Olympic Torch in T.O., Molson Oly Hockey House, Oh, (free) Christmas Tree

Sports buddy Dave Perkins and I went up Yonge Street last night to watch our old Olympic acquaintance, Paul Henderson, take a much deserved run with the Vancouver/Whistler 2010 torch.

Nobody bleeds the Olympic and sweats the Olympics and cares about athletes as much as Henderson. Nobody. I've seen hundreds of International Olympic Committee members lined up at the trough for canapes and champagne over the years (yeah, I've been there, too on occasion). But not a single one of them has the passion and the commitment of Toronto's most famous bald plumber.

Sure, he rubs some people the wrong way. And I say, good for him. And keep it up, Paul. Somebody has to stick it to the corner office bigwigs and deflate their pompous egos. And nobody wields a sharper stick than Paulie.

There were at least a hundred of his friends and family on Yonge Street Thursday night, and he was positively beaming as he ran the torch down to Ramsden Park. He deserved it.

It was interesting to see the relay, I must say. It's a nice thing to do, and there seem to be a lot of folk who take great pride in watching people carry it hither and yon across our yawning acres of landscape. But, honestly, do we need this much hoopla and this much security?

My God, there had to be 100 cops on bikes, 30 or 40 police cars and several RCMP vehicles. Lord knows there probably were plain-clothes cops in Canada gear, too. All for an Olympic torch? Is that really necessary?

Not to mention the RBC truck and the two Coca-Cola trucks and the music and the surrounding hoopla. I guess that's the cost of doing business these days, but I'd like to have been around when it was just a couple guys in a truck following a man or woman down a country road.

OLY PRICE SLASH

A report in the Vancouver Sun says folks who are running the Molson Canadian Hockey House at the Vancouver Games "have slashed the entry price to the Olympic hockey pavilion from $500 for an all-you-can-eat-and-drink, all-day pass to $99 for a "Fan Zone" pass that lets you stay for half a day."

Toronto-based Jordan Bitove (his brother, John, ran Toronto's 2008 Olympic bid, you may recall) said his firm, VisionCo., always had this price point in their plan.

"There's a corporate market looking for an all-inclusive solution for their hospitality needs but we always planned to unveil a more affordable fan zone pass."

He told the Vancouver paper that a "limited" number of half-day passes will be offered for $99 but did not say how many. The passes allow access to entertainment and food but only include two drinks. A beer is expected to cost $7, which isn't too bad I guess.

I don't personally see the point of paying a hundred bucks to hang around a big tent with a few hockey celebrities. If I was a big hockey fan, perhaps I'd care. But I've spent too much time hanging around athletes to think they're much of a big deal.

Now, if they can Scarlett Johansson in the tent, that's another story.

JIM'S DEALS OF THE DAY

 

$544 - Toronto to Manzanillo, Mexico, 4* all-inclusive w/ EXCLUSIVE TravelAlerts discount!
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$69 - Toronto to Orlando, round-trip flight this winter ($286 w/tax)
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OH, TANENBAUM

While North American carries continue to hit us with new fees for bags and what not, Air Berlin in Germany is letting folks stuff their Christmas trees into the cargo hold for free this holiday season. Any tree up to two meters in length gets to ride for free, the airline says.

It's a nice deal. But who flies somewhere and brings home a Christmas tree? Are they that hard to find in Munich or Frankfurt or Berlin that people are flying to the Black Forest or what have you to chop down a nice fir?

EU AIR DEAL

Lots of folks (Canada's minister for tourism, for example) are making a big deal of the fact that the EU on Thursday ratified a new "open skies" agreement with Canada. Some officials are saying it will mean cheaper fares for Canadians and lots more flights to Europe.

"Today's signing by Canada of a comprehensive air transport agreement with the 27 Member States of the European Union marks an important development in increasing access to Canada's second largest trading partner," said Duncan Dee, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Air Canada. "This new agreement opens up a realm of new commercial opportunities for Air Canada throughout the EU. It allows Air Canada to further develop Canada as a gateway to the world by capitalizing on travel demand between Canada, the U.S., Latin America and Europe."

But some industry types say the market already is well served and that the new destinations included in the deal, places like Lithuania, Slovakia, Cyprus and Slovenia, may not be that big a draw. I'm a HUGE fan of Slovenia, personally, so I don't know about that. But it's a point well taken. I wouldn't go running off celebrating just because a new deal has been inked with the EU.

 

 

EU-Canada air agreement...More Vegas, Baby...British Airways strike averted...

A wild couple days in the travel biz got even more interesting a few minutes ago when the EU today signed an aviation deal with Canada that will allow airlines to operate flights from any European city to Canada. It also will phase out restrictions on foreign ownership of carriers.

Canadian Press reports the deal replaces a patchwork of agreements between Canada and most — but not all — of the EU’s 27 countries that prevented one EU country’s flagship airline from running flights from another part of Europe to Canada. This meant, for example, that British Airlines (which just a few minutes found out it has avoided a crippling cabin crew strike over the holidays; scroll down for more on that) could only run flights from Britain to Canada. That’s no longer the case now and airlines can operate direct flights to Canada from any part of Europe. The deal also removes all restrictions on routes, prices or the number of weekly flights between the two regions.

The EU’s executive commission said the deal could generate economic benefits of more than $100 million and create more than 1,000 jobs in the first year. That's nice for them, but for consumers in Canada it SHOULD mean more choices and, perhaps, cheaper flights in the long run as competition opens up.

EU officials said opening up the market could see an extra 3.5 million people fly between the two regions in coming years.

The deal also recognizes security checks in both regions which should simplify flight transfers because passengers, luggage or cargo taking a connecting flight would be exempted from a second round of security. That sounds pretty good, too.

AIR TROUBLE EASES IN BRITAIN

Associated Press reports that British Airways has won an emergency court injunction to stop a 12-day strike by its cabin crew, bringing relief to around one million travellers whose Christmas holiday plans were threatened by the planned walkout. The High Court backed BA's claim that the ball by the Unite labour union was illegal because it included members no longer employed by the airline.

 “We are delighted for our customers that the threat of a Christmas strike has been lifted by the court,” British Airways said in a statement after the ruling by Justice Laura Cox. “It is a decision that will be welcomed by hundreds of thousands of families in the UK and around the world."

 

 Unite said the decision marked a “disgraceful day for democracy” and added that it will hold a fresh ballot unless the dispute is resolved. But the union cannot hold another vote until after Christmas, with a rescheduled strike unlikely before February. Still, there are talks of strikes over the coming days by ground staff at Heathrow and Aberdeen airports. British Eurostar train drivers plan to walk out on Friday and Saturday, but the operator of the high-speed rail service between Britain and continental Europe said it could get replacement drivers from France and Belgium.

 

We hear the 1996 Atlanta Olympic bus drivers are available, too.

 

All that BA stuff was going on just as Scotland's biggest carrier, Flyglobespan, suddenly collapsed, leaving some 4,000 passengers stranded. Scheduled flights were cancelled, according to the Guardian, and military staff is said to be stranded in the Falkland Islands; possibly stuck over Christmas.

Budget rival Flybe is said to be offering special fares to stranded customers, but no one knows if everyone will get home.

It's not just folks in Britain, of course, who are hurt by the demise of Flyglobespan. Our friends at the Hamilton Spectator report that the discount airline has been offering cheap, seasonal flights from Hamilton to the UK for three years.

"This means we're going to have to go looking for someone else to do this," said Richard Koroscil, president of the Hamilton airport. "We know the market exists so I'm sure we'll be able to find someone."

Tourism Ireland folks say the only direct flight to Northern Ireland from these parts was the Flyglobespan flight to Belfast. Flyglobespan also flew Halifax to Glasgow, Vancouver to Dublin and many other sites, and it's a huge problem for folks with tickets. Not to mention tourism folks in Britain who count on cheap flights to supply steady customers.

VEGAS UPDATE!!

The Star's Richard Ouzounian, the hardest-working journalist in the entertain biz, files his last blog update from Las Vegas, where he got to eat his way through some great new restaurants, check out the newest hotels and generally peek under the hood of the massive, new City Center project, pictured at right during its opening ceremonies last night.

LAS VEGAS - I think Maureen McGovern sang it first: "There's got to be a morning after."  And all I can say is that I would not want to be a Tylenol bottle in a Las Vegas home this morning.

Last night was the gala opening of the Aria Hotel at City Center and - as far as these giant bashes go - it was one of the best I've ever been to.

Bizarre but fascinating electrified techno-bands played a variety of percussion instruments at the various entrances. No conventional music, no old Sinatra recordings. This is The New Vegas, baby. (There, that's my obligatory "baby". One per blog.)

Dozens of statuesque women (all roughly 6' tall) stood in random locations holding  decorated metal poles that were twice their size.  Why? Because it looked good. I asked one beauty (named Sherri) how she got the job. "I answered an ad," she sighed, shifting aching muscles and possibly regretting she had.

How many people were there? I was told by one PR person that there were 3,000 partygoers milling around, but the place is so damned spacious you'd never believe it. I do know that there were 450 accredited media and they were usually the ones jostling in front of me for the food.

The food.  That's what I'll remember. Aria has 16 restaurants and each one of them was offering up goodies for the evening. Kobe Beef Sliders were the big item at the sportsbar-ish Union Restaurant, mini Peking Duck wraps came from Blossom and there were Stone Crab claws at Bar Moderne that were the sweetest I've ever tasted. 

But what was the most attractive (to me at least) was the Caviar Bar. Four types, including some of the rare Russian variety, not the unbelievably expensive large-grain beluga, but the far more reasonable, less tasty and tinier sevruga.  The gentlest and most succulent I found, however, were the giant red pearls of salmon roe.  I asked the caviar master where it was from. "Canada," he told me.  I kid you not (as Jack Paar used to say).

There was also a gala first preview of the new Cirque show, Viva Elvis!, but the reports were not encouraging. (I'm commenting on this in the Entertainment section of Friday's Star.)  One Canadian expat and his wife recognized me at Jean Georges Steakhouse and, in between bites of a superb Wagyu Tartare, the lady informed me she had just gotten a text from a well-placed friend who was watching the show and gave it a violent "thumbs down".  The opening has just been postponed until Feb. 19, so we'll see if space traveller Guy Laliberté can work some magic now that he's got both feet on the ground.

Speaking of texting, I've never seen so many people using their PDAs while partying, myself included.  Were we all emailing or texting or twittering our friends who weren't there to make them feel bad? Probably. People can have a nasty streak!

Celebrities? A sprinkling of local sports stars and Eva Longoria, owner of Beso, one of the new eateries.  I got to interview her about her new career as a restauranteur and found her to be an attractive and charming woman, very down to earth.  I'll include her comments when I look in detail at these new Vegas restaurants for Travel in a couple of months.

As the evening went on, I noticed more and more people started leaving the open areas to merge into the bars, all of which were packed and home to some serious, Vegas-style drinking.  Even the caviar station was empty, so I paid it another visit. Didn't want them to feel lonely.  


Midnight finally came and everyone spilled out into the area outside to see some really spectacular rooftop fireworks. Then Aria was officially open, the slot machines started whirling and the festivities continued.  Me?  I went to bed, because I had to get up at 5AM (Vegas time) to type this and write some articles for the Saturday entertainment section before getting on a plane back to Toronto.

But as I looked down from my Vdara Hotel window just now, I could still see some merrymakers heading home. Ah, Las Vegas!

Note to flight attendants on Air Canada 592: let the guy in 13A sleep.  He's had a busy couple of days.

Great stuff, Richard. Many thanks. And now back to Jim's regular travel blog, for a bit more Vegas some updates on a wild week for British travel.

MONTREAL-VEGAS ON WESTJET

This is a match made in heaven between two of the big cities that never sleep (no offence, New York). Montreal is DEFINITELY party town Canada, and Vegas, well, it goes without saying. Now West Jet has announced (just today, actually) the launch of new, non-stop service between Montreal and Las Vegas. The inaugural flight departs Montreal's Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport at 9:45 a.m. ET today.

"Las Vegas is possibly the most popular city in WestJet's destination lineup," said Hugh Dunleavy, WestJet Executive Vice-President of Strategy and Planning. "We knew it was vital that we offer service from another of our Canadian gateways so that even more WestJet guests can travel to this dynamic and exceptional city. It's even more exciting now that we can offer this route to our friends in Quebec on a year-round basis."

WestJet will fly between Montreal and Las Vegas five times per week.

NEWFOUNDLAND-LONDON ON AIR CANADA

Air Canada today announced that it will introduce daily non-stop seasonal service between St. John's and London Heathrow, U.K. offering convenient connecting flights throughout Europe with its Star Alliance partner carriers. Air Canada will operate the only daily non-stop service between Newfoundland and Labrador and London Heathrow between May 27, 2010 and September 26, 2010.

"For the past several months we have worked closely with the local community and the Airport Authority to offer travellers in Newfoundland and Labrador the convenience of the only daily non-stop service to London Heathrow in time for the peak summer travel season," said Nick Careen, Vice President, Airports, Air Canada in St. John's with airport, tourism and government officials. "With this improved schedule, we believe our customers in Newfoundland and Labrador will value this direct link to the U.K., as the fastest and most efficient way of making connections to several European capitals such as Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, Vienna, Moscow, as well as Dubai. We hope the support for this route will enable us to operate it again next year and even extend it year-round."

Latest Vegas glitz, Zagat's new Vancouver guide, West Jet new route: KW-YVR

The biggest thing to ever hit Las Vegas has a grand opening Wednesday night. Here's a preview report from Richard Ouzounian, Toronto Star theatre critic and the chap who puts together our monthly "Six Meals In..." column in the Star Travel section.

Regular readers of The Star's Travel section will know that, just like Napoleon's army, I travel on my stomach. My monthly "Six Meals In...." column starts its sixth year in January and I haven't even remotely eaten my way around the globe yet.

    So you'll be able to guess that my idea of extreme frustration is to be in a new luxury complex in Las Vegas that boasts over nearly 20 high-end restaurants and only 48 hours to try and grapple with such abundance.

    Even I, who have been known to eat two breakfasts, two lunches and two dinners in a single day - all in the name of research - couldn't tackle this task.

    Fortunately, the people arranging this opening week had a pretty splendid idea.  On Tuesday and Wednesday, we descended on six of the restaurants for three "tasting" lunches a day.  We had cocktails one night catered by another restaurant, dinner served at an eighth, breakfast at a ninth and tonight's party is supposed to represent many of those not yet spoken for.

    What have I learned from this? That I want to come back to the Aria/Vdara/Crystals/Mandarin world when I have a lot more time to eat.

    Some quick hits:

    Jean-Georges Steakhouse - Since Mr. Vongerichten is known as one of the food world's highest standard bearers, you know his steak house is going to be different. A series of circular rooms keeps it cozy, a witty use of cattle imagery keeps it fun and a kitchen that prepares meat superbly does the rest.

    American Fish - Michael Mina has several other ace restaurants in Las Vegas and California, but this is unique. Imagine fresh seafood cooked and served in the highest end hunting lodge you could imagine. And the birch forest behind the bar will keep you riveted.

    Sage - Shawn McClain, one of the most highly esteemed chefs in Chicago, comes west with dazzling results. An absolutely stunning room, so romantic that I think I'll take my wife there to propose all over again. And a deft, deft hand with seasoning.

    Julian Serrano - The Hispanic heritage of Senor Serrano is front and center, but all with a difference. The reds and golds you might expect in the decor have a new lightness, as does the food. A prawn gazpacho or a spicy chicken croquette are just two of the delights.  Tapas in the bar, as well.

    Beso - Eva Longoria's Mexican-styled steakhouse is a hit in L.A., so why not Vegas? Two places for one: a sexy upstairs disco and a boldly flavoured downstairs restaurant that does damn fine things to a cow.

    Bar Masa - Masayoshi Takayama redefined fine sushi dining for NY with his Masa. Now he does the same for Las Vegas with a daringly bold open room that puts the emphasis on his superb food, like his daringly overstuffed tuna maki rolls.

    I think I'm going to stop now before I get faint with hunger.  Anyway, I've got to do my interviews with Wolfgang Puck, Daniel Libeskind and Eva Longoria and then get ready to party like it's 2009.  Oh, it is.

    That's Richard's last post for today. (Slacker!). Here's his stuff from earlier:

    Okay, this is a crazy city. I think most people would admit that. But it was looking unusually wacky when I went on an early morning walk. The temperature was about 8 C. I know it's a lot better than -4 in Toronto, but nobody here seemed to know how to dress for it. I saw some people in shorts and t-shirts, others bundled up with scarves and mittens and only a few dressed sensibly (as I was, of course) in a light jacket.

    But the insane part is that everybody acted like they had made the right choice. The t-shirt crowd weren't shivering; the ski bunnies weren't wiping away beads of sweat. I guess that's life down here: you make a choice and stay with it.

    A choice that the city fathers seem to have made is re-designing the streets so it's impossible to walk up and down the Strip without going through a series of stairs and bridges that amount to a mini aerobic workout. (Okay, nobody told me to eat bacon and eggs before I set out on my walk.) And just try to cross Las Vegas Blvd. at certain points. I simply wanted to go to a discount drug store and buy a Lip Balm that wouldn't cost me $5, like in the average hotel sundry shoppe, but as I looked up and down the Blvd., I realized I either had to go a quarter mile out of my way or cross illegally.

    So I crossed illegally and suddenly a policeman appeared to tell me I had done wrong. Have you ever seen a policeman in Las Vegas? I swear this is the first one I've ever met there! I apologized and told him I was from Canada, where everybody was so easygoing that we just crossed whenever and wherever we felt like. He let me go.

    Accessing the rest of Las Vegas from City Center, BTW, is a tricky proposition as well. A long, long, long corridor will take you from one end of Vdara, over a bridge to the extreme end of the Bellagio, but it seems like the kind of secret route that they used to smuggle Allied prisoners out during WWII. Or you can look for the entrance to the Mandarin Oriental, cross over another bridge, walk through the Crystals shopping center (see photo), out through Aria and back home.

    Crystals.jpeg Only this morning, all of those entrances were closed because they were preparing for the big opening press conference which takes place any minute. I knew I had to get back to my room to write this, so once again I threw myself on the mercy of the powers that be. This time, however, I evoked a word even more powerful than "Canadian," which was....."Media."

    So it's off to the press conference, then a tasting at three different restaurants for lunch. I'll report to you again about both events (as well as a recap of where I ate yesterday), before I start an "only in Las Vegas" series of interviews this afternoon: Wolfgang Puck, Daniel Libeskind and Eva Longoria. (No, not all at the same time!)

    That was Richard's mid-afternoon (Toronto time) file. Below is his first blog item of the day. He's nothing if not prolific!

    I must have been to Las Vegas two dozen times in the past 10 years, but blame Celine Dion and all those Cirque du Soleil shows rather than a gambling problem. Okay, here's my deep, dark secret. I play the penny slots and usually come home $45-$100 to the good. There. I've said it and I feel a lot better. But over the decade, I've stayed at all the major hotels including the newest ones and eaten at all the best restaurants.

    All of this is to lay down some street cred when I tell you that I have been blown away by the 18 hours I've been at the new City Center development so far.

    It really is a whole new Las Vegas. Some might call it "kinder, gentler", but I prefer to think of it as cool and classy. Hey, not one of the three new hotels now open is trying to look like another city or country. Audible sigh of relief. I wasn't really looking forward to the Luxembourg Hotel, Spa, Casino and Jellied Suckling Pig Restaurant.

    Anyway, I'm staying at the Vdara, which opened two weeks ago. It's a 100% non-smoking, non-gaming building. Pinch yourself. Yup. it's still Las Vegas. I kind of feel like I've gone to heaven, only there's room service. Everyone is unfailingly polite, cheerful even, and the rooms have to be seen to be appreciated. Every one is a suite. And I mean a real suite. Not just the lets-add-a-sofa-and-a-coffee-table-and-call-it-a-suite kind of room. Nope. There's a full sitting room, kitchen, dining area, separate bedroom and great big bathroom including a tub that all 6'l" of me can stretch out in.

    And the service! Room service breakfast this morning brought a waiter who had a toaster with him. He plugged it in to my kitchen and toasted my English Muffins while laying out the rest of the meal. Goodbye, sogginess.

    What's this cost? Jim has been letting you know how sweet Vegas deals are these days, but according to travelexpert.ca, you can get rooms on the Strip for as little as $29 Canadian. Hotels.ca was listing a deluxe room at the Vdara for $137 Canadian.

    I also took a tour of the Aria which has also redefined the Vegas hotel experience. Wood, glass, metal, stone. Real works of art. Clean air. One-touch computers in your room that work the lights, temperature, music, TV, DVD, etc. all from your bedside. And a whole new fibre optics system that delivers wireless internet at eight times the speed of normal hotels. Sweet.

    The sun has just risen here in Las Vegas so I'm going outside to see how the city is waking up on this very important day. Big Press conference at 11:00 AM local time, giant party starting at 7:30 PM. I've put my dibs in for a dance with Eva Longoria, who's going to be there. Hey, I had dinner at her restaurant, Beso, last night, so I figure we have a lot to talk about.

Thanks for that, Richard. And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming from Jim, who's had plenty of nice trips this year but still wishes he was in Vegas to check out City Center.

ZAGAT'S VANCOUVER VISH LIST

Okay, pardon the really bad headline. But Zagat today issued its new Vancouver 2010 guide in advance of the Winter Olympic Games, and there's plenty to consider if you're headed out for the Olympics. Or just for fun some other time.

The publication says the Games have helped keep Vancouver on top of its culinary game despite the recession, with such new spots as db Bistro Moderne (chef Daniel Boulud) and Market by Jean-Georges (chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten). Downtown, they singled out Miku, Voya at the Loden Hotel (I had an AMAZING dinner and fab drinks at the Loden a year and a bit ago), as well as The Edge and The Refinery. On the West Side, they singled out Gastropod, Maenam and Trattoria Italian Kitchen, which is a wonderful spot on 4th Avenue that's hugely popular with young folks.

(Funny,  I saw nothing about Beard Papa, the suburban chain that serves dreamy cream puffs. But that's their loss.)

On the bargain side, Zagat's mentioned Nat's New York Pizzeria, Cru and Pied-a-Terre, as well as Mis Trucos and Cafe Barcelona and the soon-to-open Judas Goat (how do you mention a place that isn't serving food yet, I don't know).

The winner for overall top food was La Belle Auberge, located way out in Ladner. Vij's in Vancouver, profiled by the Star's Adrian Brijbassi in the Star Travel section not too long ago, was named Most Popular. Top Decor award went to Seasons in the Park, while top service went to Bishop's. Up in Whistler, top food award was given to Bear Foot Bistro, while the Keg was named most popular, which says something about Whistler but I'm not quite sure what.

The Opus Bar at the lovely and trendy Opus Hotel was named most popular nightspot, while Stanley Park (duh) was named most popular attraction. A personal fave, The Wickaninnish Inn near Tofino, also was singled out as a top hotel on Vancouver Island. I had a superb meal and a fabulous room there in September, along with the best massage of my life. I damn near proposed to the girl after she was finished rubbing my neck and back and fingers and toes.

WEST JET: KITCHENER to VANCOUVER

WestJet today unveiled its flight schedule for the summer of 2010, featuring five new routes and expanded service on 19 trans-border and international routes. The summer schedule includes new, non-stop service between Kitchener-Waterloo and Vancouver, Toronto and Puerto Vallarta, Vancouver and San Francisco (a popular Air Canada route), Edmonton and Kamloops and Edmonton and San Francisco.

Kitchener-Waterloo to Vancouver is a godsend for folks live out there and want to avoid Pearson and the Toronto traffic. Or even if you're in Hamilton or London or anywhere west of Mississauga, really.

WestJet also says a bunch of seasonal routes will become year-round, including Toronto to Atlantic City, Miami, Puerto Plata, Bridgetown, Cayo Coco, Varadero, Turks and Caicos, St. Maarten, St. Lucia and Cancun.

JIM'S DEALS OF THE DAY

Up to 40% off - Sun destinations on sale with Air Canada (Havana, Nassau, Mexico...)

http://www.travelalerts.ca/ccount12/click.php?id=1948

 

$199 - Toronto to Santa Clara, Cuba, return flight in early January ($403 w/tax)

http://www.travelalerts.ca/ccount12/click.php?id=1949

DREAMING OF BOEING

Good reports out of Seattle yesterday on the new 787 Dreamliner, which had its first foray into the skies. It's been plagued by delays, but the successful first flight is good news for Boeing, for the air industry in general and for Air Canada and its customers in particular.

Air Canada has ordered 37 of the new planes, which are smaller (210 to 290 seats) and more nimble than some of the bigger planes out there like the A-380 or the Boeing 777, which seats 349. The thought is that Air Canada will use them to reach countries like China with routes that wouldn't be economical with the bigger planes.

There's talk of Vancouver to Guangzhou by 2011. There also are suggestions that the 787 would give Air Canada more options for increasing Toronto-Shanghai and Toronto-Beijing flights on a year-round basis, according to the Globe and Mail.

The first 787 isn't slated to go into commercial service until late next year, likely in Japan. So don't expect to see any of these babies flying over the skies of Toronto any time soon.

 

Vegas baby, Vegas...Caribbean crime issues...More British Airways...Deals of day

Our friends at travelalerts.ca sent out a note the other day that outlined $29 hotel rooms in Las Vegas. I also spotted a story from USA Today's Kitty Bean Yancey (isn't that a GREAT byline?) saying there are great deals from now to Dec. 24; I guess cuz folks are saving their sinful behaviour until after Santa visits.

Anyway, The Las Vegas Advisor is said to have found 43 Las Vegas casino hotels with rooms for less than $40, compared to 38 last December. Among the properties available were Harrah's, Bally's and Excalibur.

They also found 27 properties for less than $30, two more than last year. Among those are Circus Circus, the Tropicana and Sahara.

Even more amazing, they mentioned seven casinos with rates less than $20; among them the Golden Gate and Hooters, reputed to be Tiger Woods' fave hangout. The Hard Rock was down to $47, Paris was $55 and New York-New York available for as little as $48. All prices are subject to change, so they may not be available right now. Still, there appear to be no end to the bargains.

The Star's Richard Ouzounian, our resident theatre expert and the author of our monthly "Six Meals In" feature in Star Travel, is on his way there today for the big opening of the much ballyhooed, $8.5 billion City Center project, said to be the largest privately financed development in American history and that's saying a lot. There are new hotels (see photo of the Aria at right), shops and glitzy restaurants, as well as a couple casinos, and they'll be pulling out all kinds of stops to make it a splashy entry.

Richard will be filing to the star.com/travel, so check our web site and my blog tomorrow (Wednesday) for his thoughts. And again on Thursday. And check our print version on Saturday for another report as we keep you up to date on one of the most popular destinations for GTA travelers.

CARIBBEAN CRIME?

Folks in Caribbean tourism know how important public perception is, and they're showing understandable concern about recent crime reports.

A dozen Carnival passengers were robbed at gunpoint near Nassau's Queen's Staircase in October. Last month, two groups of passengers from Royal Caribbean and Disney Cruise Line ships were on ship-sponsored tours when they were robbed by men carrying shotguns.

The Nassau Guardian says armed robberies in the Bahamas are up 17 per cent from 2008. It's serious enough that Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham is pledging a new year's press conference to introduce new anti-crime legislation.

"The current crime wave is totally unacceptable and must be brought under control," he said. "I think that you will see an accelerated set of policing - prevention - taking place very soon and we will seek to make our streets safer and our homes safer," the newspaper reported today.

The Bahamas are not the only place where there are concerns, of course. The New York Times reported the other day that a retired British couple was seriously wounded in a machete attack in Tobago in August and that a pregnant American tourist was abducted and killed during a morning jog in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, in February.

A colleague at the Star correctly points out there's plenty of crime in Toronto and U.S. cities. But do foreign governments warn people about coming to North America? I don't know. I do know that crime happens all over the world. But when you're as dependent on tourism as the folks are in the Caribbean, any crime takes on an even greater importance.

On a related note, the U.S. State Department has lifted its travel alert for Honduras, saying improved security means Americans aren't under immediate threat. The alert was issued following a June 28 coup.

Tourism is said to have dropped 85 per cent on the island of Roatan after the coup, even though it's far from the capital of Tegucigalpa. There's great diving in Roatan, as well as a new, world-class golf course development under construction.

BRITISH AIRWAYS UPDATE

As passengers continue to lash out over a potential Christmas walkout by British Airways cabin crew, the airline is beginning last-ditch legal action to avert a holiday horror show.

Associated Press reports that BA has applied to the High Court for an injunction to prevent the planned 12-day walkout, which is due to start Dec. 22.

"An emergency hearing was schedule for Wednesday," AP said, "But that still left passengers in limbo, contemplating soaring prices for alternative flights - or train journeys."

Virgin Atlantic says it will bring in bigger planes on key routes out of London, including flights to New Yor and Delhi. BMI ran newspaper advertisements saying that "BA is grounded, but you needn't be."

A London accountant hoping to fly from Heathrow to Vancouver on Christmas Day for a vacation with his wife said he's looking at prices of around $3,500 Canadian.

"The likely revenue gift to its competitors couldn’t come at a worse time for BA, which has been one of the airlines worst hit by the global recession because of its heavy running costs and reliance on increasingly unpopular premium fares," AP said.

THIS AND THAT; News from Chicago, New Delhi and Victoria

The Blackstone Hotel in Chicago is celebrating its 100th birthday with $100 rates from Jan. 1 to April 10, 2010. Guests also can get a champagne cocktail, a Singapore Sling and other drinks for just a buck. Wow, that's even cheaper than the Air Canada Centre...The New Leela Palace is set to open in early fall in New Delhi. The Leela Palace Kempinski New Delhi is a five-star spot with 260 rooms and suites, five restaurants, two bars, an ESPA spa and a rooftop swimming pool...Did you know there wasn't a carousel anywhere on Vancouver Island until recently, when they unveiled one at Butchart Gardens in Victoria? Either did I, but they say the Rose Carousel is all decked out for Christmas and has handcarved likenesses of bears, ostriches, zebras and horses.

JIM'S DEALS OF THE DAY

It's time to start thinking of your winter/spring break. Here are a couple solid options, brought to you by the folks at travelalerts.ca:

$133 - Toronto to Cancun, return flight during the holidays ($411 w/tax): save $100

http://www.travelalerts.ca/ccount12/click.php?id=1907

$347 - Toronto to Puerto Plata, DR, 1 week all-inclusive getaway ($667 w/tax)

http://www.travelalerts.ca/ccount12/click.php?id=1908

British Airways warns of "massive disruptions"...Silly travel tips...Sunwing snub?

Not good. British Airways today said travellers face "massive disruptions" after cabin crew voted more than 90 per cent to walk off the job for 12 days, starting Dec. 22.

Bah, humbug. Unless they're being forced to work for slave wages, it's the height of irresponsibility to actually walk out over the Christmas holidays. Negotiate and act tough, for sure. I'm a union guy and I understand that. But to actually go out on strike over Christmas and leave thousands, likely tens of thousands, of people stranded? Not good.

British Airways cabin crew say they're fed up with layoffs and other changes. But the airlines people aren't buying it.

“A 12-day strike would be completely unjustified and a huge over-reaction to the modest changes we have announced for cabin crew which are intended to help us recover from record financial losses.” 

They labelled the Dec. 22 walkout a "cynical decision (that) betrays a total lack of concern for our customers, our business and other employees within British Airways."

 

This promises to get even nastier in coming days.

SILLY TRAVEL TIPS

I almost always learn something when I check out the readers tips section in Budget Travel magazine. The December issue has an item from somebody suggesting you can avoid getting gunk all over your shoes by taking advantage of the free shower caps that some hotels give out. It makes sense. You also could wash your shoes.

The one that struck me as bizarre was an item where someone said they wrap their cellphone charger around their suitcase handle so they don’t forget it in their hotel room. Isn't that a bit extreme. Why not  carry bright pink post-its in your carry-on bag and stick one on your forehead with a request for the person at the hotel check-out desk to ask you if you’re sure you packed your cellphone charger? That also would work.

SUNWING SNUB?

Associated Press reports that Canada's Sunwing Airlines isn't taking offence at the fact that there was no welcoming ceremony in Grenada when it made its inaugural flight last month.

"The absence of formal fanfare for the Nov. 23 flight prompted an outcry from the island's tourism industry and led to the suspension of Grenada's top tourism official, " AP reported. But they quoted Sunwing vice president Lawrence Elliott as saying in a letter that he was "not offended by any lack of a formal greeting for the first flight into Grenada."

Even so, the island will try to make things right with a formal welcoming ceremony for Sunwing on Monday. As well they should. With travel still suffering around the world and Canada being a major market for the Caribbean, it wouldn't hurt to have a brass band..or three. Maybe some egg nog with Grenada nutmeg, just for good measure. (This is funny; I went to change the type face on that last sentence from black to a shade of brown and clicked on this colour, which is called "nutmeg." Okay, it's not THAT funny.)

JIM'S DEALS OF THE DAY

Sale extended! Continue to save up to 50% off with Air Canada

http://www.travelalerts.ca/ccount12/click.php?id=1885

 

US$409 - 6 night Brazilian cruise from Sao Paulo (US$494 w/tax)

http://www.travelalerts.ca/ccount12/click.php?id=1886

 

 

 

Terrible tour guide jokes...Club Med to China...Air Canada Awards...2010 RV's

Read an Agence France Presse story this morning that talked about how hundreds of tour guides from across Italy staged a demonstration in Rome on Thursday.

Seems they're ticked about a government proposal to bring in a "nationwide qualification" for being a tour guide. Apparently the government wants to have national standards and "national guides" so there's a bit of consistency. But the guides say it's crazy and that local guides need local knowledge and not some sort of national qualification.

I don't know; perhaps the government just wants to have national standards and not subject all guides to having knowledge of cities up and down the Italian peninsula. The reports aren't clear on that front, but the guides were mad enough about it to stage a demo with banners reading things like "endangered species" and "national guide, cultural poverty," so it must be serious. (Not that folks in Italy need much of a reason to demonstrate or strike, right?)

It would be silly to demand a guy or woman in, say, Palermo, understand the history of Milano or Firenze. My idea isn't so much make up any national standards but to PLEASE GOD FIND SOMEONE TO STOP THE HORRIBLE JOKES.

A long time ago, I remember going on a tour of Montreal and some guy pointed out an office building and said it was designed by an Italian architect. "You can tell he was Italian because there's spaghetti hanging out of the windows."

Unbelievable.

A few years later, I remember being on the Wailua River in Hawaii (it's on the island of Kauai and it's the only navigable river in the state in case you're ever on Jeopardy) and some tour guy came up with some remarkable groaners.

"Those are international bathrooms," he said, pointing to some porta-potties. "When you go in, European (you're a peein'). When you come out, you're Finnish (finished)."

HOW HORRIBLE IS THAT?

Someone, please, stop these people. A good tour guide is a wonderful thing. But not all guides are created equal, that's for sure.

RV IT IN VANCOUVER/WHISTLER?

Here's something I hadn't thought of. The folks at GO RVing Canada report RV rentals and campgrounds are still available for folks who haven't been able to find a hotel room but want to catch the Vancouver/Whistler Olympics, which start pretty darn soon (Feb. 12).

Rooms in Vancouver are advertised, they say, for $600 a night. But GO RVing Canada says you can get one of their winterized (I would hope so) units for $200 to $300 a night and can generally accomodate four to six people. Doing the math, that's not bad. Mind you, some hotels can sleep four to six people, too. Or at least two to four.

Anyway, I hadn't thought about a campground. But spots apparently still are available for $40 to $75 a night, depending on proximity to Olympic venues. For info, go to www.gorving.ca

AIR CANADA THUMPS ITS CHEST

The folks at Air Canada say they picked up four awards Thursday night at the Business Traveler magazine awards show in L.A. According to the airline, they were given awards for:

    - Best Flight Attendants in North America
    - Best In-Flight Services in North America
    - Best North American Airline for Business Class Service
    - Best North American Airline for International Travel

It seems fair, although personally, I don't know about flight attendants being the best. They're pretty good but certainly not as friendly, for the most part, as others I've flown with. But I haven't been able to find anything on the web to confirm any of this or explain who voted or when, and the folks at business travel haven't posted anything on their web site.

I'd have to agree about in-flight services with the tv's showing all those movies and all that. But I rarely fly biz class so I don't have much to compare them with. As for best NA airline for international travel, I suspect that's true. But it's not like they're swimming in the deepest pool, folks. Surveys routinely put airlines like Singapore and Cathay Pacific and Emirates at the top of the heap, far above North American airlines.

Still, four awards is four awards. Air Canada says no other airline in the world got that many, so they're obviously doing some things right.

JIM'S DEALS OF THE DAY

$289 - Save $150 - Toronto to Costa Rica, return flight ($498 w/tax)

http://www.travelalerts.ca/ccount12/click.php?id=1873

From $87 - Stay and play in Montreal - Book your Getaway today!

http://www.travelalerts.ca/ccount12/click.php?id=1875

 

 

Sunwing Vegas/Florida sale...Cougar Cruise!...Star Santa Fund..Jim's deals/day

You've probably read about the recession that's been battering, oh, most of the world for quite some time. And you've probably read about some great deals in Florida and in Vegas for hotels. I keep getting notices about rooms in Vegas going for $20 or $25 or high-end places offering DEEP discounts.

Now, Sunwing Vacations is offering a deal to get you there. If you buy one seat to Vegas or Florida (see photo) this winter you get the second seat at 50 per cent off. The sale is valid for bookings made between now and Dec. 14 and is applicable for flights from January 1 to March 31 of 2010. The offer covers flights from Toronto to Vegas (every Thursday and Sunday), to Orlando (daily except Tuesday and Wednesday), to St. Petersburg (Monday and Friday) and to Ft. Lauderdale (Sunday and Thursday).

Bookings must be made at www.sunwing.ca, and the sale is applicable only to round-trip fares, with a minimum of two passengers traveling together.

On a related note, the web site Open Jaw is reporting today that the Sunwing/Signature merger has cleared a regulatory hurdle in Ottawa. Details were sketchy, but the site had an item stating that Transport Canada had advised them that the miniser's office issued a letter telling the parties that "there are no public interest issues" at stake with the proposed transaction.

Further news, undoubtedly, isn't far behind.

CRUISE NEWS...AND COUGARS

Terry Dale of Cruise Lines International Association was in town this week and was telling me that 775,000 Canadians have gone on a cruise so far in 2009; up nine per cent from 2008. That's pretty remarkable given the economy.

"Canada is a huge market for us," Dale explained. "It's still something of an emerging market but there are indications Canadians are starting to get the cruise bug."

Yeah, I guess almost a million passengers would suggest that.

Dale says the cruise industry employs 16,000 Canadians and that the total economic impact of cruising for Canada is $2.3 billion, with $1 billion in direct spending. That's something worth considering for the folks in Ottawa, doncha think?

Dale says 15 new ships have been added by CLIA lines this year (including the massive Oasis of the Seas by Royal Caribbean) and 14 last year. Thirteen more are coming in 2010, so there's obviously growth.

CLIA has always held its annual meetings in Ft. Lauderdale, but next June 2-6 they'll convene in Vancouver, where a lot of Canada's cruise action takes place. Eastern Canada also plays a large role with Quebec and the St. Lawrence and the Maritimes, plus Newfoundland and Labrador (want to make a Newfoundlander mad, by the way? Tell them their province is part of the Maritimes.)

Anyway, cruising is big stuff in Canada. Big in San Diego earlier this month, too, where the first-known "Cougar Cruise" took place. Some 300 spaces were booked for "cougars" and "cubs" (I had no idea that was the name, geez) out of 2,000 or so spaces on the Carnival ship Elation, and no I'm not joking that's the name of the ship.

Anyway, there's certainly nothing wrong with consenting adults doing the horizontal bop at sea, and if younger guys like older women, more power to 'em.

I found it funny, though, to see a story and photo in the Mail online out of England showing a young hunk climbing out of a pool and two older women checking him out, or checking out his butt. I think of cougars as 40-50 years old, but this showed what looks like a granny checking out a guy of, oh, 25 or 30 years old.

My final cruise note, at least for today, concerns Azamara Cruises. I saw an item the other day where Azamara Club Cruises has been launched as a "destination-focused cruise line" with longer shore excursions and more overnight stays, as well as new tours. Sounds like a smart move to me.

NEW STAR ALLIANCE PARTNER

Good for news for Air Canada/Aeroplan members. Brussels Airlines has become the 26th member of Star Alliane. The network now covers a whopping 1,077 destinations in 175 countries including four new destinations in Africa: Bujumbura, Conakry, Kigali and Monrovia.

WEST JET TO COZUMEL

West Jet today launched new, seasonal non-stop flights from Toronto to Cozumel, Mexico. Flights depart twice weekly until April 29, 2010, leaving Toronto at 10 a.m. and arriving in Cozumel at 1:17, which leaves plenty of time to get into the water! Coming back, flights depart Cozumel at 2:15 and arrive at Pearson at 7:02 p.m. so you can still get your beauty sleep.

One-way fares are available from $149 plus taxes and fees. Call your travel agent, go to westjet.com or call 1-888-WESTJET.

SANTA CLAUS FUND

Just a reminder, folks, that the Star Santa Claus Fund will once again provide needy children with warm clothes and a toy at Christmas. I've been able to help out in delivering the gift boxes a couple times, and it's a real joy to see the delight on parents' and kids' faces when you drop something off at a home where they don't have a lot of the things that many of us take for granted. So please help with a donation; whatever you can. Thanks. Here's the link:

http://www.thestar.com/santaclausfund

JIM'S DEALS OF THE DAY

$38 ($269 w/tax) – Save $150 on a flight to Fort Lauderdale

http://www.travelalerts.ca/ccount12/click.php?id=1860

$175 - Toronto to Las Vegas, early January 4 day getaway ($416 w/tax)

http://www.travelalerts.ca/ccount12/click.php?id=1861

US$75 pp - 60% off Junior Suite in all-inclusive 4* hotel in Jamaica (Reg. US$189pp)

http://www.travelalerts.ca/ccount12/click.php?id=1862

 

Oh, those pesky customers...Round the world cruise...Jim's deals of the day

I don't get it.

 

I saw report out of the UK today that said nearly half of travel agents living there said they feel they waste 25 per cent of their day looking for low prices for customers.

 

Ummm....sorry to say this folks, but isn't that why we hire you in the first place? Isn't this like a taxi driver saying they love their job, but just don't like having people in their cars?

 

What on earth do they think we hire travel agents for except to find us good deals? Sure, we want their expertise and for them to do some of the paperwork. But to suggest that spending a couple hours a day looking for low prices for customers is a waste of time is remarkable, don't you think?

 

ROUND THE WORLD SILVERSEA CRUISE

Speaking of the high and mighty with plenty of coins in their pockets, Silversea has announced that the new Silver Spirit will embark on a full world cruise "that transverses both hemispheres." And I say : it's about time. I'm so tired of the drudgery of those around the world cruises that stay south of the equator. Yawn. How dull. How trite. How 2008.

Seriously, though, this sounds pretty good. The voyage, called Spirit of Discovery, departs Los Angeles Jan. 19, 2011 and will take no more than 540 guests on a 119-day odyssey, exploring 60 destinations in 25 countries with 11 overnight port visits before finishing up in Bermuda.

Anywho, the ship will go to French Polynesia, Australia, Asia, Egypt, Italy, Spain, Monaco and Portugal. Fares start at, wait for it, $61,924 U.S. per person. There are special deals available, so go to www.silversea.com for info.

Think it's a good story for the Star? Write a letter to my boss and urge him that I should go, will ya? I won't tell it was my idea.

BARBADOS BUMP-UP?

The Guardian is reporting that the prime minister of Barbados, David Thompson, is stepping in to re-start a stalled project that's supposed to include a Four Seasons hotel with butlers, housekeepers, gardeners, chefs, security guards and waiters; and wouldn't that be a nice treat?

Apparently Thompson met with investors during a recent visit to London and is trying, in the words of a spokesperson, "to chart a way forward."

Among those allegedly attracted to the project are Simon Cowell and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Some villas are said to carry price tags of more than $30 million U.S.

I'LL TAKE THE FREE BREAKFAST

According to USA Today, the number of meals eaten inside a hotel restaurant, which accounts for roughly a third of the meals tracked, sank 14% for the year ending September 2009 vs. the prior 12-month period, according to a new study from food service industry tracker NPD Group.

Experts say it's possible more folks are moving away from hotels that charge for breakfasts and checking into places that offer free morning meals. Which makes sense. I HATE having to pay $8 for a bagel and coffee or a bowl of cereal at a full-service Marriott when I can get a pretty good breakfast with all sorts of variety for free at a Courtyard. Not to mention Courtyard's, for example, usually offer free Internet. The rooms are usually quite nice. Not as sumptuous as a regular Marriott or a Westin or some such, but usually just fine for me on a business trip.

JIM'S DEALS OF THE DAY

$335 - Cancun vacation in early January ($612 w/tax)
http://www.travelalerts.ca/ccount12/click.php?id=1821

 

From $26/night - Las Vegas hotels on sale!
http://www.travelalerts.ca/ccount12/click.php?id=1822

 

Stupid photo tricks (mea culpa)...More Hong Kong Flights...Jim's Deals of the Day

The things an old guy learns.

I took a bunch of photos on my recent trip to San Francisco, including a half-ton of shots of my family out in my dad's backyard on American Thanksgiving. Clever fellow that I thought I was, I put them all into my Picasa photo program at home and started cropping them to get rid of the edge of the barbeque and all those other, silly things that were in my photos because I wasn't smart enough to arrange the pictures in a more attractive part of the yard.

Anyway, I thought the pictures were wonderfully edited and cropped, so I put them onto a CD and took them down to Black's. I got them back the next day, yesterday, and was outraged at how they'd cropped my son's head off and ruined a bunch of other shots by cutting off arms or legs. I couldn't believe this had happened, so I marched down in outrage.

After a half hour of patient explaining (thanks, guys), I discovered that one CANNOT simply edit photos on your computer and expect them to come out right. Apparently I've been doing a "manual" crop on many of my pictures and I was turning them into squares instead of rectangles. I hadn't thought about it, but it don't work like that. Photos are made in, for the most part, four by six or five by seven or eight by ten formats. In other words, they're rectangles. But I was giving the Black's machine square shapes, so naturally it wasn't fitting properly.

I went back this morning and downloaded the original photos into the Black's computer, then cropped them on site. I think they'll be fine. But I also just a few minutes ago went into Picasa and discovered (HELLO?) that one can go into the cropping program and CHOOSE 4 by 6 shapes. In other words, you can crop pictures and keep them in a rectangular format so the Black's people don't mistakenly whack off my son's head. Yeah, he's 6-2 and five inches taller than me and I resent it, but I still would like to keep his forehead intact in our family photos.

So there's the lesson, folks. And thanks again to the good folks at Black's for holding their tempers and helping me out.

IMPROVED HONG KONG ACCESS FROM T.O.

Cathay Pacific Airways today announced that, starting next March 28, they'll add three flights per week to the existing daily non-stop service between Toronto and Hong Kong. The additional services will depart Toronto at 09:35 every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday while the existing daily flights will depart at 01:30 from Toronto.

"With the recent announcement from the Government of China granting Canada Approved Destination Status, this is a great time to strengthen services on a very popular route," said Cathay Pacific Vice President Canada Alex Shum. "The addition of three extra flights per week will bring the service to ten flights weekly and offer more choice to those travelling between Toronto and Hong Kong now, and accommodate a future increase in demand to and from Mainland China.” 

KUDOS TO CANADIAN TOURISM COMMISSION

Marketing magazine and marketingmag.ca has named the Canadian Tourism Commission its' Canadian marketer of the year.

On its web site, the magazine wrote that "the Vancouver-based CTC, whose agency of record is DDB Canada, embarked on an innovative social media strategy, launched its first integrated global marketing platform and created the "Locals Know" campaign, aimed at getting Canadians to travel within their own country."

"In the past few years, a lot of marketers have experimented with social media and user-generated content in their marketing," said Rebecca Harris, co-managing editor of Marketing. "But in our opinion, few have done it so well as the CTC."

"And while the shift away from ‘moose, mountains and maple syrup' actually began a few years ago, we felt 2009 was truly the culmination of the CTC's branding efforts for this country," she added. "Their marketing strategy has resulted in a fundamental shift in how travellers from around the world view Canada. The country is no longer seen as a beautiful but boring place: it's fun, exciting, and even a little exotic."

JIM'S DEALS OF THE DAY

$598 - Toronto to St. Kitts, 1 week Christmas holiday ($831 w/tax)
http://www.travelalerts.ca/ccount12/click.php?id=1812

 

US$209 - Save 77% on this 4 night 4* Baja Mexico cruise (US$258 w/tax)
http://www.travelalerts.ca/ccount12/click.php?id=1811

Fly While You Can - Prices Going Up...More China Tourism News...

A story in the Independent suggests the air travel bargains we've been seeing won't last long.

According to the paper, the ITB World Travel trends report suggests airlines will have to "significantly adjust their ticket prices" to regain profitability.

"The over-capacity of the world's airline industries has been reduced," said Dr. Martin Buck, vice president at Messe Berlin, the organization behind the research. "The currently unanswered question facing the world's airline industries is whether price-conscious consumers will continue to drive the downgrading trend we are seeing in bookings."

The findings are based on the assessments of 60 tourism experts from 30 countries.

Book while the deals are still good, folks. And don't forget Air Canada's Canadian destinations sale is supposed to end tonight. They're selling tickets for up to half-off, so the bargains are pretty solid.

CHINA BOOM ON THE WAY?

As we reported in this space yesterday, the news that China has granted "approved destination status" should do some serious good for the Canadian tourism biz.

The deal will allow Chinese group tours to come to Canada much more easily, and for Canada to market itself in China. With that in mind, Air Canada says it plans daily, non-stop service from Toronto and Vancouver to Beijing and Shanghai on a year-round basis.

Those routes currently operate only a few days each week outside the peak four-month summer travel season, according to a Reuters report.

"We've been waiting for this for 10 years," Air Canada Chief Operating Officer Duncan Dee said in an interview with Reuters. "The potential for this is really tremendous because of the size of the Chinese market."

SLEEPY IN ATLANTA

Here's a cool idea. Atlanta's Hartsfield airport has introduced sleeps rooms so you can catch some more comfortable winks without torturing yourself into a pretzel on a tiny chair in the waiting lounge, sitting next to the guy with the stinky onion and garlic sandwich and across from the screaming kid whose parents failed to bring a book or a toy to entertain them.

USA Today says the rooms are 7 by 8 feet and are operated by a group called Minute Suites. You get a daybed sofa, pillows with disposable covers and blankets. There's also some sort of noise reduction system and you get a phone, a desk, an office chair and a wi-fi connection, as well as an HDTV that can be converted into an Internet station or the airport's flight tracking monitor, which sounds like fun.

They cost $30 for the first hour and $7.50 for each additional 15 minutes and can be found at Gate 15 on Concourse B.

Sweet dreams.

ROCK ANNEX WAVES BYE BYE

An Associated Press report says the New York City annex to Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum will close its doors Jan. 3. No reason was given for the closing, but obviously they weren't getting enough business.

Backers had said they wanted to attract a half-million visitors a year but they haven't said what kind of attendance they'd actually been getting.

As noted in the Star last year, there's also the new Grammy museum in Los Angeles and a music-related exhibition in Seattle, so perhaps there's just not enough music stuff around to keep so many museums going.

The Rock Hall says some of the artefacts, potentially including Bruce Springsteen's 1957 Chevy, could become part of a travelling show. In that case, they should definitely make a stop in Toronto, the city that has the original Hard Rock Cafe and has been home to such great musicians as Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, The Guess Who, The Barenaked Ladies, Avril Lavigne and The Tragically Hip. Not to mention Blue Rodeo, my personal fave.

JIM'S DEALS OF THE DAY

$397 - Toronto to Varadero, 1 week last-minute all-inclusive vacation
http://www.travelalerts.ca/ccount12/click.php?id=1802

 

It's the last day to book in Canada for WestJet's current sale, but you can book until Dec 9 for Mexico and the Caribbean.

http://www.travelalerts.ca/ccount12/click.php?id=1803