Colombia improving its reputation as it continues a turnaround...Whistler snow!

Toronto Star travel writer Adrian Brijbassi is making his first-ever tour of Colombia, which has been getting a lot of press lately. Here's his initial report...

BOGOTA — Mexico’s bicentennial has received a lot of coverage this year, but it’s not the only Latin American country that gained independence from Spain in 1810.

Colombians celebrated their nation’s 200^th birthday on July 22 and for a country that not long ago was considered among the most dangerous in the world, there’s a lot to rejoice every day. The economy — ranked 35^th in global GDP according to the International Monetary Fund; putting it ahead of Portugal and the United Arab Emirates — is booming, thanks to the soaring price of minerals, especially gold, as investors have turned to resources while the U.S. dollar struggles. The government last month raised the outlook for 2010 GDP growth to 4.5 per cent from 3.5 per cent. Loads of Canadian resource companies and banks do business regularly here, and tourism from North America is growing. 

Bogota is the most popular Colombian destination for business travellers. The city receives more than half of the country’s almost 1.5 million foreign visitors. But tourists still prefer Cartagena, a major port for cruise ships, and the islands of San Andres and Santa Catalina as vacation spots. The Colombian capital, though, is selling itself as a place where visitors can enjoy the history, art and culture of a nearly 500-year-old city. Air Canada has started direct flights from Toronto, and that’s been a help in getting Canadians to come down. 

Bogota butts up against the Andes, the peaks of which can be reached by cable car or funicular. From the top, you’ll find historic churches, including Monserrate, which draws a crowd for its 17^th-century statue of Jesus falling from the cross. During Easter week, more than 1 million people make the trek up the mountain, says tour guide Fabio Quiroz (see photo below with Stephany Romero of the tourism board).

Monserrate is 3,200 metres above sea level and 600 metres from the base station in Bogota. Even on a cloudy day, you can see the city sprawl before you from the mountaintop. More than 8 million people live in Bogota and that’s made for diverse neighbourhoods and a lot of vibrant nightlife, especially in the Zona Rosa area, where the partying goes on until 4 in the morning. 

It’s a fun spot, with salsa dancing, all kinds of cuisine, an Irish sports bar (of course), nightclubs galore, a huge shopping mall, some fine hotels and an easygoing feel that puts you at ease. Zona Rosa is upscale and trendy, kind of like Queen West.

A bustling spot for tourists and locals is Juan Valdez Coffee Shop, named after a fictional character who is the most well-known Colombian icon after Shakira. Valdez’s beans don’t lie: the coffee is fantastic. The chain, which is a Latin American version of Starbucks but with much better brews, has expanded into Chile and the U.S. (No plans for Canada, so you won’t be tempted away from your Timmy’s double-double just yet.) 

The city is still edgy in some spots where tourists will want to go, including the historic district, and getting around from neighbourhood to neighbourhood isn’t easy. There isn’t a subway, the buses take a while to get you where you want to go and taxi drivers will take you for a ride in more ways than one. But it’s a dynamic place with a lot going for it. 

Stephany Romero of the trade and tourism board says the contemporary art scene in Bogota has attracted major curators from Europe and elsewhere in recent months. Big-name hotels are coming into the capital; Marriott opened its second location in as many years this summer. The government is offering a 30-year income tax exemption for any hotel renovation or new construction projects completed in the next eight years. Medical tourism is a growing income producer for Bogota and the rest of the country, which is known as a centre for inexpensive cosmetic surgery. And convention business is increasing. Bogota recently came in 79^th out of 288 cities for number of meetings hosted, according to a report by the International Congress and Convention Association. That’s up from 229th in 2002.

The exchange rate is favorable (with $1 Canadian equalling about 1,750 Colombian pesos) and the people are friendly. Considering the issues with increasing crime and violence that other parts of Latin America are having, Bogota and Colombia have a chance to make big strides in tourism in coming years as long as they continue to maintain the turnaround they’ve seen in the past decade. 

I’ll have more on Colombia in the coming weeks in the Star.

SNOW SEASON IS HERE...BUT NOT IN FLORIDA

The folks out in Whistler/Blackcomb report they got a couple dozen centimeters of white stuff on the weekend, and the forecast is for more in the coming days. Similar news came my way from Colorado, so it looks like ski season is almost upon us.

On the other hand, it's been lovely down in south Florida, where they're getting ready to officially open a new JW Marriott Marquis. Looking at this story in the Miami Herald, however, it seems they've been accepting guests for a few days.

We'll try to get someone down there soon and get a report on our own on what's happening in Chris Bosh's new home town, and my apologies to Toronto Raptors' fans if I appear to be rubbing it in as I'm actually a fan and not too happy at the demise of the team that GM Bryan Colangelo was supposed to have turned around years ago or am I wrong?

 

St. Lucia tourism riding high; new casino could do even more...Whistler changes

St. Lucia's tourism director was in town on Monday and we managed a few minutes over lunch.

"Canadian visits to St. Lucia are up 109 per cent" in the last year, Louis Lewis told me. "That's amazing at a time when many countries would be happy with a rise of nine per cent."

Yes, they would. Most of us would be happy with an increase of that size in our economic portfolios, too, but that's another story.

Lewis said they've made a concerted effort to boost tourism from North America and that U.S. visits were up 40 per cent so far this year compared with 2009; also a terrific number.

"We had a good winter, and summer outpaced winter for the first time," he said.

More flights - there are now four per day from Canada - have helped a lot. So has the boost given the country's website, stlucianow.ca, which earlier today was offering all-inclusive rooms for as little as $109 per night per person and was advertising fall deals of 60 per cent off.

As good as things are, Lewis said St. Lucia isn't standing still. A new casino north of Rodney Bay, on the northern part of the island, should open in December, the first casino on the island.

Casino City Times reports the casino will include 350 slot machines and 14 gaming tables and will be managed by Treasure Bay Corp. LLC of Biloxi, Mississippi. It's said to be about 15,000 square feet and will employ 300 full-time workers in St. Lucia.

I told Lewis about how I'd visited the country music bar in Castries, the Nashville Palace, when I was there and we chatted at length over lunch about his country's fascination with hurtin' tunes and how they don't like modern country music.

"There's a joke on the other islands that they can always tell who the St. Lucia workers are by turning off the Caribbean music at a club or bar at night and turning on a country-western song. If anyone dashes onto the floor for the country music, they're from St. Lucia."

Romance remains a huge part of the attraction of St. Lucia; not surprising when you see the beaches and forested highlands and the grand Pitons that dominate the skyline on the south end of the island.

WHISTLER CHANGES

Things are heating up, or , rather, cooling down nicely in Whistler, host (in part) of some pretty famous sporting events a few months back. The Olympics are firmly in the rear-view mirror, but the first FIBT World Cup events take place Nov 25-27 during Whistler's opening weekend, with bobsleigh and skeleton slated for the Whistler Sliding Centre. It will be great to see Canadian medallist Jon Montgomery in action, with or without a post-race beer on the main streets of town. For more information, check out the link.

Whistler/Blackcomb also has an Early Booking Offer, where guests can book by November 15, 2010 and receive the best deal of the season and a price guarantee. Lock in at the current rates, and if the price drops for the equivalent package during the season, they’ll match it. Families can save even more, as kids 12 and under stay, ski, rent, and receive airport transfers for FREE. Early booking packages are available from just $86CAD per person per night

Amber Turnau of Whistler/Blackcomb tells me they're "really looking at leveraging the awareness built up from the games (both internationally in Germany and Australia) and at home here in Canada."

Turnau says that based on a study conducted by Tourism Whistler in partnership with Tourism British Columbia, awareness of Whistler increased significantly in the key overseas markets of United Kingdom, Germany and Australia. The study measured awareness of Whistler before and after the 2010 Winter Games (November 2009, January 2010 and March 2010). Increases by market:
              - United Kingdom - awareness increased from 32 per cent to 45 percent
              - Germany - awareness increased from 19 per cent to 42 per cent
              - Australia - awareness increased from 48 per cent to 62 per cent.

Guests this season can ski/ride where the Olympians raced on the Dave Murray Downhill and Women’s DH, she points out. Not me, but thanks anyway.

GOOGLE TV AND GOOGLE TRAVEL?

A fellow Star worker was just telling me how Google is going to be available on TV's, or some such. It probably is already and I just don't know it. I remarked to her that I also had heard Google was getting into the travel business, which kinda scares me in a way I can't even begin to explain.

We both agreed we're totally screwed with technology once our kids leave home, although I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get the toaster to work all right.

TRANSPORTATION WOES in TORONTO

So, last Friday I get off the subway at Lawrence Station, and for the second time in a few weeks, only one of the escalators at the north end - five flights worth - was working. And it was, for the second time in a few weeks, the DOWN escalator that hardly anyone uses at rush hour. My goodness, folks, is is THAT hard?

Then, yesterday, BOTH escalators at the north end were out of service in the evening. Today, I went in the south entrance and one of the four escalators wasn't working. Glad to see my hard-earned tax dollars are being well-spent, guys.

It's also been a strange few trips. On Monday morning, some poor fellow sat on the floor of my subway car and cried and repeatedly banged his head. Poor fellow. On the way home, some guy stopped a buddy and I and looked at our Blackberries and wondered if we worked for the Secret Service. Today, a young Anglo woman started hurling racial epithets at a young, black woman, who wasn't taking any lip and gave it right back to her until the TTC finally had to call the cops and hauled the Anglo woman away, thank goodness.

Phew. Of course, on Sunday I tried driving into work and got caught up in the Toronto Marathon madness. Yes, the road closures were in the paper but would it have hurt the city to tell drivers that the Gardiner ramps to Yonge and Bay Sts. would be closed BEFORE WE GOT THERE and then found out we had to go to SPADINA and then double back in city traffic, only to find a huge backup of cars trying to get off the eastbound Gardiner at Jarvis? Just a couple signs, guys? Honestly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cuba to remain American free, methinks...Whistler tix on sale...More Blue Rodeo

A couple months ago it was all the rage. U.S. President Barack Obama was at last going to lift the gates on American tourism to Cuba.

Stacks of New Yorkers and Miamians would flock to their local airports and hop on planes to embrace the heady culture of Havana and the endless beaches. Thousands of blenders would be fired up to greet them on the ground with minty mojitos, and tourism in Cuba would skyrocket.

It sounded too good to be true. And I suspect it is. There was a report from Time online yesterday that said a U.S. lifting the ban on American travel to Cuba is, quelle surprise, stalled in the House of Representatives. The bill apparently has cleared one committee but truculent congressmen in two other House bodies might make sure it doesn't even come up for a vote this year.

On a scale of 1-10, I'd have to think Cuba's embargoed status is about minus-173 on Obama's to do list. My goodness, the economy is in near disaster mode down south, he's dealing with the horrible situation in Afghanistan, not to mention Pakistan and a very strident Russia...and now he's trying to put his stamp on the Middle East peace process, and he's gonna worry about little old Cuba and give the Republicans another sword with which to slice and dice his political capital between now and the mid-term U.S. elections in November?

I'm no expert on American politics. I did grow up there and studied political science in university, however, and I still think I have at least a vague idea how things play out with our neighbour to the south. And I just can't see the Obama administration going to the trouble.

The bad news is the lack of competition might not drive down prices the way some thought, although prices are already quite good for a Cuban holiday. The good news is you won't have to elbow anyone from Michigan out of the way at the buffet table in Holguin come January.

BRRRR....IT'S HAPPENING, FOLKS....

Saw a tree that was more red than green on a bike ride in North Toronto on Sunday. That's not good. Now comes word that, and I can hardly bring myself to type this, (sniff)...now comes word that 2010/2011 Whistler Blackcomb early bird season passes have gone on sale.

Basking in the aftermath of the Winter Olympics and what they say is 1,025 centimeter (404 inch) snowfall average, folks at Whistler Blackcomb say that from now until Oct. 11 an unlimited Season Pass is available for $1,349; a saving of $350. Unlimited Season Passholders get unlimited access to the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains year-round, both winter and summer.

I've had a chance to ride the gondola twice, and it's a hoot and-a-half. Beautiful in winter, as you can see at left, but also lots of fun in the summer if you get the chance to check out British Columbia next year.

ADRIAN BRIJBASSI ROCKS OUT IN STANLEY PARK

I wrote last week about seeing Blue Rodeo, my favourite band on the planet, perform at the Molson Ampitheatre. Naturally, fellow Star Travel dude Adrian Brijbassi was out west and saw them sing outdoors at Stanley Park in Vancouver on the weekend. He, of course, had to trump the travel editor by filing a report on the beauty of it all. I'm not jealous. He did a nice job, as you can see below. I just hope he enjoys that nice two-week trip to Serbia next January for our "Testicle Cooking Festival" special section.

By Adrian Brijbassi

VANCOUVER - The B.C. bud was fragrant as several hundred Blue Rodeo fans helped Greg Keelor celebrate his birthday on Sunday night at one of the country’s best open-air venues, Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park. After the crowd belted out “Happy Birthday”, Jim Cuddy serenaded his partner-in-rhyme with “Try” (kind of a creepy choice for the moment, but hey, it’s Vancouver). The highlight was a lengthy jam on “Five Days in May” as Cuddy again sang better than a white, heterosexual man should be able. Keelor usually regales the Vancouver audience with “English Bay” and the story of how he wrote that tune about long-distance love while watching the waves from the Sylvia Hotel, but this time he did the haunting “What Is This Love?” Almost thought Sarah McLachlan would walk out on stage at that moment. Kudos to the crowd who were on their feet a lot – a nice change from many previous sit-on-your-hands-like-you’re-a-hostage audiences. Another great show from these Canuck icons!

Now, if Cuddy would only share his favourite travel stories with Travel Editor Jim Byers – that’d be an encore!

Top 100 "fun cities" in the U.S. - You gotta be kidding with this chart, folks

New York City tops the list of "most fun" cities in the US of A, according to a report by Portfolio.com/biz journals. The publication gave New York top ratings in three of seven categories; shopping, food/drink and culture. It was runner-up in three others, which is pretty impressive.

The story I saw said the New York City area has 431 museums and historical sities, compared to a combined total of 349 in Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas. I don't know about that. If you say the "New York City area," wouldn't you also have to include the Los Angeles and Chicago and Dallas areas, which would encompass areas such as Orange County, the suburbs of Chicago and Fort Worth, Texas?

Anyway, there's no doubt New York has it all for visitors. Second place in the study for most fun town USA was Chicago, which was third in food/drink and fourth in popular entertainment. The next cities, in order, were Boston, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland (Maine, not Oregon), Philadelphia and Minneapolis.

Looking down the full list, I believe that this ranking is, to be blunt, insane.

No offence, but Portland, Maine is in the top 10? A nice town, I'm sure, but ahead of New Orleans? And what on earth is Poughkeepsie, New York doing in there at 21, ahead of Portland, Oregon and, um, Las Vegas? Are these people serious? Are there 25 cities in the U.S. more fun than Las Vegas? And 51 cities more fun than country-music capital Nashville?

The more I looked, the more I began to suspect a wee problem with the methodology. I found that the study folks had seven categories: gambling, shopping, food/drink, popular entertainment, low-impact sports, high-impact sports and culture. Personally, I think it's nuts to rank those the same. I mean, who goes to a city for high-impact sports, which they listed as things like skiing or fitness centres. How many CITIES have great ski facilities?

And how do you put food and drink on the same level as low-impact sports like golf or bowling? If you want to play golf, you don't necessarily head to a metropolitan area but to a golf resort like Myrtle Beach.
Then you get the bizarre, utterly bizarre, rankings within those individual areas. New York tops for culture, of course. But Detroit comes in at #2 in low-impact sports, while San Francisco, with great walking and cycling and hiking trails and fabulous golf courses as good or better than Detroit, is at 47. A joke.

Maybe this is meant as a city for people to live in, versus a list for travel purposes. But I still find it goofy as heck. Austin, Texas, was ranked 44th in popular entertainment, notwithstanding all the great music clubs. New Orleans? It was 61st! I guess they dont' count people watching or Mardi Gras parades, which makes me think this whole thing is rather silly and poorly executed. It's all a matter of taste, of course. We all have different ideas of what makes a great city, which is why they have menus in restaurants, right? But it drives me batty to see a city like Honolulu with marvellous food, a killer beach and a wonderful environment, not to mention surfing and Pearl Harbour and museums and being the one-time home of the president of the United States, come in ranked 77th while Akron is 56th and Toledo is 49th. Did Jamie Farr (Corporal Max Klinger on M*A*S*H) sit on this panel or something?

Anyway, here's the goofy list they came up. Love to hear any thoughts you might have, so feel free to drop me a line at jbyers@thestar.ca

1. New York, 17.88
2. Chicago, 11.99
3. Boston, 11.95
4. Miami, 11.74
5. Los Angeles, 11.61
6. San Francisco, 8.07
7. Seattle, 7.84
8. Portland (Maine), 7.78
9. Philadelphia, 7.56
10. Minneapolis, 6.42
11. Providence, R.I., 6.05
12. Pittsburgh, 5.81
13. New Orleans, 4.42
14. Detroit, 4.42
15. Bridgeport, Conn., 3.75
16. Dallas, 3.61
17. Syracuse, 3.56
18. Rochester, 3.55
19. Madison, Wi., 3.47
20. Denver, 3.12
21. Poughkeepsie, N.Y., 2.88
22. Albany, 2.83
23. Cleveland, 2.55
24. Portland, Or., 2.34
25. Milwaukee, 2.15
26. Las Vegas, 2.04
27. Washington D.C., 1.97
28. Youngstown, Oh., 1.95
29. Buffalo, 1.80
30. Baltimore, 1.77
31. Omaha, 1.71
32. St. Louis, 1.63
33. Hartford, 1.57
34. Atlanta, 1.46
35. San Diego, 1.43
36. Des Moines, 1.38
37. Cape Coral, Fl., 1.20
38. Scranton, Pa., 1.01
39. Springfield, Ma., 0.88
40. Charleston, S.C., 0.85
41. Harrisburg, Pa., 0.79
42. Orlando, 0.70
43. Houston, 0.41
44. Cincinnati, 0.36
45. Tampa, 0.07
46. Indianapolis, 0.02
47. Greensboro, N.C., -0.09
48. Sacramento, -0.21
49. Toledo, -0.25
50. Louisville, -0.30
51. Charlotte, -0.31
52. Nashville, -0.32
53. Oklahoma City, -0.37
54. Allentown, Pa., -0.58
55. Bradenton, Fl., -0.65
56. Akron, Oh., -0.92
57. Phoenix, -1.12
58. Worcester, Ma.,-1.16
59. Salt Lake City, -1.25
60. Greenville, S.C., -1.30
61. Jacksonville, -1.51
62. Virginia Beach, -1.68
63. Austin, -1.70
64. Kansas City, -1.77
65. Grand Rapids, Mi., -1.82
66. Palm Bay, Fl., -1.94
67. Columbus, -1.95
68. Wichita, -1.98
69. New Haven, Cn., -2.00
70. Tulsa, -2.07
71. Colorado Springs, -2.34
72. Raleigh, -2.35
73. Little Rock, -2.69
74. Boise, -2.77
75. Richmond, -2.83
76. Birmingham, -2.87
77. Honolulu, -3.02
78. Oxnard, Ca., –3.03
79. Columbia, S.C., -3.04
80. Albuquerque, -3.06
81. Riverside, Ca., -3.10
82. San Antonio, -3.79
83. Knoxville, Tn., -3.82
84. Baton Rouge, -3.82
85. Chattanooga, -3.96
86. San Jose, -3.97
87. Tucson, -4.16
88. Dayton, Oh, -4.21
89. Augusta, Ga., -4.43
90. Memphis, -6.25
91. Lakeland, Fl., -7.28
92. Jackson, Ms., -7.32
93. Fresno, Ca., -7.47
94. Stockton, Ca., -7.52
95. Ogden, Ut., -8.15
96. El Paso, -8.66
97. Bakersfield, Ca., -9.35
98. Modesto, Ca., -9.42
99. McAllen, Tx., -9.71
100. Provo, Ut., -10.67

 

Here's a tip - a Chicago hotel without tips...Little Mermaid to China...Rising dollar...

As a frequent traveler who spends a lot of time scrambling for dollar bills - or fives - I like this idea.

The Elysian Hotel in Chicago, which opened in the Windy City last year, has adopted a no-tipping policy, according to the Wall Street Journal.

"I haven't seen (a policy like this) anyplace else," said Joe McInerney, president and chief executive officer of the American Hotel and Lodging Association.

McInerney pointed out that visitors likely would love it, but what about doormen and bellhops?

A spokeswoman for the Elysian Hotel said employees get good paycheques and benefits, suggesting they don't need tips. Perhaps, but I bet they wouldn't mind. The spokeswoman said employees are told to decline tips when first suggested, but that visitors who insist on being generous won't be turned down. In which case it seems to me a lot of folks will make out all right.

The Euros will love it; they don't tip much in North America, folks say. But I'd find it hard not to leave money for a cleaning person or someone who helps with my bags.

LITTLE MERMAID SWIMS TO CHINA

Google might not think much of China these days. But the Danes seem to be in a pretty big hurry to impress the Chinese people.

It seems that the Little Mermaid statue, which is the number one tourist attraction in Denmark (pretty funny when you think about it), has been uprooted from her usual spot off the city's waterfront and is being sent lock, stock and barrel to Shanghai, where Denmark will have a pavilion at the coming World Expo 2010.

The 5-foot (1.5-meter) landmark, which honors the memory of Danish fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen, was lifted by a crane and lowered onto the back of a truck at a ceremony in the Danish capital, Associated Press reports.

"The temporary move is controversial in Denmark, where some considered it disrespectful to ship a cultural treasure halfway across the globe as a PR tool. Critics suggested the government should have sent a copy to China — an idea dismissed by Christopher Bo Bramsen, Danish commissioner-general for Expo 2010."

Thanks to Reuters for the nice photo.

Makes me wonder what Canada will do for Shanghai. The Canadian pavilion - I saw it briefly a couple weeks ago - looks nice enough from the outside. But if they want a Canadian iconic symbol, do you think we could ship the CN Tower to Shanghai? If so, do you think we could convince the Chinese to keep it?

CUBA TRAVEL BAN...ENDING SOON FOR AMERICANS?

U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan said he will bring a bill to lift the ban on travel to Cuba to the Senate floor this summer and that more than 60 Senators will vote for it. The North Dakota Democrat spoke today by telephone from Washington to a conference of Cuban and American tourist industry representatives in Cancun, Mexico.

I know things have changed in the U.S. under President Barack Obama, but I'll believe this when I see it....

LEAPING LOONIE PUTS EUROPE ON SALE

I've mentioned in this space a couple times lately how the Mighty Canadian Dollar (MCD for short) has been rising up the charts and how affordable European holidays have suddenly become. But credit to the Star's Madhavi Acharya-Tom Yew for pulling it all together in today's Star business section.

Yew quoted Sean Shannon of Expedia.ca as saying there's been a "steady, strong growth to a wide variety of markets across Europe."

Melanie Paul-Hus of Atout France, the French Tourist Agency based in Montreal, was telling me the same thing Wednesday night at a reception at the ROM, explaining how folks are finding not only great values within France on their own, but a great deal given the strength of the loonie.

I hadn't realized the Euro had dropped to something like $1.40 vs. the Canadian dollar. The British Pound is way down at $1.55 or so.

Over the past two years, Yew reported, the loonie has moved up 50 per cent against the British pound and 14 per cent against the euro, touching record highs.

"The pound averaged around $1.79 Canadian during the summer of 2009 but it was worth only $1.55 Canadian by March, the Conference Board of Canada noted in its latest five-year travel forecast for Europe," Yew wrote.

Against the euro, the Canadian dollar is at its highest level since January 2006. Last summer, the euro was worth $1.57 Canadian. That declined to $1.40 Canadian in March.

VANCOUVER DINING DEAL

Dine Out Vancouver, Tourism Vancouver's eighth annual promotion, starts April 26 and runs for 11 days. Visitors can sample three-course dinner menus at more than 200 restaurants, with prices set at $18, $28 or $38, not including taxes, alcohol and tips (too bad they're not at the Elysian Hotel in Chicago or there'd be no tipping).

The restaurants will be revealed April 19, after which consumers can make reservations online at tourismvancouver.com.The tourism folks also have created a dine-and-stay deal with a dozen partner hotels. Packages start at $169 and include a one-night stay and a three-course Dine Out Vancouver meal for two.Those packages can be arranged prior to April 19, so check it out at www.tourismvancouver.com. Among hotels taking part are the Wedgewood Hotel and Spa (with the Bacchus Restaurant) and the Fairmont Pacific Rim (Oru Restaurant).

The Fairmont Pacific Rim opened just before the Winter Olympics. With the Games (sadly) over, the Fairmont Pacific Rim has a plan with rates beginning at $229. The Fairmont Chateau Whistler has a "Bronze Package" with one night accomodation, daily breakfast and a $100 activity credit for skiing or other sports. Rates start at $495 per night.Fairmont has tons of other deals at properties ranging from St. Andrews in Scotland to the Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club in Africa, as well as Le Manoir Richelieu in Quebec - a spot I quite enjoyed on a golf trip a couple years ago.

Tis the Season for Airport Delays...Jim's Deals of the Day: Vegas, Niagara

It's that time again, folks. The holiday season is coming. I heard a Christmas song at the LCBO on the weekend, so I know it's approaching. And did you see that nasty frost on the roofs and the leaves here in Toronto?

 

I'm all for snow for all you skiers and boarders and snowmobilers. It's just that winter weather can wreak havoc at airports, as anyone in Vancouver who lived through last year's terrible delays will know. Or anyone who's sat on the tarmac at Pearson waiting for the de-icing to start.

 

We don't always think about it here in Canada, but American Thanksgiving is just a few days away - next Thursday, Nov. 26 for those of you keeping score at home. And Thanksgiving is the busiest time of year in American airports; crazier than Christmas.

 

(I assume this is because families with little kids want their kids to open their stockings at home. It might be, however, that folks would rather visit family for Thanksgiving because you can only stay Wednesday to Sunday and then it's, "Sorry, love to stick around, favourite mother-in-law of mine, but gotta be at work first thing Monday!" Whereas if you go for Christmas, you might have to stay through New Year's Day).

 

Anywho, there are a couple reports out there that might help if you haven't already made travel plans.

The first one comes from Orbitz, which listed the 10 busiest American airports on Turkey Day and the 10 least busy.

 

Most busy:

 

1. Chicago O'Hare (and terrible winter weather; see more on that below)

2. Los Angeles (no surprise, and what's better than turkey sandwiches on the beach?)

3. Denver (terrible winter weather, part 2)

4. San Francisco (headed there myself next week)

5. Atlanta (always a busy hub)

6. Boston (pesky university students and all that)

7. New York LaGuardia

8. New York JFK

9. Newark Liberty (all three NY combined makes this an area you might want to avoid)

10. Seattle (can be cheaper to fly into than Vancouver if you're headed that way)

 

Least busy? Well, they tallied the easiest of the major airports to use, too.

 

1. San Jose, California (a great option close to Monterey Bay attractions and even SF itself, but you'd have to connect somewhere if you're flying from T.O.)

2. Nashville (never been but imagine there's great ribs and beer)

3. Richmond, Virginia (nice town, actually)

4. Sacramento, California (about 90 minutes from SF; less than an hour, though, from the Napa Valley, and only 90 minutes from California ski country)

5. Jacksonville (close to great Atlantic beaches, and to golf)

6. West Palm Beach (a nice alternative to Miami)

7. Hartford, Connecticut (Go Whalers!)

8. Orange County, California (great for Disneyland or Newport/Laguna Beach)

9. Cincinnati (Motto: gateway to southern Ohio)

10. Fort Myers/Southwest Florida (perfect if you're headed that way or to Naples)

 

Budget Travel magazine in November has a nice chart on airport delays, and it only goes to prove the point I make to people that one should ALWAYS avoid O’Hare Airport if at all possible, at least for connections.  U.S. statistics show only 59 per cent of flights at O'Hare have on-time departures, and I’m surprised it’s that high. Newark Liberty in New Jersey is even worse, at 57 per cent. Scoring high were Charlotte (76 per cent), D.C. Reagan National (72), Houston (75) and Cleveland, which surprised me with a 71 per cent score but maybe it’s not as busy as Chicago. Similar weather, though, which is always a concern.

I didn’t see stats for Denver, but I HATE flying through there in winter. It’s often better to fly south for your connection, even if it’s a little longer, as you’re less likely to run into winter weather conditions.

 

TOUCH AND GO

I've never seen one at a restaurant I've been to, but the Budget Travel mag for November has a piece on restaurants in New York (Clo Wine Bar) and London (Inamo) where you scroll through a list of offerings on a touch screeen and cue in your request, rather than using a waiter. The Clo Wine Bar apparently has dispensers on a wall that spit out your drink, which doesn't sound so romantic. But they have 100 vintages to choose from, so maybe it's not so bad, and you can search by price, grape style, region or look at interesting tasting notes while you dine on pate or cheese.

Inamo in London beams images of the meals onto plate-size disks on their table, according to the Budget Travel story. Diners then use finger pads on the table to place their order or call a taxi (maybe to say, "Get me to a real restaurant?).

A place called uWink in Hollywood, California (where else) has tabletop monitors with more than 70 games you can play while you wait for your burger or mac and cheese. Perfect, cuz god knows you don't actually want to TALK to anyone when you go out for lunch, right?

SPEAKING OF WINTER...

If you ever needed an incentive to take in Quebec City’s Carnival, here it is: a package from Loews Le Concorde offering savings of 15 per cent. Rates start at $209 and include one night’s accommodation overlooking the St. Lawrence River and two passes to Carnival. Loews is even throwing in two snow rafting tickets and two maple taffy lollipops to sweeten the deal. The $209 rate is valid Jan. 28 – Feb. 14 and applies to two adults sharing a room. For each child under 12, add $20. Hotel information is at www.loewshotels.com

JIM'S DEALS OF THE DAY

US$58/night - 11 night 4* Mediterranean pre-Christmas cruise (US$685 w/tax)
http://www.travelalerts.ca/ccount12/click.php?id=1604

$265 - Toronto to Las Vegas, 4-day getaway ($506 with taxes)
http://www.travelalerts.ca/ccount12/click.php?id=1603

Stay in Niagara Falls from $59.95 during the Winter Festival of Lights
http://www.travelalerts.ca/ccount12/click.php?id=1602

 

Orlando on sale for Canadians...Sexy Vegas promo...Cruise News...Deal of Day

They've never done it before, but the Orlando Convention and Visitors Bureau has just instituted a savings program aimed solely at Canadians. The new "Made for Canadians" offers provide Canadian travellers more than 70 options at www.VisitOrlando.com/Canada.

The offers are valid now through April 30, 2010 and range from free nights at hotels to discounts on attractions. Examples include:

 - Book any 3 day golf school at the Faldo Golf Institute by Marriott and get 3 nights FREE lodging in a 1 bedroom villa at Marriotts' Grande Vista Resort;

- Stay 2 nights at the Nickelodeon Family Suites and the get the third night free, plus one $50 USDollar resort credit for food and entertainment;

- Receive a $10 USD discount with the purchase of $20 or more on food or beverages at Planet Hollywood.

Orlando tourism folks say Canada is poised to become Orlando's top international market by the end of the year, surpassing the UK. I find it hard to believe they get more UK visitors than Canadians, but perhaps they're measuring arrivals at the Orlando airport and not counting those of us who tend to roll onto International Drive in minivans packed with Tim Hortons cups, McDonald's wrappers and Cracker Barrel audio tapes.

SEX AND VEGAS GO TOGETHER LIKE....

Sorry, I know they're trying to turn Vegas into a family resort. That's fine. But nobody is confusing Orlando (see above) with Sin City, so let's get to the good stuff.

 

The Signature at MGM Grand down Vegas way on Nov. 1 will start offering "Naughty or Nice" packages, allowing guests to choose between a fun naughty weekend in a luxurious suite or a boring nice weekend.

The dull, sorry, nice package has rates starting at $129 for a junior suite, plus a 40 % discount to Cirque du Soleil's KA, a $25 spa credit, breakfast in bed, champagne and strawberries in your suite as a welcome gift and more. You also get a turndown service with a surprise romance gift.

The interesting, sorry, naughty package has the same rates but you get a 40 % discount at MGM Grand's Crazy Horse Paris, admission for two to Studio 54 or Tabu Ultra Lounge, a vodka bar in-suite amenity, a $75 beverage credit at Signature or MGM Grand Pools, WET REPUBLIC, Studio 54 or Tabu, plus the surprise romance gift with turndown service.

Personally, I get turned down all the time at hotels. (That's a joke, honey). But seriously, it sounds like a pretty good pre-Christmas deal in what's usually a pretty dreary time of year in Canada, notwithstanding that Prince Charles and Camilla are coming to Toronto.

I asked the p.r. person what romance gift is that comes with the naughty promotion, but all she'd say was it was "along the lines of a spa product."

JIM'S DEAL OF THE DAY

Southern B.C.’s Panorama Mountain Village is offering free nights with stays of two nights or more. The ski resort is offering one night free with two paid nights, two nights free with three paid nights and three nights free with four paid nights. Lift tickets and breakfast are included with the paid nights (and discounted for the freebie nights). Panorama is offering the flexibility of either adding your free nights to your original stay, or using them for a return trip. For travel during the holiday season, including Christmas and New Year’s, the minimum stay for this deal is three nights. More details are available at www.panoramaresort.com.

CRUISE AWARDS

Royal Caribbean won the award for best family cruise line and Carnival won the best for first-timers award in CruiseCritic.com's annual editors' picks awards.

Royal Caribbean's Freedom Class of ships also won awards for best cruises for kids and best for teens. Holland America won in the best for cabins and best for activities categories, while Carnival won best nightlife. (The only cruise I've been on in my life was Royal Caribbean, and my kids had a great time, just fyi.)

 

Here are a few other winners:

- Best wedding at sea - Princess

- Best new ship - Celebrity Solstice and Equinox sister ships

- Best main dining - Carnival

- Best healthy dining - Celebrity

- Best river cruise line - Uniworld

- Best sailing ship - Windstar

- Best cruise line private island - Disney's Castaway Cay

 

Olympic 2010 outfits...Canadian hotels beefing up...New Intrawest helmet rule...

Okay, this is really a travel blog. But you have to travel to get to Vancouver for the Olympics next year, and I've got an Olympics blog during the Games, so there's my hook.

The Bay today unveiled its new uniforms for Olympic athletes to wear at the 2010 Winter Games and for the public to buy. They look pretty good and they're a HUGE improvement over the Hugh Hefner look from Beijing.

The new models are conservative but Canadian looking with lots of red and black and checks and such; woodsy and northwest and comfortable looking. Not cutting edge at all, but that's not what most of us want.

Here's a look at one of the toques and a sweatshirt:

  

You can go to www.vancouver2010.hbc.com for a better look and bigger pictures.

HOTEL DOINGS

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts today announced the official opening of three new properties along the ancient path of the silk road. Fairmont Nile City, in Cairo, Egypt; Fairmont Yangcheng Lake in Kunshan, China and Fairmont Bab Al Bahr in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, all officially opened the doors to guests today.

Fairmont has a hotel in development in Beijing, but the Yangcheng Lake property marks their first official opening in China. So congrats on that.

Toronto-based Fairmont is building a 248-room property in Jaipur, India, slated to open late next year. The Fairmont Hyderabad is scheduled to open early in 2011.

Fairmont currently has more than 20 new properties in development, including London’s The Savoy, which will re-open within the next year following an extensive restoration program. I just might have to check that one out, personally.

Over at Starwood, they're also doing some big things. Quite big, actually, as in $6 billion worth of work to Sheraton Hotels around the world.

Included is a $24 million renovation announced the other day for Le Centre Sheraton Montreal. Room features include a 37 inch LCD flat panel TV, oversided work desks, state-of-the-art "multi-use jack pack connection boards" (sounds good for us journalists), plus new Sheraton Sweet Sleeper beds and new bedding; all-white, 300 thread-count stuff.

Sheraton also announced a $1 million renovation at the Sheraton Gateway Toronto at Pearson International Airport, including newly designed boardrooms, health club equipment, new bedding and beds and other changes.

Finally, Starwood announced the opening of a Four Points by Sheraton in Cambridge, Ontario, located directly off Highway 401 at Highway 8.

TOURISM TORONTO TAKES A BOW

Tourism Toronto won Best Tourism Advertising and Best Interactive Marketing awards at the 2009 Ontario Tourism awards. They've been doing some good work.

INTRAWEST HELMET RULE

This was filed by Canadian Press a few minutes ago and is worth a look:

Six months after actress Natasha Richardson died following a fall at the Mount Tremblant ski resort in Quebec, the company that operates the facility has announced helmet requirements at all its North American resorts.

Vancouver-based Intrawest says when the ski season begins in a few weeks, it will recommend all skiers and snowboarders wear helmets, and it will update its advertising images to feature skiers and snowboarders wearing helmets.

The headgear will be mandatory for all children and teens enrolled in ski and snowboard programs and for any student, regardless of age, taking part in freestyle terrain park programs.

Intrawest operates nine ski resorts in North America, including Mount Tremblant in Quebec, Panorama Mountain near Invermere, B.C., and Whistler Blackcomb, which will host alpine events for the 2010 Winter Games. Also, of course, Blue Mountain here in Ontario.

Richardson, the 45-year-old wife of actor Liam Neeson, died of a blood clot on the brain in March just days after a minor fall at Mount Tremblant.

The mandatory helmet rules would not have applied to Richardson, an adult who was taking a private ski lesson at the time of her fall.

On a related note, you can go to www.thestar.com/travel today for an online ski preview section.

AEROPLAN DEAL

Aeroplan has launched what it calls its "biggest Bonus Aeroplan Mile" offer ever. There are bonus deals w/ AirCanada, Avis, Delta Hotels, Fairmont. For more, go to aeroplan.com/maximizer.

JIM'S DEAL OF THE DAY

There’s still time to put together a Thanksgiving getaway at a reasonable price. The 100-plus members of Resorts of Ontario run the gamut from resort hotels and lodges to cottage resorts and country inns, and many have special rates and packages for Thanksgiving weekend. At Foxwood Resort on Lake of Bays in Muskoka, a three day booking over Thanksgiving saves you 15 per cent off regular daily rates, with sale prices starting from $385 for a one-bedroom cottage to $930 for a four-bedroom cottage, all with fully equipped kitchens. Another family-friendly deal is available at The Irwin Inn on Stoney Lake, with two nights accommodation (Saturday and Sunday) for two adults and two kids under 10 years old, a Thanksgiving feast on Sunday night and a hayride going for $275 per adult, and the kids stay free. Couples packages are available at Calabogie Peaks (southwest of Ottawa) and The Elora Mill. See www.resortsofontario.com for details.

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE...WEST JET/PORTER DANCE...JIM'S DEAL OF DAY

Cool piece in USA Today by cruise blogger Gene Sloan on how a guy in Britain recently found a message in a wine bottle that an American kid had dumped off the side of a ship in the Caribbean five years ago.

Citing a story in the Baltimore Sun, Sloan says the bottle (we're not sure what kind) was crusted with barnacles and tossed off a Royal Caribbean ship in the Bahamas in June, 2004.

A retired electrician walking his dog on a beach in England found it in July and opened it up.

A note inside was from Daniel Knopp, who apparently dropped the bottle overboard when he was 14...and thought no more about it.

"Hello, my name is Daniel Knopp. I am on a cruise ship. I hope whoever reads this finds great joy. God bless. I live in the Baltimore/DC area," the note reads.

The bottle travelled some 4,000 miles and ended up on a beach in Cornwall.

I've always wanted to do something like that. But I don't like littering.

WEST JET KICKING PORTER TIRES?

Interesting item in the the business pages today about how West Jet is planning an equity offering to raise up to $172.5-million.

"WestJet intends to use the net proceeds of the offering to finance WestJet's capital expenditures, including future aircraft financing activities, and for general corporate purposes," the airline said  Last month, WestJet CEO Sean Durfy said he had "kicked the tires" of Porter Airlines Inc.

"Porter's got a business model that seems to be sustainable. But are we out actively pursuing Porter? I would say no," Mr. Durfy told the ROB.

Interesting. West Jet and Porter would be a pretty cool combo; great service and a little bit funky. It would be a considerably greater challenge for Air Canada than the current situation, you gotta think.

MULTIPLE CURRENCY ATM'S

Thomas Cook this week launched what they say is Canada’s first four-currency ATM. Located at their flagsthip Financial Services store at Yonge and Eglinton in Toronto, it offers withdrawal of Canadian and U.S. dollars, GB pounds and Euros.

"Over the next few months similar ATMs will be available in locations across Canada, with roll-out in cities including Barrie, Markham, Woodbridge, Mississauga, Kelowna and Saskatoon," officials said.

A recent Thomas Cook survey found that 50 per cent of Canadians have travelled outside of Canada in the past two years, and almost two thirds of those Canadians use foreign currency of the country they are visiting as their method of payment.

Four-currency ATM's? A great idea, I say.

JIM'S DEAL OF THE DAY

Hard to believe some people look forward to snow and ice. For all those skiers and snowboarders anticipating the first snowflake, there’s Sugarloaf’s Low Price Guarantee. Valid until Sept. 15, the Low Price Guarantee applies to any ski and stay package of two or more nights and promises not just a price match if rates go down later in the season, but savings too. A ‘Peak Weekend’ package in February or March, normally priced at $119 (U.S.) per person, per night, drops to $85 or less with the Low Price Guarantee promotion. Sugarloaf is in Carrabassett Valley, Maine. See www.sugarloaf.com (click on ‘Winter’ at the top right of the home page).

JASPER PARK, B.C. OLYMPIC WOES AND UNESCO OVERLOAD

JASPER, Alberta – Wow.

I was here once a dozen or so years ago but only for a couple hours on a trip with my wife and kids. This time it’s a golf trip, starting Sunday night and ending (too soon) Monday morning. We’ll have more time down the road in Banff and Canmore and Kananaskis later in the week,  but last night it was a barbeque at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge.

I forgot how far it was from the airport in Edmonton to Jasper Park; nearly four hours with a few  construction delays on the highway. But what a magnificent place; huge, craggy, folded mountains of all shapes and sizes rising out of nowhere, plus endless forests and wide, green rivers. Last time I checked Jasper Park is in Canada, but the first group of cottages I saw on the side of the highway were called the Pocahontas Cabins, and can't we find national treasures of our own to name things after?

Anyway, we saw a bit of wildlife on the way in; a couple groups of light brown bighorn sheep grazing by the side of the road and a small elk. Our bus driver (we’re in a bus that’s used by movie stars and rock bands, with comfortable couches and a bar; pretty spiff) told us he saw a coyote chasing a deer across the road but most of us were looking at the mountains off to the side and missed it.

I didn’t get a clear view of the mountains from the bus, but I did manage to snap a photo of the golf course and the mountains. Can’t wait to try the golf course, a Stanley Thompson gem.

OLYMPIC WOES?

Interesting story in the Globe and Mail on Saturday by Gary Mason, talking about how folks out in Whistler are having second thoughts about staging the Games. It’s the same in almost every run-up to the Olympics, as people focus more on the money they’re spending and the construction delays and changes. Remember the big fuss over the beach volleyball facility at Bondi Beach prior to the Sydney Games? Ever hear that tale of woe again?

Once the Games start, people get excited and most folks who stick around and don’t try to rent out their homes for a million dollars say they’re happy they didn’t miss it. But there are still heavy costs to be paid for staging the world’s biggest circus.

Down in Salt Lake, an acquaintance tells me, they’re thrilled with the hockey palace left behind but have little use for the curling facility. Athens still hasn’t figured out what to do with some of the stadiums they had to build for the 2004 Games, or so I’m told.

Canadian Press the other day carried a story where a Conference Board of Canada economist predicted the glow will fade quickly after the 2010 Winter Olympics in British Columbia.

Paul Darby, the board’s deputy chief economist, said there will be “an Olympic effect” from the Games that will drive growth in B.C. by about 3.3 per cent in 2010, more than any other province. That compares to the board’s prediction of two per cent growth across Canada in 2010.

However, Darby said the economic impact of the Olympics will fade within two to three years.

In the same story, CP reported that Canadian Ski Council stats show the number of skiers and snowboarders to hit Canadian slopes fell 10 per cent year-over-year to 18.4 million visitors, down from a record 20.5 million visitors in the 2007/08 season.

Poor snow conditions, the recession and an aging population are said to be some of the factors behind the recent drop.

MY BACKYARD IS NEXT ON THE LIST

Associated Press reported recently that the Dolomite mountains in Italy are among 13 new sites added to UNESCO’s world heritage list. Other new natural sites added to the list included the Wadden Sea wetlands, an area rich in wildlife in Germany and the Netherlands; and northern China’s Mount Wutai, a sacred Buddhist site known for its five flat peaks and a landscape with 53 monasteries.

AP said the new designations included the first UNESCO World Heritage sites in the countries of Burkina Faso, Cape Verde and Kyrgyzstan. I’m sure they’re all terrific, but there are now 890 properties on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. Isn’t it getting a bit much?

I mean, it’s like when the Neighborhood Watch program started. At first it was cool, but pretty soon everyone had the signs on their street and it stopped being special. If the whole world is a UNESCO world heritage site, how we do we know what’s truly spectacular? Maybe they need a “super” world heritage site with the top 100 spots around the world.

THAT’S A LOT OF PRETZELS

Anyone see where some crazy traveller from the U.S., Mark Malkoff, recently spent a month living on airplanes? It seems he set a Guinness World Record for the most scheduled flights in 30 days by making 135 schedule flights. That surpassed the old record of 128.

Malkoff, 33, took his flights in June and covered more than 100,000 miles. He landed in three dozen cities, including New York, Atlanta, Raleigh, N.C., Jacksonville, Denver, St. Louis and Pittsburgh.
Malkoff’s campaign was organized with AirTran.

Malkoff, 33, a comedian and filmmaker, posted updates throughout the month on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and on his blog, http://www.MarkOnAirTran.com. He also posted wacky videos, like one in which he flushed the airplane toilet to watch it suck up an entire roll of toilet paper that he had unrolled down the aisle of the plane.

In another video, he was hosed down on the tarmac by the Flint, Mich., fire department. He had no access to showers and had been using baby wipes in the airplane bathroom to clean himself. I've sat next to people on airplanes who I wish would take the same precautions, but that's another story.

Malkoff, a former audience coordinator for “The Colbert Report,” had said at the outset that he was using the month to try to overcome his fear of taking planes. He said in an e-mail that after talking to the pilots and spending all those hours in the air, “I’ve pretty much gotten over my fear of flying.’’

His past projects have included “Mark Lives in IKEA,’’ documenting his weeklong stay in an IKEA store, and “171 Starbucks,” in which he visited 171 Starbucks stores in Manhattan in less than 24 hours.

Now that I think about it, I kinda admire the guy. I just wonder if he got any airline points out of it.