Sandstorms & wild desert sculpture in pretty Borrego Springs, Ca. ... Deal of day

BORREGO SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA-The plan was to drive from Palm Desert to Borrego Springs, about two hours. We were going to check out the town of Borrego Springs, south of Palm Springs, and play some golf and have dinner at a funky spot called the Krazy Coyote Grill. But stuff happens in travel, and you have to adapt.

We woke up in Palm Desert to howling winds; 30-40 mph with gusts to 60 mph or more. You could see piles of palm tree fronds along Highway 111 on the way to Indio. And things didn’t get much better after that.

The road south from Palm Desert toward the Salton Sea, which definitely has seen better times, was covered with dust and sand. We drove past dusty hills and barren rock and cactus and spindly ocotillo cactus with bright orange flowers and made it to Borrego after a couple hours.

But it was fairly, um, desolate. The power was out at the visitors centre. Ditto for the hotel and all the restaurants on the main drag, Palm Canyon Drive (see photo at right). The golf course was closed as dust was swirling around like nobody’s business, sending sharp shards of sand into your skin and whirling about and penetrating your eyes and ears. In other words, not quite a Chamber of Commerce day. Almost all businesses were closed and the golf course was closed because of the conditions. The road to the resort we were going to spend the night at was occasionally covered with thick clouds of blowing sand, and we ultimately conceded defeat and decided to drive to San Diego for the night.

Still, it’s fun to see a new part of the state. Borrego is like a glimpse into what Palm Springs might have felt like back when it was being developed. There are beautiful, rugged mountains high to the west, which provide a wind break on a good day, and some to the north and south. East is fairly open to the high desert scrub.

There are a few scattered shops along what passes for the main drag and a small shopping centre with cute stores and restaurants and nice landscaping. There are several scattered motels and resorts, including the Borrego Springs Resort, where were we going to bed down prior to the sand storm. There’s also a small resort with adobe units that has a regular pool and one for nudists. It was sold out, which probably tells you something about how many folks like to roam free.

The only food we could find was at a small liquor store, where a woman made up for the lack of power by writing down the purchases of slowly warming Cokes and beers in a notebook and tallying up the tax and final bill on a solar-powered calculator and by keeping the till open. She had a pretty good sized lineup from people like me. For the record, I had a very healthy lunch of Cheetos (two food groups; corn starch and orange food colouring) and a Coke.

Borrego is in the high desert of California, with tons of pretty mountains and rocks and scrub and cactus. Quite pretty.

One of the resorts, The Palms at Indian Head, is home to the Krazy Coyote. Unfortunately, the cook had gone home due to the lack of power and the parking lot was littered with giant palm fronds and other debris. The resort, formerly known as Hoberg's, was quite the spot in the old days, with visits from the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, Raymond Burr (a nice nod to Canada) and Bing Crosby.

One of the cool things, and relatively new, is the scattering of 129 metal sculptures around the town; dinosaurs and elephants and camels and a water dragon and lots more. The idea came from Dennis Avery, who owns Galleta Meadows Estates in Borrego. The sculptures were created an artist and welder named Ricardo Breceda.

A woman of a certain age at the Chamber of Commerce/visitors centre told me a delightful story about one sculpture of a tall Friar with his dog.

“Someone removed the testicles of the dog,” she told me with the giggle of a 16-year-old. I don’t know why. It might have been a stunt or a prank. Someone else said a grandmother had it castrated because she didn’t want her grandkids to see the testicles.”

At this she positively roars at the absurdity of the whole thing. And I think she's great.

Of course, I had to go check it out. Sure enough, north of town a couple minutes, out in the desert scrub is a tall, rusting Friar with his faithful dog alongside, a large stick in its mouth. Not that I’ve spent a lot of time looking at dogs’ private parts, but it did look like the poor thing had been doctored.

Testicles or no, it’s a fun and slightly bizarre twist to the area. It strikes me there likely more than a few characters among the small shops and resorts and small homes and trailer parks and golf courses out this way. I'd love to go back some day when the weather's better.

Tomorrow: A pretty drive into the mountains northeast of San Diego, including some fabulous apple pie in Julian, California.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal on tap for an 11-day trip to beautiful and historic Italy.

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• 11-Day, 9-Night Under the Italian Sun Tour including visits to the Eternal City, Naples, the Amalfi Coast, Sassi, the “White Town” of Ostuni, Castel del Monte and more!
• Includes return airfare from Toronto to Rome on board Air Transat, and airport/hotel transfers in Italy
• 9-nights' accommodation in 4-Star hotels (double occupancy). See below for hotels included (or similar).
• Includes transportation via deluxe motorcoach, services of an English-speaking tour guide and all admission fees as per itinerary
• Meals include 9 hot or cold breakfasts, 1 local lunch and 6 dinners 
• Includes a visit to the trulli, a UNESCO Heritage site, and epically scenic drives along some of Italy's most stunning coasts
• Enjoy a morning on the carefree island of Capri
• There are plenty of included tours and excursions like wine tasting in Manduria

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• Valid for travel on July 11 & August 8, 2013
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  Toronto:
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  Tax: $483.59
  
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• To extend your flight for up to 14 days at no additional cost, you must call to book pior to April 11, 2013
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Beautiful Palm Desert, California - great food, scenery ... Deal of Day: Antigua

PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA – I remember once reading a friend’s Facebook page. She was talking about visiting the American Southwest and remarked on how ugly the desert was.

Maybe it’s my Mom and Dad’s influence, since they loved the desert. But comments like that, to me, are the height of ignorance. The beauty of the desert takes a bit of looking. It’s not immediately in front of you like a rainbow or a deserted beach. But it’s there. Especially in the evening hours, when the light dances on the mountains and the sun shoots its dying, golden rays out over the landscape and the shadows deepen and the birds come alive and the animals come out into the cool, life-giving air.

I used to come to this part of California’s Coachella Valley for various golf tournaments when I worked in the sports department of the Star. Now I come for sheer pleasure; for the bright, pink-red bougainvillea and the orange-tipped flowers of the spiraling, towering ocotillo cactus and the dry air and the palm trees that climb into the blue, dry air of the desert.

Oh, and the golf. And the food. And the weather and heat.

On the dining front, Las Casuelas has several places in the valley serving good Mexican food. The one my Dad and I went to is in Rancho Mirage, near the fun, outdoor River shopping centre. There's a strolling mariachi band with  good margaritas and nice if not amazing Mexican food. It’s hugely popular with families, with dining under the stars and white lights strung on the massive trees overhead. Certainly there's nothing like it in Toronto.

The other night we dined at Pacifica Seafood on El Paseo, a pretty street that’s lined with boutique shops and outlets such as Lulu Lemon, Louis Vuitton, Tommy Bahama’s and the requisite Apple Store. Pacifica makes pretty good cakes, although they could use a bit more zip. The chowder was good, and the scallops on the half shell were a meal in themselves, topped with crème and cheese and spinach and baked in the shell. I also tried the calamari, which was an enormous plate for something like $14. There was a nice, spicy sauce with green onions as a base but the Vietnamese dipping sauce tasted like unalderated fish sauce, with none of the requisite sweetness to balance the pungent fish sauce base.

If you're so inclined they have a vodka night once a week with 152 varieties. And also a half-priced wine night on Tuesdays (God Love America). They also make a nice tasting menu for dessert with small bits of crème brulee topped with berries, a chocolate lava cake (yum) and a so-so raspberry cheesecake.

We had four appetizers and a shared dessert and a bottle of fabulous New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc for $99, so it's not unreasonable for a pretty spot.

I didn’t get there this time but Thai Smile, with several locations in the valley, has the best Tom Yom soups I’ve had anywhere.

For breakfast, you gotta try Sherman’s Deli. Again, two locations. Both with fabulous, filling deli foods; blintzes and bagels and all that, plus excellent eggs and a fabulous sausage made with chicken and apple that I start thinking about the minute I cross into Palm Springs from L.A.

We had a few nights at the Embassy Suites on Highway 111 (the main drag) in Palm Desert. They have nice enough rooms and a good pool with a hot tub. The service was a touch spotty. The housekeeping folks forgot to give us towels one day. As in no towels at all, which makes it interesting when you get out of the shower. We called down for some and they delivered them when we were out for a while, but merely tossed them on the table instead of hanging them up in the washroom, which is bizarre.

Like most if not all Embassy Suites, there’s a free breakfast that includes pancakes and omelets and eggs made to order, plus the usual breads/pastries/fruits and yogurt and cereal. They also have a free happy hour from 5:30 to 7:30, which is great as it’s such a  a nice time of day here; with the deepening shadows and beautiful, golden light in the air and cooling temperatures.

It was around 90 Fahrenheit on the weekend, but very dry. And nights go down to the upper 60’s, so you get a decent cooling effect.

We didn’t play any of the beautiful, tough courses out here such as PGA West as we wanted to start slow and my Dad and I aren't as young as we used to be. We found a nice, executive course called Oasis (see photo) that was very nicely landscaped, with lots of water and flowering bougainvillea and palm trees and  excellent conditions, and a longer executive course called Woodhaven that was okay but not so visually interesting. Woodhaven was $69 including a cart and I think Oasis was $45 including a cart. Good deals on mostly tidy courses with nice mountain views and good conditions.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has an Air Canada Vacations deal on tap for beautiful Antigua for $1,352, including $363 in taxes.

Jaunt Highlights

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• Accommodations in a Hillside suite, featuring 1 king-size bed and 1 queen-size sofa bed and Kitchenette facilities. Maximum occupancy: 4
• Daily breakfast, lunch and dinner, and unlimited alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. 
• Why choose Air Canada Vacations?
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Offer Details

• Valid for travel on May 11, 12, 18, 19, 25 & 26, 2013
• Pricing (Rates are per person, plus tax and includes all tips, taxes and service charges):
  
  Toronto:
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  Single: $1419
  Triple: $929
  Quad: $859
  Child: $699
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  Other DATES and GATEWAYS available.
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• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is 100% non-refundable at time of booking 

 

American Graffiti flashback ... China conquering tourism world ... Deal of Day

I try to stick to travel themes and news in this blog. But occasionally travel can take you to a rather personal space, so allow me a small indulgence today.

To set up the story, I've got to go back in time a bit. I grew up in a small town outside San Francisco called Castro Valley; a semi-rural (at the time) township where former Blue Jays General Manager Pat Gillick once worked on a chicken farm that was either owned by my Uncle Jerry or was right across the street (neither of us could quite figure it out last time we talked).

It was so traditionally American that it's to laugh; mostly white, fairly conservative, with jocks occupying the top of the social ladder and a main drag where folks would actually cruise on a Friday night in 1974. Much like they do in Modesto, California in American Graffiti, which I watched Thursday night on a flight from Toronto to San Francisco, which is kinda the theme to my Friday posting.

The movie, a masterpiece in my humble opinion, came out in the early 1970's. And it was hugely popular at my high school, where I was (sorry if this sounds like bragging) senior class president and reasonably well known if not top of the social scene. I was getting ready to head out of town to go to university in Los Angeles. A few kids in my high school were going to university in the Bay Area, but only a few of us were venturing so far away.

It's not quite like American Graffiti, where two of the four main male characters are spending their last night in Modesto before (they think) heading East to college. But it's similar.

The joke in my high school, I guess, is that I was something of a Ron Howard (see photo above) kind of guy. Pretty straight, involved in student council, all that. I didn't date the head cheerleader like Howard's character, Steve Bolander. A shame, that.

At the end of the film, Steve reverses the course he talks about all movie long and decides to stay with his pretty girlfriend in Modesto. His buddy, Curt, played marvellously by Richard Dreyfuss, opts to ignore his previous instincts and fly east to explore the world.

The similarities between Bolander/Howard and I were strong enough that when the time came for my high school paper to put out an end-of-term, pretend look at where various Castro Valley High students would be in ten years, some smart-ass dplace me in the same spot as Bolander. The school paper story mirrored the end of the movie by stating that 10 years after graduation I'd be the same as Ron Howard's character, namely "Insurance Salesman, Modesto, California."

It was pretty funny, I gotta admit. And I've laughed about it over the years whenever I've thought of the movie or of Modesto or my semi-awkward days in high school, where I really wanted to be the cool football player and not a student council geek.

I got on the plane on Thursday night to fly back to my childhood home to visit my Dad in the San Francisco Bay Area. I scanned the movie list on Air Canada and, lo and behold, found American Graffiti. I watched it and smiled and laughed and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of a marvellous, marvellous movie that's touching and ironic and interesting and fun and wonderful in every way.

I've thought about the movie a lot over the years. I had a great time at UCLA and took a trip to Europe after I graduated. In Italy I met a wonderful girl from Don Mills who I ultimately fell in love with. I ended up moving to Toronto in 1981, where I've been working in journalism (32 years at the Star come August) ever since.

Anyway, as the movie ends, they flash up the main characters and explain where they were later in their pretend lives. I laughed when I saw the bit about Steve Bolander being an insurance guy in his hometown. But what slew me was the next part, which I'd completely forgotten about. The next sequence in the bit about "where are they now" is an update on what happens to Curt (see photo), the Richard Dreyfuss character who left the clutches of his small town home for a college life back east. What do they have him doing? "A writer living in Canada."

Wow. All these years I've laughed about being pegged as the insurance guy, played by Ron Howard. Instead, my life arc took me in the direction of Richard Dreyfuss, who became a writer living in Canada.

I was freaked out. I mean, what are the odds of a movie that takes place in a town so similar to where I grew up plays out so much like my life, and then my watching it for the first time in years on a plane from Canada, where I work in journalism, back to my Modesto-like home town in California? It was so bizarre. I was gobsmacked and had to get up and shake out the cobwebs. One of the flight attendants asked me what was wrong, so I guess I was either white as a ghost or talking to myself. Or both.

I explained the whole movie/life thing to her. I think she thought I was nuts. And maybe I am. But it just slays me. I mean, whoever wrote that high school story and put me as Steve Bolander had the right movie, just the wrong guy. I was Curt, Steve's best friend. But I guess I could easily have been Steve if I hadn't wanted to see the world a bit. Or maybe if a cute cheerleader had thrown her arms around me after a drag race crash and begged me not to leave my hometown for the lights of L.A.

Life is like that. You take a left turn walking down the street in Barcelona and in seconds you find something that changes your life. In my case, I was in Rome in 1979 with some girls who I liked a bit but not a lot. We were supposed to meet at the main train station in Rome one morning and travel together to Florence. I couldn't find them so I hopped on the train and started chatting with one of several girls travelling together. One of them ended up being my wife of nearly 32 years, bless her patient soul.

Typing up this blog on Friday I'm still shaking my head over the movie and how it intertwines with my life. And I'm glad I wasn't one of the other main male characters in the film. John Milner, the tough guy/racer with a heart of gold, ends up being killed by a drunk driver. Terry, the nerd who dates the goofy, ditzy blonde, ends up dying in Vietnam.

I got to be the writer living my dream job in a great country like Canada. How lucky is that?

CHINA ON THE MOVE

I wrote the other day about how China has become the number two source of tourists for Canada, surpassed only by the United States. Now I see there's a United Nations World Tourism Organization report that saw CHina is the top tourist source market IN THE WORLD.

I guess it was only a matter of time, but in 2012 Chinese folks spent $102 billion abroad.

Back in 2000, only 10 million Chinese went abroad. Last year? Try 83 million.

In 2011, Chinese tourists spent 73 billion dollars abroad. Last year it was $102 billion, an increase of 40 per cent, said Xinhua news agency in China.

Amazing.

Back in 2005, China was seventh in terms of international tourism spending. Now they're on the top of the heap. And I can't see them giving up the title any time soon.

Also rising up are Brazil, wiith $22 billion in spending, and Russia, which saw international spending jump 32 per cent last year, according to Xinhua.

No wonder every tourism board in the world is chasing the Chinese, Russians and Brazilians.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal on tap for a crazily priced Sunwing flight from Toronto to Amsterdam, set at just $599 all in. That's less than a flight to Vancouver a lot of days.

Jaunt Highlights

• Sunwing prides itself on providing you with the best in-flight services and entertainment equipment.
  Your return airfare to Amsterdam includes:
  • Complimentary glass of champagne
  • Hot in-flight meals
  • Non-alcoholic beverages and snacks]
  • Complimentary wine with meals
  • Complimentary headsets
  • In-flight audio/visual entertainment
  • Hot towel service

• Extremely attentive in-flight service means you will be ready to conquer the city when you disembark
• See famous art in the Van Gough museum and Rijksmuseum
• Soak up the cozy charm or gezelligheid

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on either of the following dates:
  Departs June 24 – Returns July 1, 2013
  Departs August 23 – Returns August 30, 2013
  
  
• Pricing (Rates are per person, plus tax):
  
  Toronto:
  Base: $119 + $480 tax
  
  We also offer Other DATES and GATEWAYS.
  Call us at 1-855-687-5925 or visit our partner at targetvacations.ca for other great charter flights
  
  
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is 100% non-refundable at time of booking

 

World's least visited countries/A Barenaked Lady does travel TV/Deal of Day

We all know about the countries that get the most tourists: Italy and France and the U.S. and all that. France had 79.5 million visitors a year, which is tops on the planet. But what about the places that see the least number of visitors?

 I ran across a great list the other day, from the United Nations World Tourism Organization and blogger Gunnar Garfors. These are all countries that contrast - just a bit - to France's numbers, with visitations ranging from 73,000 down to a mere 200. Most are in the poorest parts of Africa or scattered across the Pacific Ocean.

Here's the list.

25. Dominica, 73,000. Pretty Caribbean country (see rainforest photo at right) but small.

24. Chad, 71,000. Not so many tourists given political unrest in this part of Africa.

23. Central African Republic, 54,000. One of the poorest countries in Africa, but apparently there are nice river trips you can take.

22. Liechtenstein, 53,000. Sandwiched between Switzerland and Austria, it's a country I actually drove through once. Pretty spot. I think I stopped. For a minute. I don't remember.

21. Djibouti, 53,000. Said to have great diving. And a great, great name.

20. Sierra Leone, 52,000. Great beaches, Garfors said.

19. Tonga, 45,000. One of those tiny Pacific countries, with fab coral reefs but few tourists.

18. East Timor, 40,000. Political issies keep folks from visiting what's said to be a pretty country connected to Indonesia.

17. Bhutan, 37,000. I keep reading this spot in the Himalayas is the happiest country on earth. Maybe because they don't get many annoying tourists.

16. North Korea, 35,000. Safe to visit. Unless you run into Dennis Rodman.

15. Libya, 34,000. Do I really need to write anything for this entry? I didn't think so.

14. Guinea-Bissau, 30,000. Another poor Afircan country.

13. Mauritania, 29,000. Not much to see in this part of west Africa. Nice camels, though (see pic below).

12. Federated States of Micronesia, 26,000. Hard to get to, but beautiful.

11. Solomon Islands, 23,000. More beautiful South Pacific scenery but not a lot of flights in. Country includes Guadalcanal, site of one of the worst battles of World War II.

10. Afghanistan, 17,500. I'm shocked that many people go, to be honest. Looks beautiful in photos but way too many other things going on.

9. Comoros, 15,000. Garfors says great seafood in this island spot north of Madagascar, and mosquitoes not as bad as folks think. Still, I'll take a pass.

8. Sao Tome and Principe, 8,000. This island spot is said off the coast of west Africa is said to be the smallest nation on (or near) the continent.

7. Turkmenistan, 7,000. I can't think of anything to say about this central Asian country. Not quite as crazy as North Korea, says Garfors.

6. Equatorial Guinea, 6,000. I think there are too many countries in the world with Guinea in the name.

5. Marshall Islands, 5,000. Fab diving but even I, a map freak, couldn't find them on the globe without some help.

4. Kiribati, 4,700. Wikitravel says this nation of Pacific atolls is friendly but that "South Tarawa is one of the most densely populated, severely poverty-stricken places in the world."

3. Tuvalu, 1,200. Rising tides could make this Pacific nation disappear. So boogie on down to Tuvalu while you still can. Said to be the third least populous nation on earth, smaller only than Nauru and Vatican City.

2. Somalia, 500. See entry for Libya.

1. Nauru, 200. Not far from Kiribati (hey, a new tourism slogan!). The smallest nation on earth, just 21 square kilometers and just under 10,000 residents. If it was downtown Toronto it would, of course, have 1.6 million inhabitants in 86 storey condos with shards of broken glass littering the sidewalk. A troubled economy and a fair bit of poverty, apparently (see photo at left). Garfors calls it the only country in the world with a capital but I don't know if that's true. Lots of phosphate mining and some beautiful water.

BARENAKED LADY ON TV

Travel+Escape and Farpoint Films say they'll begin production on a new TV series called The Illegal Eater, and that former Barenaked Ladies frontman Steven Page (remember him?) will star.

The 13-episode series will debut this fall and feature Page "on a mission to hunt down clandestine dining experiences as he explores the tastiest, creative, underground and often illegal spaces that chefs around North America have to offer."

"My passion on the road has always been to obsessively research the foods, restaurants and markets that make each place I've played different," said Page. "Often, newer trends start underground before breaking through on the public's palate, so I can't wait to explore everything from fancy, underground supper clubs to hole-in-the-walls."

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal on hand for a week in sunny Samana in the Dominican Republic, priced at $791 (including $392 in taxes).

Jaunt Highlights

• BONUS: $50 Future Travel Voucher per person to be used on future vacations with Transat or Nolitours
• All-inclusive 7-night stay at the 4-Star Grand Bahia Principe Cayacoa, located in Samana, Dominican Republic
• Includes return airfare from Toronto to Samana and round-trip airport/hotel transfers in the Dominican Republic
• Accommodations in a Room, featuring 1 king-size or 2 double beds and balcony or terrace. Maximum occupancy: 3 adults
• Daily breakfast, lunch and dinner, and unlimited alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks

• Located right on the beach, amidst lush greenery, with impressive views of Samana Bay
• Enjoy free shuttle service into Samana
• Dine at three different a la carte restaurants

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on May 6, 13, 20 or 27 and June 3, 10, 17, 2013
• Pricing (Rates are per person, plus tax):
  
  May 6, 13, 20, 2013:
  Double: $499
  Single: $729
  Triple: $479
  Tax: $392
  
  
  May 27 & June 3, 10, 17, 2013:  
  Double: $399
  Single: $629
  Triple: $372
  Tax: $392
  
  
  Other DATES and GATEWAYS available.
  Call us at 1-855-687-5925.
  
  
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is 100% non-refundable at time of booking

 

 

 

Drive without fear in Florida, folks: International Driving Permit law repealed

That sure took a while. But it's a big development for Canadians and others who enjoy the Sunshine State.

Florida Governor Rick Scott on Tuesday signed the repeal of a bill that required non-American drivers to have an International Driving Permit. The repeal of Bill HB 7059 ended weeks of uncertainty for Canadians and other non-American drivers.

The Star broke a story on Feb. 14 after it was discovered that Florida legislators had passed a law requiring non-American drivers to have an International Driving Permit as of Jan. 1, 2013. For Canadians, that meant a $25 permit through an office of the Canadian Automobile Association.

Some law enforcement officials quickly backed off, saying they wouldn't enforce the rules. But word of the law caused big lineups at CAA offices from Canadians worried about getting tickets during trips south in the winter or during March break.

State officials said the law was aimed at folks who don't have driver's licenses printed in English, not at Canadians. But Canada still was swept up under the legislation, at least technically, and there were reports that some car rental agencies were insisting Canadians have the permit before they could drive away in their rental vehicles.

One Florida paper even quoted a frightened (and very law abiding) Canadian couple living in the state as saying they'd abandoned their car for fear of arrest and were virtually house-bound.

Embarrassed tourism officials distanced themselves from the rule and encouraged Canadians to come. The House of Representatives in the state voted to repeal the law a couple weeks ago and the Senate followed suit a few days back. Governor Rick Scott signed the repeal into law in Tallahassee, the state capital, today.

International visitors still must have a valid license from their country of residence to drive. But they don't need International Driving Permits.

Scott said his state is "committee to being the number one tourist destination in the world, and signing this bill into law will ensure that our international visitors continue to come to Florida. Florida has had two consecutive years of record visitation to Florida, which has created thousands of jobs for Florida families."

“Effective immediately, Canadians in Florida can go back to doing what they have always been able to do – drive with peace of mind in the Sunshine State using their provincial driver’s license,” said Jeff Walker, CAA Vice President of Public Affairs. “CAA is pleased that the voices of its members and others were listened to by state officials, and that the state of Florida has removed any uncertainty.”

Will Seccombe, President and CEO of VISIT FLORIDA said, “Last year, the Florida tourism industry welcomed nearly 14 million visitors from 181 countries who spent $15 billion. We thank Governor Scott and the Florida Legislature for taking quick action to ensure our vital international visitors continue to feel welcome in the Sunshine State.”

UK, Italian and German officials also applauded the move.

It's great the law was repealed, but you still have to wonder how anyone in a state so dependent on tourism allowed such legislation to be passed in the first place.

ISLAND AIRPORT GROWS

The Toronto Island Airport (also known as YTZ and, more formally, Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport), brought in 23 per cent more travelers in 2012 than the previous year. Toronto Port Authority officials said they welcomed 1.9 million passengers, passing the previous high of 1.5 million in 2011.

CANADIAN AIRLINE NUMBERS

A very mixed bag for Canada's airlines today. WestJet today reported an impressive March load factor of 86.1 per cent, up 8.2 per cent year over year. The airline flew 1.6 million guests in March, a year-over-year increase of 6.7 per cent.

"I am pleased to report a record first quarter load factor of 84.3 per cent, up from last year's record of 83.0 per cent, and our third strongest March in WestJet history," said WestJet President and CEO Gregg Saretsky. "Our airline partnership strategy continues to contribute to our traffic and in March we added Air France as our ninth code-share partner."

Air Canada later in the day reported a record March 2013 load factor of 83.5 per cent, versus 81.5 per cent in March 2012, an increase of 2.0 percentage points.

Over at Porter, however, the news wasn't so hot. The Toronto-based airline reported a load factor of 58.1 per cent in March, representing a decline of 1.7 points compared to 2012.

Air Canada numbers usually come out later in the day, so I'll have a look if and when I get them.

CARIBBEAN UPSWING

More than 15 million people visited the Caribbean region in 2012. Some 4.56 million hit the beach in the Dominican Republic (see photo), followed by Cuba with 2.8 million and Jamaica (just under 2 million). The Bahamas was fourth (1.26 million) and then Puerto Rico (1.1 million). Montserrat apparently had less than 5,000 visitors. Maybe I should go sometime?

UAE VISA ISSUE RESOLVED

The UAE, which includes Abu Dhabi and Dubai, says it will no longer charge Canadians for a Visa. The issue became an acrimonious once a couple years ago when Ottawa and the UAE were fighting over how many slots the Canadian government would provide for Etihad and Emirates airlines looking for landing places in Canada.

The CBC reports that visitors from most European countries, Australia and the U.S.didn't need visas for the U.A.E. Canadians, however, had to pay $165 for a single-entry, 30-day visa; $330 for a single-entry 60-day visa; and $660 for a six-month, multiple-entry visa.

It was a thorny issue, but Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird met with UAE officials at a Tim Hortons in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday and announced the visa rules have been lifted as part of a thaw in relations between the two nations. It remains to be seen if Baird will continue to protect Canadian airlines or if he'll relent and allow more landing spots for Etihad and Emirates. With WestJet and Air Canada looking stronger of late than any at time in the recent past, it's possible he'll relax the rules. Maybe.

READY FOR THAT DIET?

Funny to see Air Samoa charging folks by combined personal and baggage weight. I wrote about that extensively last week and got a lot of comments from folks, most of whom thought it was fair.

I still can't see other airlines doing the same though.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal on hand for seven nights on The Riviera Maya in Mexico (great area) for $1,147, including $308 in taxes.

Jaunt Highlights

• SAVINGS: Two travellers save up to $105 by booking with Jaunt.ca!
• BONUS: Stay at 1, Play at 3! (Includes access to Grand Bahia Principe Akumal and Grand Bahia Principe Tulum)
• BONUS: ACV Privileges offer exclusive check in/late check out, 4 guaranteed à la carte reservations per week, 20% spa discount, nightly turn down service and more!
• All-inclusive 7-night stay at the 4-Star Grand Bahia Principe Coba, located in Riviera Maya, Mexico
• Includes return airfare from Toronto or Montreal to Cancun, and round-trip airport/hotel transfers in Mexico
• Accommodations in a Junior suite, featuring 1 king or 2 double beds and private balcony or terrace. Max. occupancy: 3 adults and 1 child, or 2 adults and 2 children
• Daily breakfast, lunch and dinner, and unlimited domestic alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks

• The stay at 1, play at 3 feature lets you explore beyond the grounds of your resort
• Extra large rooms are ideal for families
• Why choose Air Canada Vacations?
  Earn & Redeem Aeroplan® Miles, in-flight seat-back entertainment on most flights, airline service and reliability of Air Canada, and more!

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on the following departure dates:
  Toronto: April 21, 2013
  Montreal: April 22, 2013
  
  
• Pricing (Rates are per person):
  
  Toronto:
  Double: $839 plus tax
  Single: $1269 plus tax
  Triple: $799 plus tax
  Child: $629 plus tax
  Tax: $308
  
  Montreal:
  Double: $1157 tax included
  Single: $1577 tax included
  Triple: $1117 tax included
  Child: $1037tax included
  
  Other DATES and GATEWAYS available.
  Call us at 1-855-687-5925.
  
  
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is 100% non refundable at time of booking.

 

 

 

 

Bring on transit taxes; it's time to invest in our tourism future ... Deal of Day: Paris

I see in today's Star that Metrolinx is outlining a series of options to squeeze more money out of me. And I couldn't be happier.

Tess Kalinowski's story on page one discusses everything from a gas tax (hear, hear) to a regional sales tax (also a great idea, especially given the lunacy of the federal Conservatives lowering the GST for no good reason), not to mention highway tolls and parking levies and other tools that appear to have favour with Liberal Premier Kathleen Wynne.

Heck, even The Board of Trade, that bastion of conservatism that calls for lower taxes 367 days a year, is crying out for new spending to get us out of our morass. It's the only way to do it, and it would be best to bring in small to medium amounts of money from pretty much all the tools being discussed so we spread out the pain. But there has to be pain. I'm going to have to pay more. But that's how you build a city. And a tourism industry.

How did we build a good health care system? With taxes. How is it we have a relatively poor TTC product that's still the envy of many other cities? With taxes. You improve your city and country not by cutting spending, but by investing in your product.

As a veteran traveler and a guy who spent more than 15 years covering municipal politics in this town, I can tell you that going around cutting spending is precisely the wrong approach. Look at the great cities of the world. Look at Paris and London and Tokyo and New York and even Los Angeles of late. They invest massive amounts of money to keep their citizens – and tourists – moving. They understand you have to spend money to make it. You have to invest, just like the local shopkeeper has to keep improving his or her front windows and lighting and marketing.

This is a concept this city has failed to grasp – at a woeful cost. We could've spent relative pennies for 20 years and we wouldn't be facing this mess, but we did the wrong thing time and time again. A lack of foresight and lower than low property tax hikes for decades have forced us into this new tax grab.

Mel Lastman was a salesman/businessman but didn’t get it. David Miller wasn't a business guy so muich but seemed to get, although he didn't force the issue enough. Mayor Ford tells us he's got a business approach but he definitely doesn’t get it.

The great cities of the world aren’t defined by low taxes. I mean, did you ever hear anyone at your local Tim Hortons say to her husband, “Hey, honey, the municipal taxes are really low in Mississauga. Let’s go there for our next trip.”

No offence to Mississauga, but folks in Winnipeg and Moncton and Victoria dream of Paris and San Francisco and Sydney, places with culture and monuments and glittering waterfronts and museums and street art and bustling markets and cheap transit that blankets the city (unlike our paltry system) and  allows them to get around easily and see everything. Places that think big and spend money and bring in tourists who want an escape from their boring, cost-cutting hometowns. It makes tremendous business sense as tourism is one of the easiest industries to boost.

Just look at the massive investments by the U.S. with their Brand USA campaign, which I see on TV all the time and in print. Then look (if you must) at Canada’s plunging support for the tourism biz. And look at Toronto’s decades-long failure to wrestle the congestion monster to the ground.

It is to weep.

When Barcelona won the right to stage the 1992 Summer Olympics, city fathers and mothers invested huge amounts of money in waterfront restoration, parks and public art. And they went from Podunkville, Europe to one of the continent’s top destinations. Overnight. And they’re still riding high more than 20 years after the Games. And look at what Atlanta did for 1996, pinching pennies and hardly investing in the public good, all in the name of affordable Games. Yeah, affordable and almost useless.

If this town is every going to make it to the big leagues of tourism we have to dream big. And spend a little cash. To do nothing is to commit this city to commuter gridlock, and to tourism mediocity.

INDIA WOES

That horrific rape and murder of a woman in India a couple months ago is having a chilling effect on the country’s tourism sector. A study issued on Monday found that tourism is down 25 per cent in India since the incident. And it appears women are taking a pass on visits to this wonderful, majestic country with more than its share of societal woes, as one report I saw suggested visits by women were down 35 per cent.

According to a report on travelmole, incidents such as the horrific rape and murder in New Delhi in December have "raised concerns about the safety of female travellers to the country," said DS Rawat, secretary general at Assocham, which surveyed 1,200 tour operators from different cities.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal on tap for a nine-day visit to regal Paris, set at $2,312, including $514 in taxes.

SAVINGS: Save up to $674 per couple, compared to the cost of booking your air, accommodations, touring and meals separately!

BONUS: Extend your flight for up to 30 days at no additional cost (accommodations extra) and return from anywhere Transat flies in Europe

BONUS: $100 Future Travel Voucher per person to use on future travel with Transat or Nolitours 9-Day, 7-Night Royal Week in Paris Semi-Escorted Tour including visits to the Chateaux of the Loire Valley and Vaux-le-Vicomte, Palace of Versailles, a cruise along the Seine, and more

- Includes return airfare from Toronto to Paris on board Air Transat, and airport/hotel transfers in France 7-nights' accommodation in 4-Star hotels (double occupancy). See below for hotels included (or similar).

- Includes transportation via deluxe motorcoach, services of an English-speaking tour guide, and all sightseeing/entrance fees as per itinerary Meals include 7 hot buffet breakfasts, 2 lunches (1 including wine) and a farewell dinner with wine

- The tour is a mixture of guided sightseeing and independent time You'll tour famous sites like the Palace of Versailles Explore the amazing castles that dot the French countryside

Offer Details

- Valid for travel on August 23, 2013 Pricing (Rates are per person, plus tax): Double: $1798 Single: $2298 Tax: $514.04 We also offer other DATES and GATEWAYS. Call us at 1-855-687-5925.

- Hotels include the following or similar: Mercure Gobelins Place d'Italie or Mercure Montmartre Sacre-Coeur

- Valid passport required for travel from Canada

- This offer is refundable until April 5 at 5PM EST. After that time, this offer is 100% non-refundable.

Hilton's new spa in Markham ... Forbes snubs Canada ... Deal of the Day: Miami

Hilton will soon open its first branded Canadian spa.

Called Eforea Spa at the Hilton, it will open at the Markham Suites Hilton on Highway 7 on April 8. They'll feature organic products and all the latest treatments, including a "men's journey" program designed for guys. 

"We've never had a spa brand," said John Forrest Ales, senior director – global brand public relations. "Increasingly, however, guests say a spa has an impact on their hotel decision."

It will be only the third branded spa by Hilton in Canada, which now has 15 Hiltons in total out of more than 550 worldwide. Hilton also operates Hampton Suites and other brands, including Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, Doubletree and Embassy Suites.

The hotel chain also is helping boost their bookings from Chinese visitors, who (I mentioned this last week) now make up the second largest group of visitors to Canada after Americans. They created a program called Huanying with 20 hotels, offering a Chinese speaker at the hotel when guests arrive, Chinese language tour guides, Chinese televisioin stations, in-room tea, slippers and a Chinese breakfast menu.

There are now 70 or so such programs at various Hilton properties, including the Hilton Toronto, the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown and the Hilton Vancouver Airport.

Hilton is, of course, growing in China, where they set up shop 25 years ago. They also are opening their second hotel in Colombia soon and their first in Peru and also their first all-inclusive property in Mexico, on the Pacific Coast in Puerto Vallarta. Other all-inclusive's are being set up in Costa Rica and Spain.

The chain is having a bit of fun with North Americans who don't take enough vacations, sending out office survival kits and telling folks about the symptoms of "vacation-itis." If you go on their web site - www.vacationcarecenter.hilton.com and type in your address and postal code you'll get various offers or suggestions. I plugged in my data and my typical workload this morning and was told I should come by the Hilton Toronto for an after-work cocktail and try the lobster mac and cheese at their Tundra restaurant, or perhaps take in a meal at Ruth's Chris Steak House, which I find horribly overrated and way too expensive.

Anyway, it's a fun site and it's interesting to see Hilton being a bit more edgy than I would've expected.

FORBES SNUBS CANADA

The latest Forbes' list of great hotels and restaurants is another in a long line of American-centric lists that drive me crazy. They recently came out with their five-star awards and managed to find 58 properties in the U.S. worthy of the designation. But nary a one in Canada.

Restaurants? Twenty eight five-star quality in the U.S. Canada? Zilch.

Utterly ridiculous.

For the record, they did list 13 four-star properties in the True North Strong and Free. Four are in Toronto: The Park Hyatt, The Hazelton, The Ritz-Carlton (see photo at left) and The Trump Tower. Likely they didn't have time to review the new Shangri-La or Four Seasons. Also on the list for Canada wwere the Four Seasons Vancouver, Four Seasons Whistler, Shangri-La Vancouver, Sutton Place Vancouver, The Wickaninnish Inn in Tofino B.C. (a personal fave), Hotel Le St. James in Montreal (a great spot), The Ritz Carlton Montreal and the Kingsbrae Arms in St. Andrews, New Brunswick.

Five Ontario restaurants got four-star ratings: Langdon Hall in Cambridge, One Restaurant, Splendido, Canoe and Scaramouche.

Still, gimme a break.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has an excellent deal on tap for the beautiful Deauville Beach Resort in fabulous Miami . It's a seven-night package that includes air fare for just $718.

• Two travellers save up to $120 by booking with Jaunt.ca!
• 7-night stay at the Deauville Beach Resort in Miami Beach, Florida
• Includes return airfare from Toronto or Montreal to Miami
• Accommodations in a Double Guest Room, featuring 2 double beds or 1 king size bed, in-room wireless internet access and refrigerator. Max Occupancy: 4
  

• Only a 20 minute walk from the illustrious South Beach strip
• Prime shopping territory in the Art Deco district and at the Bal Harbour shops
• Why choose Air Canada Vacations?
  Earn & Redeem Aeroplan® Miles, in-flight seat-back entertainment on most flights, airline service and reliability of Air Canada, and more!

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on April 7, 2013
• Pricing (Rates are per person):
  
  Toronto:
  Double: $579 + tax
  Single: $956 + tax
  Triple: $482 + tax
  Quad: $435 + tax
  Child: $305 + tax
  Tax: $139
  
  Montreal:
  Double: $803 tax included
  Single: $1182 tax included
  Triple: $708 tax included
  Quad: $661 tax included
  Child: $551 tax included
  
  We also offer other DATES and GATEWAYS.
  Call us at 1-855-687-5925.  
  
  
  
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is 100% non-refundable at time of booking

 

 

 

 

 

Canadians are getting hammered at the airport.

It'’s not a new trend by any means, but a study out of the University of Quebec at Montreal this week shows just how much Canadians are paying to fly out of airports in Canada these days, compared to the cost in nearby U.S. airports.

You might think we get hammered here in Toronto when you look at the cost of flights to Florida from New York state on such airlines as Spirit, but it'’s not so bad, really. According to a Sun Media report on the Quebec study, prices in Toronto are only 22 per cent higher than out of Buffalo. In Vancouver, however, it’'s twice as much; 44 per cent more to fly out of YVR than from over the border in Washington state.

Montreal? Hoo boy, unbelievable. The study said it costs Montrealers 96 per cent more to fly out of their own city than to go from Burlington, Vermont or Plattsburgh, N.Y., both short drives away. Plattsburgh, in fact, has taken to calling itself "“Montreal’'s U.S. Airport.”" I'’m sure the folks at Dorval aren'’t pleased, but I can’'t blame the Plattsburgh folks a bit.

U.S.. airports have lower operating costs and get tons of subsidies from government. Here in Canada, airlines pay more for labour and fuel and also get slapped with large airport fees from governments that see airports as cash cows.

The playing field isn’'t even remotely level. And it’'s hard to see anything changing soon.

A KAWARTHATS BUTTER TART TOUR AND A CHEESE TOUR, TOO

Did you know there’'s a Butter Tart trail in the Kawarthas? Nearly 30 bakeries in The City of Kawartha Lakes, Peterborough and the Kawarthas and Northumberland County are currently on the tour, and there'’s a Kawarthas Butter Tart tour kick-off at the Morrow Building in Peterborough on Sunday, April 28.

Ten butter tart bakeries will sample and sell their tarts and a panel of celebrity judges (Hey, where’'s my invite?) will determine the best tarts in a number of categories, I read in a press release.

Categories? Like what? Most shapely raisins? I can see best pastry, I guess, but what on earth would be other categories?

On top of the fact that they're delicious (especially with raisins), it’'s great to have this tour because butter tarts are an Ontario thing. Which is pretty rare in the culinary world. I mean, think about it. Other than  butter tarts, I can'’t think of many things that you can find in Ontario but won’'t find, say, in Manitoba or B.C. or New Brunswick. Peameal bacon might be bigger here than in Winnipeg or Prince Rupert or Halifax, for that matter, but I don'’t think it’s as uniquely Ontario as the majestic butter tart.

On a related note, I see that Chowbella and CHEESEWERKS have teamed up this summer to bring cheese lovers “a food tour like no other in Canada.” City Mouse + Country Mouse is a “legend dairy” experience that takes folks on a day-long trip across southern Ontario, visiting artisan cheese producers, learning how the stuff is made and tasting local food along the way.

The tour starts at a popular bakery in Toronto'’s east end, where folks get breakfast treats before hitting the countryside to learn about Cow, Goat and Sheep’s milk cheese (what, no Tibetan Yak?), with samples at every stop. Lunch is served and then folks head back to the city to check out a top cheese boutique prior to heading back to CHEESEWERKS for “an exclusive Artisan Cheese and Craft Beer pairing and dining event.”

Current tour dates are April 20, May 25 and June 22, which means you can do this AND catch the butter tart tour in Peterborough April 28. The cheese tour costs $184 per person plus HST, which includes transportation, lunch, all food/beverage samples and the dinner with craft beer pairings.For more info go to www.chowbella.ca/tours.

CANADIANS STAYING HOME?

Figures released by Stats Canada this week show the country’'s tourism sector grew at an annualized rate of 3.6 per cent. That’'s excellent compared to the economy as a whole, and encouraging news.

A report in the The Globe and Mail said tourism spending, in real terms, has gone up in 13 of the past 14 quarters; up 9.4 per cent from the fourth quarter of 2009 to the fourth quarter of last year.
It’'s mostly due to Canadians staying home. Foreign tourism spending is up 7 per cent since the end of 2009 but has slowed considerably the last couple years. Real tourism spending among domestic travelers is up 10 per cent since the end of 2009, the report said.

The report also said real spending on air transportation has risen a whopping 27 per cent since the middle of 2009. That reflects both a desire to travel and, of course, the higher air fares we all face these days. Unless we fly out of Plattsburgh, Seattle or Buffalo, that is.

FLORIDA DRIVING UPDATE

There are reports that the Florida Senate has voted to repeal that silly law that requires Canadians to have International Driving Permits. But I haven't been able to confirm it.

The governor has said he'll sign the repeal legislation immediately upon receiving it. But, again, I haven't seen any reports to suggest when that might be.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal on tap for exploring "the gems of Europe." It's an eight-day, seven night deal priced at $1,050, without airfare, including all taxes.

JAUNT HIGHLIGHTS

• BONUS: One $50 optional excursion voucher per person!
• 8-Day/7-Night Glimpse of Europe 2013 Tour, featuring visits to the Mint Tower, the floating flower market, the renowned wine producing Burgundy region, the Champs Élysées, the Eiffel Tower and more!
• Includes transportation via private luxury motor coach, services of a local tour guide in Paris and more!
• 7 Nights' hotel accommodation in First Class hotels. See Offer Details section below for hotels included.
• Includes 6 buffet breakfasts, 2 three-course dinners and 1 BBQ dinner in Lucerne

• Visit Amsterdam, Germany, Switzerland, and Paris all in one vacation
• Enjoy the sights of sweeping landscapes and medieval castles
• Trafalgar knows all about luxury experiences and provides the best in accommodations during your trip

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on May 5, 2013
• Pricing (Rates are per person):
  
  Double: $1050 tax included
  Single: $1850 tax included
  
  We also offer other DATES and FLIGHTS.
  Call us at 1-855-687-5925.
  
  
• Hotels include the following or similar: Ibis Amsterdam Airport, Holland; Ramada Neustadt, Germany; Himmelrich or Paxmontana, Switzerland and Courtyard Paris Arcueil, France
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is 100% non-refundable at time of booking

 

MOTEL 6: Not what it used to be! ... Deal of the Day: 7 nights in sunny Aruba

I remember Motel 6 when I was a kid in California. Small rooms. Paper wrapped around the drinking glasses. And the vibrating beds with the "Magic Fingers."

Not exactly the Ritz. But they've come a long way.

Motel 6 is renovating its Canadian properties with bright, splashy orange colours and other amenities. They've also created something called Studio 6, a long-stay affair (very popular these days) but with a budget in mind.

They have a Studio 6 (see photo below left, with the green accents) in Mississauga already and they're planning one for late spring in, get this, Kensington Market in Toronto; about as urban a spot as you'll find in the country.

"The hotels are not dumps," laughs Monica Nowak, who's in charge of p.r. for the chain. "The hotels are clean, consistent. But there aren't frills. We have minimal operating costs and that helps consumers.

"There's no food or beverage; just free coffee and vending machines. But there's always a Tim Horton's or an A and W or something nearby. And prices are reasonable; usually $59 to $109."

There are 31 hotels scattered in five provinces: Ontario, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and Alberta. More are planned.

The newer style Phoenix rooms (Nowak describes them as having an "Ikea look") feature free Internet and they're also pet friendly. About one half the motel 6 buildings feature the new Phoenix rooms now. They all should be renovated by 2015, Nowak said.

"They're very good for young professionals or families on a budget. They're called motels but that's just the name. They all have interior corridors like a hotel. The properties are lower-end in the U.S. but not in Canada."

STUCK ON "IT'S A SMALL WORLD"

As a guy who grew up going to Disneyland a lot and still enjoys the Magic Kingdom, I had to chuckle at the story of the guy (well, not really) who got stuck on "It's a Small World" for a half hour. The poor fellow is disabled and apparently didn't get evacuated in the way other guests were when there problems on the ride.

He sued and his attorney says Disneyland awarded him $8,000.

I think we've all been on that ride and thought to ourselves, "Please, lord, don't let this ride break down and make me listen to that insipid song over and over again."

To borrow a phrase from My Fair Lady, "I'd be equally as willing for a dentist to be drilling..."

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal on tap for sunny Aruba for $1,719, including $320 in taxes.

Jaunt Highlights

• BONUS: ACV Privileges offer private concierge service, spa discount, $50 casino coupons and more!
• All-inclusive 7-night stay at the 4-Star Occidental Grand Aruba, located on Aruba's Palm Beach
• Includes return airfare from Toronto to Aruba, and round-trip airport/resort transfers in Aruba
• Accommodations in a Supersaver Room, featuring 1 king-size bed plus sofa bed, and balcony or terrace with gardenview
• Daily breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and unlimited alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks
• Why choose Air Canada Vacations?
  Earn & Redeem Aeroplan® Miles, in-flight seat-back entertainment on most flights, airline service and reliability of Air Canada, and more!

• Aruba is one of the loveliest Caribbean destinations
• The casino on-site is a great source of excitement after a lazy day lounging beachfront or poolside
• Aruba's Palm Beach strip is loaded with entertaining things to do from glamourous shopping to decadent dining

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on March 31, 2013
  
• Pricing (Rates are per person, plus tax):
  
  Toronto:
  Double: $1399
  Single: $1829
  Triple: $1359
  Child: $1279
  Tax: $320
  
  Other DATES and GATEWAYS available.
  Call us at 1-855-687-5925.
  
  
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is 100% non-refundable at time of booking

China visitors spending up in Canada ... Pearson improvements ... Deal of day

So, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty makes headlines by tabling his budget and high-tailing it to Asia.

Good call. He’s following the money.

Yesterday in this space I talked about a VISA credit card study showing how China was leaping up the ranks of countries in terms of spending in the U.S. Today I can report similar findings for VISA spending in Canada; data surely Mr. Flaherty is aware of.

According to 2012 VisaVue Travel data, Visa account holders visiting Canada increased their travel-related spending from $6.6 billion in 2011 to $6.66 billion last year.

The U.S. remains number one by a huge margin, with more than half of that spending: $3.49 billion in all. But just as China jumped from fourth in the U.S. last year to second, so it did in Canada. Figures show Chinese visitors spent $379 million on their Visa accounts last year, up 15.2 per cent from the year before.

The Canadian Tourism Commission (as well as the province of Ontario and Toronto and other cities and just about every tourism board in the world with its salt) has been courting the Chinese market. Canada also introduced new visas to make traveling and staying in Canada easier, and it appears to be paying off.

No doubt the panda public relations could help, too, now that Toronto is home to a pair of beauties airlifted from China this week.

In a less than shocking result, Visa found most Canadians spend their money abroad in February, March and August, while visitors tend to come here between June and September. Smart visitors.

Here’s a look at the ten biggest contributors to inbound tourism spending in 2012 and the ten biggest outbound markets for Canadians, all based on Visa card spending. It’s not a perfect snapshot of overall trends, but it’s probably pretty close in terms of market share.

INBOUND

1. United States, $3.488 billion (-1.1 per cent)
2. China, $379 million (+ 15.2 per cent)
3. UK, $348 million (no change)
4. France, $343 million (-2.5 per cent)
5. Australia, $171 million (-7 per cent)
6. Japan, $144 million (+ 2 per cent)
7. Brazil, $141 million (+ 1 per cent)
8. Germany $123 million (no change)
9. South Korea, $121 million (- 11 per cent)
10. Hong Kong, $102 million (- 4 per cent)

 

OUTBOUND

1. USA, $11 billion (+ 4 per cent)
2. Mexico, $591 million (- 1 per cent)
3. UK, $477 million (- 5 per cent)
4. France, $400 million (- 4 per cent)
5. Italy, $281 million (- 9 per cent)
6. Australia, $234 million (- 3 per cent)
7. Germany, $161 million (- 2 per cent)
8. China, $151 million (- 2 per cent)
9. Spain, $145 million (- 4 per cent)
10. Thailand, $139 million (+ 7 per cent)

MAJOR PEARSON IMPROVEMENTS

In order to make connecting through Toronto Pearson easier, it will no longer be necessary for people arriving in Terminal 1 and connecting onward to the United States to collect their checked baggage.

Pearson Airport officials today said checked bags "will be directed to your onward flight to the United States without a requirement to claim your bag in Toronto before proceeding to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)."

Air Canada officials say it'll make the airline "an even more attractive option for travellers connecting to the U.S."

It's a definite improvement, as the "claim your bags and proceed through customs" bit was a real slog for folks on connecting flights.

HOTEL WORKERS GET EVEN

If you’ve ever been rude to a hotel worker, you know they have ways of getting even. But an interesting study by the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business? shows that workers in different parts of the world react quite differently to hostile guests.

The study found that North American service workers are more likely to sabotage rude customers, while Chinese react by disengaging from customer service altogether.

“Our research shows that culture plays a significant role in how frontline workers deal with customer abuse,” says UBC Sauder School of Business Professor Daniel Skarlicki, a co-author of the study.

“In North America, employees tend to retaliate against offensive customers – doing things like giving bad directions or serving cold food. In China, workers are more likely to reduce the general quality of service they provide to all customers – nasty or nice.”

In their paper, to be published in the journal Personnel Psychology, Skarlicki and former Sauder PhD student Ruodan Shao studied how frontline employees at a luxury hotel with locations in Vancouver and Beijing reacted to customer mistreatment.

Although the level of abuse was consistent in both locations, North Americans resorted 20 per cent more often to sabotage to get revenge. Abused Chinese workers were 19 per cent more likely to feel a lack of enthusiasm in their jobs, responding negatively to statements like, “I voluntarily assist guests even if it means going beyond job requirements.”

“North Americans take a surgical approach to abuse, zeroing in on individuals who mistreated them,” says Skarlicki, noting that managers must be mindful of these cultural differences when expanding operations across the Pacific. “Chinese don’t blame the transgressor. They blame the system – the company or customers they serve.” 

Skarlicki says the implications are clear.  “When service-oriented companies go global, they need to heighten their sensitivity to how culture in a new market can influence the performance of frontline staff and tailor their customer service operations accordingly.”

FREE INTERNET FOR IHG LOYALTY MEMBERS

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) announced today that it will be providing free internet to all its 71m loyalty program members, worldwide. The announcement comes as IHG reveals the results of a global online survey which show that nearly half of adults (43%) would choose not to stay in a hotel that charged for internet.

IHG also is renaming its loyalty program from Priority Club Rewards to IHG Rewards Club and introducing new benefits.

It's a smart move in a very competitive environment for hotel operators. The rewards program is free to join, so there's no reason not to set up a membership.

IHG said it's "the first and only hotel group to offer free internet in all hotels to all loyalty programme members." But that doesn't seem to be true.

Fairmont has been offering free Internet to its Presidents Club members for years. Kimpton, not as big a chain but still a player, has free Wi-Fi in all rooms and the lobby for loyalty program members. I suspect a few other groups, too.

Not to take away from a good move by IHG. But they're clearly not alone.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a deal on tap for a 15-day river cruise across Europe for $5,883, including all taxes.

EXCLUSIVE SAVINGS: Save $1,000 per couple! (reflected in pricing)

• BONUS: No Single Supplement!
• 15-Day Magnificent Europe River Cruise onboard the Avalon Tranquility, Panorama or Expression sailing from Budapest to Amsterdam (or vice versa depending on the sail date. See Offer Details for more information)
• Includes guided sightseeing programs in the following cities and/or ports of call:
  Amsterdam, Holland; Cologne, Germany; Rhine Gorge–Rüdesheim, Germany; Miltenberg, Germany; Würzburg, Germany; Bamberg, Germany; Nuremberg, Germany; Regensburg, Germany; Passau–Linz, Austria; Melk, Austria; Dürnstein, Austria; Vienna, Austria; Bratislava, Slovakia; and Budapest, Hungary.
• Accommodations in an upgraded Avalon Deluxe Stateroom:
  Category P - Located on the Royal (highest stateroom) Deck
  Category A - Located on the Sapphire (middle) Deck
• Includes all meals on the ship, complimentary sparkling wine with breakfast, soft drinks with lunch, and wine, beer, or soft drinks with dinner and a welcome reception, Captain’s reception, and farewell dinner

• A whole list of excursions are included in your itinerary without any extra cost
• Avalon cruises offer the best in all categories: views, food, entertainment and experiences

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on October 12, 16 & 23, 2013
• Pricing (Rates are per person, including tax):
  
  October 12, 2013 sailing on the Avalon Tranquility (Amsterdam to Budapest):
  Avalon Deluxe Stateroom (Cat. P): $6707
  
  October 16, 2013 sailing on the Avalon Panorama (Budapest to Amsterdam):
  Avalon Deluxe Stateroom (Cat. P): $6295
  
  October 23, 2013 sailing on the Avalon Expression (Budapest to Amsterdam):
  Avalon Deluxe Stateroom (Cat. A): $5883
  
  NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
  
  For ways to SAVE MORE, Other DATES and FLIGHTS call us at 1-855-687-5925.
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is refundable until 100% non-refundable at time of booking