Washington has a good friend

Washington remains one of my favorite cities to visit.

It seems all we ever hear about is how people in Washington can't work together.

Thankfully, as I discovered this week at a press event in Toronto hosted jointly by the City of Washington and Virginia Beach (a.k.a. Weekend Washington), that only applies to Republican and Democratic politicians.

The Washington delegation was headed by Theresa Belpuisi, the capital's vice-president of Tourism and Visitor Services, and Allicia Malone, International Media Relations Manager, while Kelli Norman represented the interests of Virginia Beach, which remains one of the top summer destinations for Canadians.

According to Belpuisi and Norman, the cities have a long history of working together mainly because so many Washingtonians call Virgina Beach home from Saturday to Sunday.

I was just recently in Washington and couldn't believe the number of cranes I saw dotting the skyline - it looked like Dubai north.

"We actually have an $8 billion (U.S.) renovation of Washington taking place right now," reports the delightful Belpuisi. "But most of the investment is being made by private enterprise - a lot of it is coming from Middle Eastern countries.

"Tourism and government are the big economic drivers in Washington and in recent years we've opened lots of new museums (the ones built to honor Franklin D. Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln are amazing) and Washington nightlife is now rated among the best in North America," says Belpuisi.

As I discovered on my recent visit to Washington, the city has encouraged some creative young chefs to pitch their kitchen tents in the shadow of the White House and with being just a 2.5 hours Amtrak train ride form New York, Belpuisi says her city is seeing a rise in one-day visits by New Yorkers.

Over in Virginia Beach, where the Chesapeake Bay soft shell crabs rank among my favorite foods on the planet, a multi-million dollar entertainment complex featuring a 2,500-seat theatre, giant Ferris wheel and skating rink is currently being built to keep the Weekenders and a lot of Canadians entertained when they visit.

But the biggest attraction in Virginia Beach, where the ocean meets the bay, is the pristine beaches and eco-system.

Norman reminds me that in Virginia Beach you can kayak surrounded by playful dolphins and regal whales and then there's lots of birdies to be seen - both in the area's legendary parks and wildlife preserves and on the sweet golf courses that have been built along the Atlantic coast.

"If you haven't played a Virginia Beach golf course, then you really haven't played golf," teases Norman in a sweet southern drawl.

Okay, let's put Thailand on hold - I think my first trip in 2013 will be to Washington and Virginia Beach!

For information on Washington, go to www.washington.org - Virginia Beach is www.visitvirginiabeach.com

Seadream offering cruise discounts



Seadream yachts are ready to set sail in Asia.



Seadream, that wonderful cruise line that took me on a memorable trip to the Virgin Islands last year, is teasing me again with great savings on their 2013 and 2014 voyages to Asia.

Until the end of February, Seadream is offering an additional 10 per cent discount on their already reduced Asian voyages.

“We are excited about our maiden season in Asia and want our guests to feel the same way,” said SeaDream’s President, Bob Lepisto. “We are jump-starting the year by offering exceptional prices to some of the most exotic destinations in the Far East. This limited time sale applies to all 18 unique voyages in the region. Now is the time to book.”

Seadream's Asian cruises aboard their luxury yachts, range from 7 to 15 days long, but most may be combined as back-to-back voyages for a lengthier holiday.

SeaDream II sails in Asia from November 2013 through April 2014 and itineraries include numerous exotic ports in several different countries including Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar (Burma), East Timor, Northern Australia, Indonesia, New Guinea, Vietnam, Cambodia and Hong Kong.

With prices starting at $3,599 (U.S.) per person, you can spend next Christmas aboard SeaDream II in Malaysia - how cool is that!

Readers of this column get that extra 10 per cent discount by mentioning the promo code ASIA10 when booking.

For details contact your travel professional, visit www.SeaDream.com or phone (800) 707-4911.

Seadream really do make travel dreams come true!

Princess celebrates 25th anniversary

Fairmont's Scottsdale Princess resort never looked better!

While watching the Waste Management (hate the title) PGA event in Scottsdale on the weekend, I was reminded about the great time I had playing that same TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course last year while staying at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, which lies a 5-iron shot away from the remarkable course.

The Princess is one of my favourite resorts in the world and this year is celebrating its 25th anniversary - which proves again you do get better with age!

Fairmont's Princess is the queen of Scottsdale resorts and home base to the chain's world renowned Willowstream Spa. All treatments used in Willowstream Spas around the globe are first developed, tried and tested at the Princess.

And while it's the Princess's birthday, you, the guests, will be getting the gifts.
As part of its anniversary celebrations, the Princess is offering incredible savings and resort credits with an early-bird booking special for summer travel - bookable now through April 30 for travel Memorial Day through U.S. Labor Day.

The 25th Anniversary Early Summer Special offers $125 per night room rates in addition to a $25 food and beverage resort credit – for a total savings of up to 55 per cent!


The Princess never looked better - thanks to a $60 million renovation that was just completed, with lots of improvements made to the already industry-leading Willowstream spa facility.

The resort has also added one of Chef Michael Mina's famed Bourbon Steak restaurants - I just visited Miami and had dinner at Mina's restaurant there and it was delightful!

The Princess will also be holding special "Under The Stars" entertainment evenings on  Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day, as well as lots of fireworks displays which are sure the excite the kids.
The 25th Anniversary Early Summer Special is available for booking Feb. 1-April 30 for travel all summer long. Reservations can be made by visiting www.scottsdaleprincess.com or calling 800-257-7544. Rate code: 2U8EBR

Bin Laden hideout soon to be park

The compound where Osama bin Laden was
tracked down and killed is about to become
an amusement park.

Came across this little tidbit that I just had to share with you - the place where U.S. Navy Seals tracked down and killed Osama bin Laden is about to become an amusement park.

I'm not joking!

London's Telegraph newspaper reports today that the government of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where Bin Laden's hideout was located, is investing $30 million (U.S.) in the project.

Abbottabad, where the al-Qaida leader hid in a compound until he was found and killed on May 2, 2011, is one of Pakistan's most popular vacation spots and the government there says the 50-acre parcel of land on which the hideout was located is perfectly suited for an amusement park.

"The amusement city will have a heritage park, wildlife zoo, food street, adventure and paragliding clubs, waterfalls and jogging tracks," Sayed Aqil Shah, the provincial minister for tourism and sports, told the Telegraph.

No word yet if one of the park's attractions will be a reenactment of the Navy Seal raid.

Maybe they call the park Osama bin Laden Land - he certainly was goofy!

Crane appeals to "Babymooners"

The Crane is one of the best resorts in the world!

It's my favourite resort in the Caribbean - the Crane in Barbados - and now it's the perfect escape for "Babyboomers."

In this case, however, the Crane is appealing to expectant couples which we'll call "Babymooners!"

The Crane, which features one of the best beaches in the world on its doorstep, is offering couples the perfect getaway before the Big Day with a "Babymoon Luxury Getaway" package that includes:

- Accommodation in a One Bedroom Ocean View room with private plunge pool;

- One dinner for two at L’Azure - the resort's romantic clifftop restaurant;

- An $80 (U.S.) spa credit;

- One catamaran cruise, including lunch and snorkeling;

- And airport meet and greet service and one-way transfer to the resort.

All this for just $480 U.S. per room, per night!

The offer runs from April 6 to November 22, 2013 and a minimum five-night stay is required.

For reservations, call 246-416-6531 or toll free from the U.S. & Canada at 1-866-978-5942, or email reservations@thecrane.com.

Putting on the Ritz for your Valentine

Here's a deal romantics are sure to love - the Ritz-Carlton Toronto is offering a "Valentine's Day Romance Package" that includes accommodation in a Deluxe Room, a chilled bottle of champagne, rose petal turndown service - just watch for the thorns - breakfast in bed and valet parking for just $495 per night. The offer runs from Feb. 14-16.

The Ritz Toronto is also introducing a "Romance Concierge" which will run throughout February and
offers features rang from guest suites themed after a couple’s favourite destination or personal tours of the Niagara region via helicopter with the hotel’s wine director; to private musical performances or exclusive fittings in-studio with one of Canada’s top designers.

“Whether it’s commissioning a jeweller to design a custom engagement ring or anniversary band, or filling a suite with the guest’s favourite flower that we’ve had flown here in the off-season, our Romance Concierge team prides itself on creating unique and memorable experiences for all of our guests,” says Willis McCutcheon, Guest Relations Supervisor (a.k.a. Director of Romance) at The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto.

“You’re only limited by your imagination - no idea is too big or too small when it comes to affairs of the heart,” he adds.

The hotel’s Spa - my favourite in Toronto - will also feature exclusive Valentine’s Day menus including a four-course prix-fixe menu at TOCA restaurant (the Fancy Fish & Chips are to die for!) and the Cinnamon Kiss Chocolate Body Wrap at North America’s only Spa My Blend by Clarins.

For reservations, visit www.ritzcarlton.com/toronto or call 416-585-2500.

Etihad will rescue rival Jet Airways

India's Jet Airways will be rescued from bankruptcy.

Here's some airline news I picked up while searching my online sources:

- It looks like India's Jet Airways, which offers service out of Toronto to India via Brussels - they have some great deals, folks - will be rescued from bankruptcy by Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways, which intends to buy a piece of the struggling Indian carrier. The deal is being finalized and should be announced early next week. Terms have not been disclosed but an Indian government source
said earlier this month that Etihad was in talks to pick up a 24 per cent stake in Jet for up to $330 million U.S. Stay tuned!

- Seeing the battery problems Boeing is having with its Dreamliner, Airbus said yesterday it has been forced to study alternatives to the lithium-ion batteries it will employ on its next generation jet, the A350. Despite Boeing's teething problems and passenger anxiety over the malfunctions so far, Airbus has no choice but to go ahead with plans to use the same lithium-ion batteries, because
frankly, there's no other choice. "We studied the integration of these batteries on the A350 very carefully," Airbus chief executive Fabrice Bregier told a group of French aerospace journalists this week. "I am very relaxed about this." Wish we could same about your passengers, Mr. Bregier! 

- Despite the economic chaos gripping not only their country, but also their industry, Iberia workers said they still intend to go on strike after rejecting the troubled carrier's contract offer. Iberia, part of the International Airlines Group, and unions were in a deadlock over the airline's plans to cut up to 4,500 jobs and reduce salaries in what it has called a "fight for survival". In a revised proposal, Iberia said it offered 3,147 job cuts, 30 per cent fewer than in the original plan, lower wage reductions and capacity cuts of 10 per cent for this year,  rather than an initial plan for 15 per cent.

German cities bursting with pride

Hamburg has much to celebrate in 2013.

Just got back from Berlin where I had the most amazing time exploring the nightlife of one of Europe's greatest cities.

The energy in Berlin is electric and there's as many cranes working there as in Dubai. Since the Berlin Wall fell, more than 20,000 new buildings have been erected in Berlin but it's the old ones in a hip area called Kreuzberg that really impressed me.

The graffiti-covered warehouses of Kreuzberg have been taken over by struggling young chefs who serve up Michelin-star meals at a fraction of the price. Locals know all about these "pop up" restaurants and I'll be talking about them in the April issue of TraveLife magazine - the January issue featuring a story on Berlin's historic Adlon Hotel is now available http://www.travelife.ca/contact-us/past-issues.html.

I can't wait to go back to Berlin and another German city I'm anxious to see is Hamburg, the maritime marvel that will be celebrating a number of important events in 2013, including the International Garden Show.

Themed "80 Gardens Around The World" the International Garden Show Hamburg
is slated to run from April 26 through October and it may be the biggest event on the European tourist calander this year.

The event will be showcased on 100 acres on the Elbe river island of Williamsburg and will be split into seven horticultural themed sections featuring eco-systems as well as cultures from around the world.

Visitors will also learn about green initiatives, and experience the very typical regional agricultural and horticultural landscapes with its carefully kept gardens and fruit trees. The show is complemented by a full program of open-air activities, concerts, plays, and gastronomic events. For more information, go to www.igs-hamburg.de.

Hamburg will also be celebrating the 40th anniversary of its world-renowned ballet. The internationally acclaimed Hamburg Ballet and its director and chief choreographer John Neumeier will be presenting a special jubilee program to mark the event.

Spanning the company’s artistic vision from the very beginning in 1973 to its current multi-facetted repertoire, the 2013 season will include four revivals, one premiere, as well as two guest companies. Highlight of the anniversary program will be the Hamburg Ballet Festival, which will open with the Neumeier interpreted performances of “Scenes from Shakespeare”. For more information, go to www.hamburgballett.de

Being one of the world's biggest port cities, Hamburg has been celebrating its martime history for 824 years now and from May 9-12 it will hold the world's largest harbour festival - a  tradition that goes back to 1189 when Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa granted the people of Hamburg exemption from customs duties for ships on the Elbe river.

Centered on and around the Landungsbrücken (landing docks), Hamburg’s 824th Harbor Birthday is expected to draw some 1.5 million visitors who for four days will enjoy 500 booths, music, performances, food, and entertainment. Complementing the activities on land, some of the world’s most impressive cruise ships, frigates and steamboats ships will be part of the program with ship parades, tug boat ballet, dragon boat races and more.

Other events Hamburg will be offering this year:

- Elbjazz Festival: May 24/25, 2013

- Reeperbahn Festival: Sept 26 – 28, 2013, www.reeperbahnfestival.com.

For information on travel to Hamburg visit www.hamburg-travel.com.

Irish will "Gather" in 2013

Being half Irish (the Dempseys from Belfast on my father's side) I'm very interested in the events surrounding "The Gathering" this year in Ireland.

In an open invitation to celebrate all things Irish, the clever people at Tourism Ireland are inviting the world to come to the Emerald Isle in 2013 to celebrate their roots. Less we forget, more than 70 million people worldwide claim Irish ancestry, including nearly five million Canadians.

More than 2,500 festivals and events are planned to attract the Irish home, including the "Canada Come Home Gathering," which charts the experience of over 6,000 people who left Coolattin Co. Wicklow for a new life in Canada during the Great Famine,.

Some other interesting events planned:  The "Dingle Walking Festival" and the “you-must-see-this-to-believe-it” Bog Snorkelling Championships, where swimmers navigate 120 metres through an Irish bog.

Among other "Gathering" highlights include; the St Patrick’s Festival, the “People’s Parade” inviting 8,000 international visitors to walk in the capital’s big event and the Irish Redhead Convention which will see the largest gathering of carrot tops converge for a festival of ginger fun.


Travellers can take in the great outdoors during the Glen of Aherlow and Dingle Walking Festivals and the competitive Irish spirit will be fired up by the Celtic Cup 2013 International Lacrosse tournament; the Welly Throwing Championships and the World Mini Games amongst others.

For music fans, Sets by The Sea and The Sea Sessions offer a diverse musical line-up to be enjoyed against the backdrop of Ireland’s stunning coastline; Vantastival is the only campervan-focused music festival in Ireland; and the Beatles Festival on the Lough is a must for lovers of Liverpool’s fab four (whose roots, of course, are Irish!)

Family Gatherings include the Acton Clan Gathering, where Canadian Lyle Acton, whose great great grandfather left Ireland in 1840 to settle in Ontario, invites his distant relatives to meet in Co. Mayo; plus Gatherings of the Powers, Gallaghers, MacKenna, O’Reilly, O’Sullivan and Stack clans.

Elsewhere, the International Quilt Festival will transform Galway (my favourite place in Ireland) into an Irish Quilter’s Village created especially for the event; and the notorious Bog Snorkelling Championships.
For information about these and a full list of Gatherings taking place in 2013 visit www.thegatheringireland.com.

On information about visiting Ireland is available on www.ireland.com

ANA cancels more Dreamliner flights

The Dreamlier problems are turning into a nightmare for Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA).

The Japanese carrier, which opperates the biggest fleet of Boeing's problematic 787s, cancelled another 379 flights today - between Feb. 1-18 - and more cancellations will be announced in the next few days.

Rumour has it that ANA is about to launch legal action against Boeing to reclaim some of their losses. According to ANA, 82,620 passengers to date have been affected by cancellations due to teething problems associated with the Dreamliner - all 17 of ANA's Boeing 787s have been grounded.

U.S. safety officials are looking into a battery problems with the plane which have resulted in some minor fires - thankfully, there's been no serious injuries so far.

 

Sparkling Hill Resort Canada's best!

The impressive entrance at Sparkling Hill glitters at sunrise.

KELOWNA, B.C. - In the post below, I let you know what I dislike about this B.C. wine city that has sold out to strip malls and land developers.

Now let me tell you what I do like about Kelowna - Sparkling Hill Resort!

Canada's newest and now best resort is a property like none others. A creation of the famed Swarovski crystal family, Sparkling Hill Resort jumps to the top of my Canadian hotel and resort list with some unique features that must be seen to be believed.

Gernot Langes Swarovski, patriarch of the famed Austrian Crystal family, spent over $120 million creating a resort that literally sparkles - thanks to the 3.5 million crystals used in building this 149-room mega resort that sits between Kelowna and Vernon, B.C.

This one-of-a-kind resort has one of the biggest and best spas in North America - patterned after the great spas of Europe; unique rooms that look out on mountain and lake views that are breathless; and sits on a ridge overlooking Canada's best new golf course, Predator Ridge - the golf course does not belong to the resort but they work together to give guests the best golf experience in Canada.

The rooms at Sparkling Hill are European cozy and offer unique amenities like a "crystal" fireplace, mood crystals at the entrance, and a soaking tub that sits in front floor-to-ceiling windows that look out on the natural splendour surrounding this wonderful property.

Sparkling Hill's spa has already been recognized for its unique treatments and appearance, winning the prestigious 2011 Senses Magazine Wellness Award for Best Spa Resort.

Carved into the granite cliffs that dominate this part of B.C., wildlife abounds here and most mornings guests are greeted by the deer that dance around the property.

So, my advice to you is to fly to Kelowna - Air Canada and WestJet offer direct flights from Toronto - and turn right out of the airport - that way you'll avoid Kelowna's strip mall eye sore - and check into Sparkling Hill and never leave.

That way, you'll enjoy the best hotel in Canada and never have to see dingy downtown Kelowna.

Go to www.sparklinghill.com

B.C.'s Kelowna is disappointing



Giant homes are cropping up in the wine fields of B.C.



Few of the 100 countries I've visited in the past 20 years have ever disappointed me. That's not to say I've liked every destination. In fact, I hope one day the Tower of Pisa falls so tourists like me no longer get robbed by the greedy, annoying merchants who line the walkways leading to Italy's famous landmark. And I don't care if I ever again set eyes on Barcelona - the food almost killed me (food poisoning) and I discovered that the words "Gaudi" and "gaudy" are one in the same. But I never thought I'd be telling you that a Canadian location disappointed me. Especially one that has been described as being "one of the most beautiful places on Earth", by a Toronto Star travel writer.

But I saw very little beauty in Kelowna, the British Columbia wine-growing region that's often been called "Kelownafornia" because it's supposed to rival California's Napa Valley for beauty.

Sorry, I've been to the Napa Valley and Kelowna is no Napa Valley. In fact, Ontario's Niagara wine growing region is far more appealing than Kelowna's.

There's not much to like in a place where hundreds of Neon signs greet you as you enter from West Kelowna; strip malls dominate the main street running through town; and where vineyards are being overrun by giant homes that should be on the Bridal Path.

Wine growers in Kelowna are selling off their prized vineyards to developers, so fields that once swept down to lovely Lake Okanagan, now take a detour around giant homes and create an ugly view.

Okay, I must admit the lake and the mountains that surround it are beautiful; the golf courses, especially Predator Ridge, are spectacular; and recently-opened Sparkling Hills Resort - the best vacation property in Canada, it says here - are still pretty good reasons to take a direct flight from Toronto to Kelowna; but don't expect to see Tuscany-type views here.

Whistler recovers from Olympic blahs

Lots of skiers and snow have returned to Whistler.

WHISTLER, B.C. – This B.C. party town is finally getting over its Olympic hangover.

It’s been two years since Whistler co-hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics with Vancouver and the anticipated attention and extra business the town thought that world event would generate afterwards just never materialized.

“Last year (2011) was an absolutely dismal year for me,” a shopkeeper in Upper Whistler Village told me this week during my visit. “I almost went broke because people just stayed away. Thankfully, the drought appears to be over – we had our busiest March this year in two years.”

It’s not unusual for host cities to experience post-Olympic syndrome – it took Sydney, Australia almost four years to see tourism return to normal numbers after it hosted the 2000 Summer Olympics and Athens has yet to recover from its big Olympic show, which incidentally helped bankrupt the Greek capital. People seem to rush to Olympic cities prior to the event but are reluctant to return, mainly because hotel rates in host cities always seem to rise afterwards.

Ironically, one of the main reasons why overnight stays are still down in Whistler is because of the new Sea to Sky Highway, once one of the most dangerous roads in Canada which was made safer with a billion dollar remake just before the Games.

“The Sea to Sky once discouraged people from heading home after a day of skiing - especially I the dark. But now skiers can get back to Vancouver in about 90 minutes very safely,” an executive at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler told me.

One thing that has really helped Whistler recover is the abundance of snow it has received this winter, which should extend the season at North America’s best ski resort to well past Easter.

Golfers like me who will be denied getting on the town’s collection of world-class golf courses won’t be happy, though.

Fairmont will inject $100 million into Royal York reno to hold off challenges

The regal Fairmont Royal York to get a facelift.

The Grand Dame of Toronto hotels is about to get a face lift.

Fairmont Hotels and Resorts told a select group of travel industry insiders meeting in Whistler, B.C., this week that it will inject over $100 million into modernizing the iconic Fairmont Royal York Hotel.

Fairmont’s announcement couldn’t have come at a better time. With so many new 5-Star hotels opening in Toronto this year – the recently opened Trump Tower and Ritz-Carlton Toronto will soon be joined by Four Seasons’ brand new property and the much anticipated Shangri-La Hotel on University Ave. – Fairmont had to respond to the challenge to its premier Canadian property.

However, earlier rumours that the massive Royal York – over 1,000 rooms – would see half its rooms converted into luxury condos, was denied by Fairmont officials.

Most of the $100 million reno will be used to increase conference room space on the hotel’s mezzanine level, where the hotel’s corporate offices are currently located. Those offices will be relocated in the basement of the hotel. This is the second major reno of the chateau-style hotel - between 1988 and 1993, Fairmont spent another $100 million to modernize the room at the Royal York.

 
No one does hotel renos better than Fairmont – just look what they accomplished in London with the rebirth of the legendary Savoy and in Shanghai with its complete remake of the Peace Hotel.

New Titanic hall is sure to excite

New Titanic Exhibition Hall in Belfast is a grand structure.

Nothing excites me more than events and stories surrounding the Titanic. So these days I'm very excited about the opening of a new attraction in Belfast which will bring the mighty ship back to life - in our minds, at least.

In just a few days, a new visitor's attraction called "Titanic Belfast in Northern Ireland" will open in that charming city where the "unsinkable" ship was built and from where she set sail on her ill-fated maiden voyage on which she struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic and dropped to the bottom of the ocean, where her skeleton remains still lie.

Our friends over at Tourism Ireland sent word yesterday that the finishing touches are being put on a new six-storey Titanic exhibition hall which officially opens March 31 and will feature lots of Titanic memorabilia. The unique structure of the Titanic hall - 3,000 shards make up the building’s impressive exterior while its plaza includes the world’s largest outdoor map of the northern hemisphere, tracing Titanic’s route across the Atlantic - and the fact the story of the Titanic still evokes interest these many years after she sunk, will make this Belfast attraction a must see this summer.


In Belfast you can visit the dockyard where Titanic was built.

 The Titanic hall features nine interpretive and interactive galleries that explore the sights, sounds, smells and stories of Titanic, as well as the city and people that made her. Visitors will learn about the construction of RMS Titanic and the wider story of Northern Ireland’s industrial and maritime heritage.

Over 50,000 advance tickets have been sold to the new hall, which just proves that lots of people like me remain fascinated about the great ship. People from as far away as Canada and New Zealand have booked passage to this new museum. While in Belfast, you can also visit the old Thompson dry dock where the Titanic was built and the city has plenty of other reminders of the great ship's brief but romantic history.

A 15-tonne ‘Titanic’ sign – the same weight as Titanic’s main anchor – dominates the building as visitors approach. Laser-cut and made from eight, 30mm-thick solid steel plates, the 4.5m-tall, 15m-long sign is the same length as the private promenades that were available on RMS Titanic’s most expensive accommodation, the First Class Parlour Suites.

In conjunction with the opening of the new Titanic Belfast visitor attraction, the Titanic Belfast Festival will take place from March 31 until May 2012 and will include plays, tours, exhibitions and talks all themed around the Titanic. Commemorations for the lives lost on the anniversary of the ship’s sinking will take place from April 14 to 15.

So make time this year to get to Belfast and see this permanent Titanic exhibition.

For more information, go to http://www.discoverireland.com/

Chinese 'wasting' new-found wealth

SHANGHAI – While travelling through China, one can be forgiven for thinking the entire country has won a lottery.

Money is being spent by everyone faster than China’s central bank can print it and luxury European goods are flying off the shelves faster than Gucci and Prada can make them.

It’s all reflective of China’s runaway economy, of course, but one wonders if the Chinese really appreciate their new-found wealth and the treasures it can buy.

Case in point: A waiter at an upscale resort in the southern town of Sanya on Hainan Island told me during my visit last week about the Chinese millionaire who ordered a bottle of $2,000 French wine, poured himself half a glass and topped it up with 7-Up.

Another time the waiter said he witnessed a wealthy Chinese businessman buy a $1,500 bottle of French red and he left after finishing just half the bottle. What a waste!

Money can buy anything in China, except sophistication.

Burma is back in tourists' sights

Burma is now the hottest travel spot on the planet.

This just in: The hottest tourist destination for 2012 is Burma.

If you don't believe me, just ask all the travel agents around the world who are being inundated with requests to go to the Asian nation formerly known as Myanmar.

Canadian travel agents I speak to say since Burma's military regime surrendered power to a new president and with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's recent visit indicating the U.S. wants to normalize relations with the country, more and more people now want to travel to Burma, the last Asian country to come out from behind the bamboo curtain which veiled the atrocities that once went on in that beautiful land.

Of course, the main reason the tourism spotlight has been turned on Burma is because of the courageous efforts of Aung San Suu Kyi to restore dignity to her homeland which offers tourists some of Asia's most treasured historic relics. Suu Kyi, who once told tourists to stay away from Burma,  now is encouraging travellers to come help her country get back on its economic feet through tourism.

Canadian tour companies like Tour East Holidays of Toronto, the largest organizer of Asian holidays for Canadians, says interest in Burma has doubled in recent months.

The London Telegraph reports about 300,000 foreign tourists visited Burma last year while 19 million arrived in neighbouring Thailand.

However, because Burma has been out of the tourism limelight for so long, don't expect much when you arrive. Hotels and resorts have a long way to go to equal what tourists are treated to in Thailand but with this new interest in Burma, you can bet major chains will soon be building new properties there.

Wi-Fi is a bad link for hotel guests

One thing that really irks me when I check out of a hotel - especially 5-star properties - is to be handed a bill with Wi-Fi charges added on.

In some cases, the charges can be as much as $20 a day - hell, I only pay $40 a month for my home Wi-Fi so $20 a day is a bit much.

According to a piece I read this morning in the London Telegraph, two thirds of hotels worldwide charge guests for Wi-Fi access and the paper says London's stuffy The Dorchester charges its guests about $30 a day to go online.

Ironically, most Interstate hotels I stay at in Canada and the U.S. offer FREE Wi-Fi and roadside fast food joints long ago went FREE Wi-Fi.

Not much you can do but vent but one wonders why when you're paying $500 a night for a 5-star hotel room, the chain can't throw in FREE Wi-Fi.

S.O.S. to the cruise ship industry: Weed out your bad apples

Credible cruise lines like Seadream are being hurt by
 other companies who place an emphasis on profits
 instead of passenger safety.

As yet another Costa Cruise ship limped into port - the Costa Allegra had to be towed to the Seychelle islands after losing power in the Indian Ocean this week - and the search for bodies continued on the partially sunken Costa Concordia off the coast of Italy - I was left to wonder why anyone would sail with a cruise line that obviously has issues with both its ships and crew?

The only good news about the Costa Allegra incident is that the vessel's captain wasn't the first to abandon ship as was the case in the Costa Concordia disaster.

There are ways for cruise passengers to check on a ship's sanitation record - the very credible Atlanta-based Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issues an annual ranking which provides an honest evaluation of almost every ship's sanitation issues and cruise lines react very quickly to the CDC's findings. You can view the latest rankings at http://wwwn.cdc.gov/InspectionQueryTool/InspectionSearch.aspx. Anything below an 86 score should be a warning to stay away from this product.

However, to my knowledge, there's no such rating system for a cruise ship's mechanical sea worthiness, or for that matter, how qualified the ship's crew is.

The Costa incidents showcase the need for a CDC-type regulatory body to check ships from stem to stern and rank their sea worthiness. There may be many ships on the high seas carrying thousands of people that have machanical issues and lives are being placed at risk. And, thanks to the Costa Concordia's captain, suspicion now hangs over every member of a ship's crew regarding how well prepared they are to handle an emergency.

Because no one government rules the high seas, maybe it's time the United Nations sets standards regarding the sea worthiness for cruise ships and their crew. The UN can work with national coast guards and give them the right to evaluate ships before they leave port.

Thanks to Costa, the cruise industry is in a free fall - business is down 40 per cent since the Concordia sinking and the Allegra power failure won't help matters.

The cruise industry must start policing itself and weed out the bad apples before any more damage is done.

London hotels gouging Games' goers

Let the gouging begin!

London newspapers are reporting that hotels in the 2012 Summer Olympic city are charging as much as 300 per cent more for rooms - that, despite the fact the London Organizing Committee returned more the 120,000 reservations to the hoteliers. (The organizing committee blocks off rooms for sponsors, media and International Olympic Committee members - but obviously fewer people are planning to attend the Games, which start July 27 and runs until August 12).

London's Telegraph newspaper cited examples of the gouging:

"Accommodation at the Premier Inn Victoria during the Games costs from £199 ($315 Cdn.), a rate that is non-refundable and must be paid in advance. For the rest of August, rooms start at £87 ($138 Cdn.). At the Premier Inn Old Street, August rates range from £75 to £132, but during the Games the cheapest rooms are also £199," the newspaper reported today.

Other examples of gouging reported by the Telegraph:
-  "At the Novotel London Paddington, room rates during the Olympics are more than double (from £299 per night) what they are during the rest of the summer (from £149). And at the Z Hotel in Soho, a two-night stay during the Olympics costs from £186 a night, compared to just £102 a night in the week after the closing ceremony. "

British politicians are reportedly "outraged" by the hotel "scandal" but what a bunch of hypocrites.

Laws to protect the public from such gouging could have been passed when London was awarded the Games but instead the members of Parliament sat on their hands until it was too late.

So, once again, the biggest losers at the 2012 London Summer Olympics won't be any athlete, but rather the public - those, at least, who are dumb enough to go to London during the Games' period.