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Dear Traveller
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Summer
is almost over and soon the resorts north of Toronto will start to
wind down. Seasonal staff will return home to attend high school or
university. Businesses will look back and compare this summer to
previous years. I wonder how many will share my viewpoint - another
season over, another opportunity lost. Let's be honest, a summer
vacation at a lodge in Muskoka is no bargain. The cost of a week for
a family of four can be significantly higher than the equivalent
accommodation in Mexico or the Caribbean. There are no bargains:
local entertainment venues are shabby at best, and eating out in
restaurants can be as expensive as in the city. So why are most
things so mediocre, so inconsistent, and so disappointing? There's no
need for this. We enjoy one of the most spectacular vacation regions
in the world - a destination that could attract many more tourists
from around the globe. If only the resorts in Ontario were run as
efficiently and professionally as those in the Rockies and on the
West Coast. If only the seasonal staff were properly trained instead
of being thrown into the fray with little idea of how to do their
jobs. If only the value proposition was competitive with other
destinations. To my mind, however successful a season it will have
been, Ontario has, once again, thrown away an opportunity: a chance
to earn recognition as a world- class summer destination, attracting
tourist from Europe, Japan and around the world. Instead, it
continues its struggle to keep the local market engaged, seemingly
interested only in short term profits rather than building a long
term vision. Such a shame.
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In
a move to make travel more convenient, WestJet has become the first
North American airline to introduce paperless check-in and boarding
of guests. Passengers are now able to proceed through security and
board their domestic WestJet flight using a boarding pass displayed
on their personal mobile device. Using the WestJet Web check-in
process, passengers will be presented with the option to print their
boarding pass immediately or at the airport, or select the paperless
boarding pass option and have an e-mail sent to their mobile device.
Future enhancements include expanding Web check- in to transborder
destinations, allowing passengers travelling to the United States to
check-in and select a seat online up to 24 hours before their
departure. Kudos to WestJet for trying to make life easier.
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New First Class Lounge in
Vancouver open to all passengers
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In
another move to make flying more pleasant, domestic passengers
travelling out of Vancouver can now enjoy a first-class lounge
experience at the airport's new Plaza Premium Lounge. This is in
addition to the existing lounge in Vancouver's International Terminal
which has been open for some time. The lounge, located post-security
at the junction between A and B piers in the Domestic Terminal, is
open to all domestic passengers, regardless of airline, travel class
or membership programs. It offers runway views, comfortable seating,
computers with Internet access, Wi-Fi capability, refreshments and
business services - all for a $25 entrance fee. Discounted rates and
annual memberships are available to frequent travellers for both
lounges. (www.plaza-asia.com) One caveat - the 600 square metre
lounge can only accommodate 100 peope, and it will be interesting to
see how crowded it gets at peak times. By the way, does anyone at the
GTAA read about stuff like this?
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A
Canadian "no-fly" list of people to be barred from boarding
domestic and international airline flights took effect on June 18,
nearly six years after 9/11. This is effectively a blacklist of
people that federal officials "reasonably suspect" to be
immediate threats to the safety of commercial aircraft, passengers or
crew. The no-fly list is being drawn up by Transport Canada, with
input from the RCMP and CSIS. Under the new regulations, known as the
"Passenger Protect" program, passengers' names will be
screened against the list as part of the flight check process. If a
traveler is seen as a possible match with a name on the no-fly list,
they will be directed to a flight agent who will contact Transport
Canada for a decision on whether to allow boarding. Airlines are
responsible for protecting the passenger's confidentiality.
Passengers denied access to a flight will be able to challenge their
inclusion on the list, but in the short haul, they will be grounded
and the airport and local police notified. It all makes for safer
flying, but just pray that you don't have the same name as someone on
the No-Fly list!
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Permanent Resident Card required
for reentry to Canada
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If
you are a permanent resident and intending to travel outside Canada,
you should check the expiry date on your Permanent Resident Card and
apply for a new one at least two months before you travel. The
Permanent Resident Card is now the only acceptable proof of your
status as a permanent resident of Canada. If you came to Canada as a
permanent resident before June 2002, you need to apply for a
Permanent Resident Card, which will replace your original landing
papers. Since June 2002, all new permanent residents automatically
receive their first Permanent Resident Card as part of the
immigration process. Howwever, the card is only valid for 5 years,
after which it must be renewed. Just one more piece of bureaucracy to
contend with. It won't be the last.
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George Butterfield receives
Order of Canada
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Congratulations
to George Butterfield, co-founder of Butterfield and Robinson, one of
TTI's largest clients and associates, who was awarded the Order of
Canada in an announcement on July 24. Aside from his involvement in
the world famous Canadian active travel vacation company, Butterfield
is heavily involved in philanthropic activities here in Canada and in
the 30+ countries that the company travels worldwide. Together with
his wife, Martha, George is an avid supporter of Canada's cultural
life. Theatre groups, galleries and museums, artists, literacy
programs, human rights organizations, and educational institutions
are benefactors of their time, creativity, hard work and financial
support. One of his most significant contributions of latter years
has been to the Ontario College of Art and Design. As chairman of the
Capital Campaign, George helped raise forty million dollars to fund a
significant contribution to Toronto architecture with the bold design
by English architect Will Alsop. PEN Canada has been another
long-term beneficiary of Butterfield's time and interest. In addition
to his continuing financial support, Butterfield chaired a Special
Advisory Committee (1994-98) charged with restructuring the important
human rights organization. Butterfield is an energetic board member
of World Wildlife Fund Canada, a former president of the Canadian
Club of Toronto, a member of the Toronto Community Foundation, a
corporate support of World Literacy of Canada and Necessary Angel
Theatre Company, and a former board member of the Canadian Paraplegic
Association. With no plans to retire, Butterfield intends to spend more
and more time with charitable activities in the coming years. He
plans to ramp up his involvement with the World Wildlife Fund and
other environmental organizations in particular. He also intends to
be a driving force of creativity and innovation at Butterfield &
Robinson. Upon being informed of the upcoming honour some months ago,
Butterfield elected to keep the news mostly to himself. "I did
tell my mother," he says. "She's 91."
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Question:
Is the travel industry becoming more polarized, with, on the one
hand, more emphasis on low costs, and, on the other, more emphasis on
luxury? For example, in response to the continued demand to keep
costs down, airlines have been forced to offer lower fares, with the
result that they have pared back on services, charging for an
increasing range of options such as in-flight meals and audio
headphones. Rumours abound of charges for "extras" like
checked bags, advance seat selection and even boarding passes! And,
as airlines seek to keep costs down, the traveler has had to contend
with longer check-in lines and unpredictable delays, as carriers
cancel flights because of uneconomic loads. On the other hand,
perhaps in response to the increased hassle of business travel, the
demand for private jets and flying limos has never been greater. As
airports struggle to deal with higher passenger volumes and ever more
stringent security requirements, those who can afford it are choosing
to skip the lines altogether. This raises important questions for
business travelers and the entire travel industry. Are First Class
and Business Class travel in danger of disappearing? Many of the
world's more successful airlines now offer one class of travel only,
helping lower costs through higher passenger load capacity. They're
the ones who seem to be consistently making money. Will the
struggling national carriers follow suit? And will this trend extend
into other segments of the travel industry? Hotel chains, like
Fairmont, have already converted landmark properties like the Plaza
in New York into $1,000 plus per night luxury suites. Will tomorrow's
traveler have to choose between the local Days Inn and paying $2,000
a night? The answer is probably no to both questions, but one thing is
for sure - the status quo cannot continue. As business travelers come
to realize that there is more to keeping costs down than reducing
service fees, and as executives grow less tolerant of poor service,
the middle ground is being redefined. Airlines are repackaging to try
to find the right balance between economics and convenience. Hotels
are searching for new ways to add value and gain an edge. And the
large travel management companies, like American Express, are now
turning to its mid-size affiliates to handle higher profile clients,
who demand a higher level of service than the call-centre can supply.
Watch this space for more developments ahead.
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TTI Consultant selected as first
Accredited Space Agent in Canada
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In
June, Roger Kershaw, Virtuoso Travel Consultant with TTI, became one
of five accredited agents in Canada qualified to book space flights
aboard the Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo spacecraft. So far, four
Canadians have signed up for one of the first suborbital trips,
destined to start in 2009, at a cost of $200,000. Compared to the
cost of previous space flights aboard Russian spacecraft,
(approximately $20 million), the Virgin Galactic experience is
forecast to have much wider appeal, and 200 customers have already
signed up worldwide. To qualify for this role, Roger undertook a
comprehensive training program in Vancouver in early July, learning
about spaceflight technology, G-Forces and weightlessness in order to
be able to fully understand the space flight experience. Those lucky
enough to be able to afford the trip will undergo three days of
astronaut training culminating in a flight at three times the speed
of sound, 70 miles above the earth's surface. Virgin's SpaceShipTwo
will be towed by a special carrier aircraft to an altitude of 50,000
feet before being released. The craft will then climb vertically,
passing through the speed of sound within 10 seconds and reaching a
maximum speed of 3,000 miles per hour within 30 seconds. When the
engine shuts down, passengers will experience 4-5 minutes of
weightlessness as they take in the extraordinary sights below. With a
view 1,000 miles in every direction, they will be able to see the
curvature of the earth and the thin blue line of the atmosphere. The
craft will then glide back to earth for a normal runway landing.
"The Virgin Galactic technology allows passengers to experience
space travel without the extensive training previously
necessary," according to Roger Kershaw. "The unique wing
feathering technology allows reentry into the earth's atmosphere
without the heat build-up normally associated with space flight,
while the carrier aircraft launch is intrinsically safer than the
normal rocket launch, vertically from the ground." Is Roger
planning a trip anytime soon? "I have always dreamed of flying
into space," he replied, "but this is one dream I will have
to fulfill vicariously for now." For further information on
space travel, call Roger at 416- 786-5449.
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Destination Profile - A Golfer's
Dream
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 Golf vacations fall into several
categories. There are the getaways from our inclement winter to
Florida, the Carolinas, or Arizona. There are the groups of friends
who meet every year at a different venue. And there are the
once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimages to play the hallowed sanctuaries of
the game - St. Andrews, Ballybunion, Pebble Beach - or to attend one
of the majors - The US. Open, The PGA or the Ryder Cup. For many an
avid golfer, the latter falls into the category of a
"must-have" experience. With a trip of such importance, you
need to maximize the pleasure and leave as little to chance as
possible. And this is where the specialized golf trip organizer comes
in. For example, the experience of playing golf in the area around
St. Andrews can be quite frustrating for the inexperienced visitor.
Some of the more interesting courses are off the beaten track. and
tee times on the Old Course are allocated by ballot, so getting a
round can be time consuming and disillusioning. Similarly, attending
The Masters or The British Open can be immeasurably more enjoyable if
someone who is knowledgeable and experienced is looking after all the
details - not to mention having access to those impossible to obtain
tickets. Organizations that specialize in golfing vacations now offer
a variety of highly customized packages that combine luxury
accommodation and excellent cuisine with a golf experience that is
simply not obtainable elsewhere. There are even trips that combine
exceptional courses, tickets to a Major tournament and an
unforgettable sightseeing experience - imagine combining tickets for
the final day at the British Open with a voyage around the coast of
Scotland, stopping to play at 5 of the finest golf courses in the
birthplace of golf. Unbelievable! For further information on
specialized golf packages or visits to next year's Major Tournaments
and the Ryder Cup, contact your TTI
vacation Travel Specialist.
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