

Definitely worth checking out, I'd think, if you're a cruise fan.

 

 

 

 

Hotel bargains in 2010 topped by Europe, especially Ireland, says hotels.com

If you thought it was a little easier to travel last year compared to previous years, you win the prize. The folks at hotels.com sent out their Hotel Price Index for 2010 today and found a stronger Canadian dollar and the still shaky global economy helped Canadians find "significant" travel savings last year.

The study found Canadians paid eight percent less for a hotel room in Europe (averaging $159.67* per night), "as many European economies recovered at a slower rate than Canada.  On a national basis, Canadian hotel room prices were unchanged at $136 per night."

I always tell folks that Europe isn't as expensive as you might think. You can almost always a clean but modest hotel in a big city for $150 or so, and this study bears that out. I find Best Westerns to be a little sharper and sexier overseas than they are here in North America, so those almost always are worth checking out in Paris and London and such. I've stayed in some nice, small hotels near St. Germain-des-Pres in Paris for $150. And don't forget most European hotels throw in your breakfast, so that's a bonus.

The hotels.com study found that great deals were to be had in Ireland, with an average paid rate (not advertised rate but what was actually paid out of pocket) of just $112.22 per night, down  a whopping 19 percent from 2009.  In Italy, room rates were down by nine percent, while Canadians paid two percent less on average for rooms across the U.K.

“In many cases, like Ireland, there were significant savings for Canadian travellers,” said Victor Owens, vice president of North America for Hotels.com. “Even in the U.S., where the discounts were perhaps not as dramatic for Canadians, the strong Canadian dollar, coupled with discounted rates, made travelling south of the border very attractive.”

The Hotel Price Index found five of the top international destinations visited by Canadians were all in the U.S., where Canadians paid six percent less ($135.93) for rooms than they did a year earlier. Las Vegas was the top destination, followed by New York, Seattle, Orlando and San Francisco.  London dropped from number three a year earlier to number six. (Seattle is a bit of a surprise to me but it could be Vancouver folks out for a weekend in a fine city, or perhaps lured south by cheaper air fares to other destinations. Or maybe they're just Seattle Seahawks fans?)

At home, Canadians travelled most frequently to Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. Prices were up four percent in Toronto ($135.62), pushed higher in part by the city hosting the G20 Summit.  The return of F1 racing to Montreal helped prop Montreal rates up six percent last year to $147.79.  Vancouver saw prices drop two percent to $140.41 from 2009 when room prices averaged $142.58. In the first half of 2010, Vancouver room rates averaged $147, indicating that room prices returned to more normal levels after peaking during the Olympics.

Canada’s top resort cities were the most expensive to visit.  Rooms in the resort area of Tofino, BC were the most expensive at $230.11 (up 7%).   Lake Louise, AB, wasn’t far behind at $213.99 (down 4%). Mont Tremblant, QC ($209.19), saw an increase of 10%, as did Whistler, BC ($177.73), according to the study.

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day - with a fine Irish breakfast in Toronto to start the day

Well, THAT was tasty.

The fine folks at Tourism Ireland put on a crazy spread at The Bay's eighth floor cooking station this morning, all part of an attempt to showcase the great variety of Irish cuisine you can find on a visit to fair Eire. I was there for 10 days a year ago and the food, I'll concede, was marvellous. Fresh fish and beef and lamb and inventive cuisine of all sorts; a far cry from what folks might've expected a couple decades ago.

Mind you, food also has come a long way in England and in Wales, where I visited a year and-a-half ago. But I digress. This day is about Ireland and that wonderful St. Patrick, who gets more ink than just about all the other saints put together when you think about it.

The tourism folks today started things off with some bread pudding laced with Bailey's - yum - and also blood or black pudding and plenty of fresh fruit; blackberries, strawberries, melon and pineapple (must've come from the real SOUTH part of Ireland). They had a couple cooks on hand and made some fine brown bread and also fresh, creamy scones with currants, grilled kippers with a pad of butter on top and, best of all, potato cakes laced with cinnamon and nutmeg (I think) and topped with warm apple compote. The potato bit sounds weird but it was one of the tastiest breakfast items I've had in some time.

Oh, and I forgot the cheese. I didn't write down all of them but included on the plate was a Guinness cheddar and an Irish whiskey cheddar.

I'm supposed to deliver a talk on Ireland to the Ashbridge's Bay Yacht Club tonight and I gotta admit I'm nervous. I've never done anything like that before, although nobody who knows me has ever accused me of lacking in verbosity so I guess I'll manage.

Luckily, I'm slightly handy with a camera and Ireland is stunningly beautiful, so I'm hoping my photos will tell the story of my visit better than I can.

 

Top travel bargains include Mexico, Ireland...Golden Globes travel deals!

Max out your cash in Mexico. Invest in Indonesia. And get your way to Greece.

Tim Leffel, who wrote a book called The World's Cheapest Destinations: 21 Countries Where Your Money is Worth a Fortune, is echoing a point I've made in the past (and many, many others have made, of course), which is to say that so-called "trouble spots" are often some of the best travel deals around.

Leffel singles out Mexico, saying that many folks have avoided the entire country because of drug and crime issues along the border. Not to cover up the country's troubles, but avoiding Cancun because of problems in Tijuana is kinda like skipping Seattle because of gang trouble in Reno, Nevada.

There have been isolated problems in tourist areas, but the point Leffel is making is that there are great bargains to be had in Cancun or Cabo San Lucas. Probably Cozumel and Mazatlan, too. "There are so many rooms they are trying to fill, so every week there are unbelievable deals." Look for interior cities, too, he says. www.visitmexico.com

Also on Leffel's list:

NEPAL - "fascinating cultural tours out of Kathmandu...(with) fully outfitted whitewater rafting trips...at less than $50 a day." www.welcomenepal.com

 

GREECE - The protests and strikes, compounded with the recession that has cut the number of European visitors, means there's excess capacity now, USA Today reports in a story on Leffel's advice. He's quoted as saying that Greece is "hurting for business and rolling out the discounts." www.visitgreece.gr

INDONESIA - "It's a whole chain of islands and it's got everything; beaches, diving, mountains and culture." http://www.indonesia.travel/

HONDURAS - "First-class diving and Mayay ruins," Leffel says. www.letsgohonduras.com

HUNGARY - "All the charm of its western neighbors at lower costs." They haven't adopted the Euro, and the currency has dropped against the American dollar. Leffel suggests skipping Budapest and trying cheaper digs in Hungary's wine country. www.gotohungary.com

ETHIOPIA - "Incredible ruins and scenery" and a currency that dropped nearly 30 per cent against the U.S. dollar in 2010. www.tourismethiopia.org

THE USA - Leffel says to look for deals in cities hit by a drop in convention business, such as Orlando and Las Vegas. Good advice, for sure, in places that normally have pretty competitive rates. Good for Canadians, too, given the fact our dollar IS ABOVE PAR AGAINST THE AMERICAN GREENBACK, and how often do we get to say that? www.discoveramerica.com

VIETNAM - Once again, somewhere where the American dollar - and presuming the Canadian with it - gained value last year. "Whether you're a backpacker looking for a $5-a-night flophouse or a high-end visitor seeking a luxury hotel, you'll find bargains here," Leffel advises. www.vietnamtourism.com

IRELAND - Economic troubles and a slew of new hotels means travel deals for 2011, Leffel advises. I made my first trip there in April of last year (see photo of right of the lovely coast of Donegal) and fell in love with the people, the scenery, the castles and the overall atmosphere. The cities also are awesome; Dublin, sure, but also Belfast in Northern Ireland with great restaurants, wonderful architecture and, yeah, a couple of nice pubs. www.discoverireland.com

UNUSUAL CRUISE DESTINATIONS? YOU CAN ADD LIBYA TO THE LIST

Here's a cruise you can write home about. Crystal Cruises, according to USA Today, is going to begin stops in Tripoli, Libya; a first for the 22-year-old company.

"The luxury line says the 1,080-passenger Crystal Serenity will visit the Libyan port of Tripoli during the vessel's 11-night "Italian Splendor" voyage from Venice to Barcelona that begins Nov. 16. The voyage also includes calls in several Italian ports including Naples, Civitavecchia (for Rome) and Livorno (for Florence) as well as Dubrovnik, Croatia," Gene Sloan wrote on the USA Today travel site.

The city was founded by the Phoenicians back in the 7th century and has some cool architecture and wonderful archaeological sites.

READY FOR SOME HOLLYWOOD? CHECK THESE L.A. BARGAINS FOR THE GOLDEN GLOBES

Yeah, it's probably hard to find a cheap hotel in LA when the Oscars are on. But apparently it's not bad for the Golden Globe Awards. CheapOair.com says they found a slew of good spots in western LA, in or near Hollywood, for reasonable prices. Among their recommendations are the W Hotel Los Angeles in Westwood Village (my former home when I was at UCLA way back when, and still a great part of LA for stargazing, a little bit of space and, wait for it, actual places to walk and shop and eat without needing a car!), for $188 a night, the Omni Los Angeles Hotel California Plaza (downtown) for $135 and the Grafton on Sunset (West Hollywood) for a very good price of $177 per night.

Downtown LA has come a long way, with plenty of good restaurants and shops and lots to do, even if you are a good half hour from the beach. West Hollywood is known as the gay capital of southern California and probably is more in line with what Canadians would want to see and experience in a trip to so-Cal, with tons of nightclubs and restaurants and funky shops and colourful characters. Like Scarlett here. I'm not saying you'll run into Scarlett Johansson, pictured here at left in a rather modest dress from the 2006 Golden Globe Awards, I do believe. But there's a chance you might see that guy who was the third dude from the left in line at the grocery store in some really horrible episode of Three And A Half Men (as opposed to the funny, intelligent, well-written episodes, I mean).

 

 

 

A cool connection: Toronto travellers take photo of Star man (me) in Ireland

This is kinda cool, I think.

I was in Donegal, Ireland in April, taking a hike around the cliffs known as Slieve League. They're wild and wicked slopes north of Sligo, far higher than the famed Cliffs of Moher but virtually unknown to many travellers, including some Irish folks. I wrote a story about the experience in Star Travel on Saturday, July 24 (also my wedding anniversary, which is kinda connected if you'll hang in a bit).

When I was at Slieve League, my wife and I got to chatting with one of the few other couples who were checking out the cliffs and the surging ocean. They were from the Toronto area. I didn't talk about working for the Star, I don't think. We just talked in general about the area and how wonderfully isolated and beautiful the cliffs were, and left it at that.

I didn't think much about it until earlier this week, when a chap named Peter Davidson sent me a note to say something like, "Hey, you're the guy we met at Slieve League. I saw your story in the Star. That must have been you we chatted with. Your wife was with you and she was researching her family, the O'Keefe's, right?"

Damned good memory on his part, I can say, remembering my wife's mother's family name. Guy should be a reporter.

That was kinda funny, so I sent him a note back saying hope you had a good trip, nice to meet you, thanks for the kind words about the story, all the best, etc...

Then, a couple days later, came another note saying that he had taken a photo when we were at Slieve League but he didn't quite know why he took the shot.

It's the photo you see to the right of my wife, Barbara, who's taking the photo of me at the top of the page, and hold off on the jokes about my windswept hair, would ya? I find this quite funny - and a little spooky, to be honest. Not in a bad kinda way, just a weird/coincidence kind of way.

Funny thing about travel. You never quite know where the road will take you or who you'll meet, to paraphrase Bilbo Baggins, or perhaps Marco Polo, I can't recall. I was in Rome in 1979, having graduated from UCLA (a shameless plug, I know) a month or so earlier, and met up with a group of three Canadian girls travelling on the train from Rome to Florence. One of them I quite liked, and we became friends over three days in Florence. That's her in the photo, taking her goofy husband's picture a couple months before their 29th wedding anniversary.

So just to add to the general timing of all of this six degrees of separation stuff, where am I flying tonight? To Rome, where I met Barbara around about Aug. 1 or 4 (I have it written down in my journal somewhere in my basement), almost exactly 31 years ago. I'm writing a general Rome story for Star Travel and a hotel review, and also taking in the island of Ponza. I'll also be meeting up with my 22-year-old daughter, Kathleen (sorry, Kate), who just graduated from university a month ago (Go Queens) and, like her parents, is backpacking around Europe, checking out museums, art galleries, Mediterranean beaches and sampling the odd pitcher of sangria.

I told her to be careful in Rome while she waits for her father to arrive and that if she meets any Americans named Jim, to run as fast as she can in the other direction.

Hope to blog from Rome tomorrow but not sure about the Internet connections at my hotel...