Ireland cuts tax to promote tourism

Castles and reduced taxes make Ireland a great
 vacation option for Canadians this summer.

My friends over at Tourism Ireland - one of the best tourism organizations operating in Canada - sent out word today that the Irish government has introduced a new tourism inititative that will see the tax charged on tourism-related goods slashed from the current 13.5 per cent to 9 per cent.

That's great news for Canadian travellers who are looking for bargains in Europe to offset the strength of the euro versus the dollar. The Irish government announcement means cheaper prices at restaurants and hotels but the tax cut also extends to things like cinemas, theatres, museums, fairgrounds, amusement parks and sporting facilities like golf - all things that tourists like to do while on vacation.

Starting July 1 of this year, flights into Dublin will also be cheaper thanks to the elimination of the €10 (C$14) Air Travel Tax. Air Canada and Air Transat operate regional flights to Ireland.

Ireland is still basking in the attention it got from two high profile visits recently - the first by the Queen and then U.S. President Barack Obama (or O'Bama as the Irish like to call him).

Ireland was recently recognized as having the cheapest hotels and as being the cheapest country to visit in Western Europe in a survey by Hotels.com, which also rated Dublin as one of its “best-value cities”.

For more information on the tax reductions and other offers to Ireland, go to www.discoverireland.com/hotoffers

AA military policy makes us proud

While I waited for a flight at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport recently, I was struck by an announcement made by an American Airlines employee that "pre-boarding for people needing assistance, parents with small children and American military personal is now open."

I was reminded of that American Airlines goodwill policy last night while watching Memorial Day celebrations on television. American Airlines is touting its military priority boarding policy in moving ads showing U.S. Military personal helping fellow passengers with luggage and addressing airline employees with lots of "thank you sir or madame." At the end of the ad, the AA pilot stops the U.S. soldier who has just thanked him for a nice flight and says "no, thank you!"

Okay, it may be a little too patriotic for us Canadians to get our heads around but I tip my cap to American Airlines for recognizing the sacrifice these kids are making for their country.

It would be nice if Canadian airlines would follow American Airlines' lead on this one.

Stillwater spa may get rubbed out

If someone were to ask me to describe Toronto, the city in which I live, in four words, I would answer:

"Great city, lousy spas!"

And I point to what's generally accepted as the city's "best" spa, Stillwater in the Park Hyatt Hotel as proof.

Last night I arrived at Stillwater expecting to enjoy a steam before surrendering my body to Wendy, the excellent therapist who has rubbed away my aches and pains on numerous occasions. Instead, I got no steam and no Wendy, who was on duty and I was told would be my therapist.

The men's steam room was out of commission - "sorry for the inconvenience" the sign hanging on the door informed me - and when the therapist arrived, it wasn't Wendy. The receptionist confirmed I was getting Wendy and never informed me about the change or that the steam room was out of order.

The young therapist who did treat me - I won't divulge her name because she was charming - lacked the skill set one expects from a spa that charges New York prices. So the treatment my aching shoulders and back were expecting turned into nothing more than a good rub down.

Stillwater - it sits over a subway line and the treatment beds shake every time a train rumbles by - has had Toronto's spa population in the palm of its hands because it really is the only game in town.

However, with the addition of new 5-star hotels in Toronto - the Ritz-Carlton (now open); Shangri-La and the new Four Seasons (both will open in 2012) and all will be offering ultra-modern spa facilities - Stillwater better get its act together or it will be rubbed out by this competition.

Canada shut out for China license

I’m happy to see China continues to open up more international travel opportunities for its citizens - this week China granted “outbound” licenses to three foreign companies, thus allowing those firms and their joint venture partners in China to organize tours for Chinese tourists abroad.

The three companies, European giant TUI based in Germany, America’s CITS American Express Travel Services and JTB New Century International Tours of Japan were granted the outbound licenses as part of a three-year pilot program launched by the all-powerful China National Tourism Authority.

Canada’s travel industry was shut out – that leaves Toronto-based Tour East Holidays as the only Canadian company licensed to operate offices in China (the 35-year-old Tour East Holidays has offices in Beijing and Shanghai). Tour East was one of several Canadian companies who did apply for an outbound license but were rejected. Maybe it’s time Stephen Harper and his Conservative government put pressure on the Chinese to give us a slice of the juicy outbound pie. The outbound licenses, after all, are the most coveted documents in the travel world right now, with companies worldwide hoping to tap directly into the Chinese thirst for foreign travel. Last year, almost 50 million Chinese travelled abroad and that figure is expected to grow to over 90 million by the end of 2011.

The three companies granted the license have had long relations with the Chinese. All three set up shop in China many years ago. However, I find it curious that American Express is ramping up its operations in China and winding them down in Canada – AmEx recently announced it was ending its retail travel operations in Canada, which will affect over 100 agencies. It’s also odd that AmEx is pulling out of Canada at a time when record numbers of Canadians are crossing the border into the U.S.

I’m left to wonder – is AmEx finding it easier to do business in communist China than Canada?

Paolo's Travel Deal Today

My pooch Paolo digs up great air deals every day!

Delhi Airfare

$667

Return form Toronto

Airline: Jet Airways

Travel Period:
May 24 - June 18, 2011

Ticketing Until: May 31, 2011

Air Taxes: $459 (approx.)

Call: 1-866-929-6688

Good Boy Paolo

Ryanair flight causes a dust storm

Dust and ash from Iceland volcano is
causing panic among Europe's airlines.

Ryanair touched off a dust storm of controversy today when it flew one of its planes into the "red zone" set up over Scottish airspace because authorities fear the dust cloud spewing from the erupting volcano in Iceland will cause harm to aircraft engines.

Ryanair, wanting to prove the authorities wrong, said its plane completed a one-hour "verification flight" up to 41,000 feet over Scotland this morning without incident. The aircraft took off from Glasgow Prestwick, flew to Inverness, on to Aberdeen and down to Edinburgh.

European authorities ground planes when the volcano erupts and ash enters airspace because they fear the dust may harm delicate jet engines and thus put passengers in jeopardy.

In a statement to news organizations, a spokeswoman for the airline said: "There was no visible volcanic ash cloud or any other presence of volcanic ash and the post-flight inspection revealed no evidence of volcanic ash on the airframe, wings or engines.

"The absence of any volcanic ash in the atmosphere supports Ryanair's stated view that there is no safety threat to aircraft in this mythical 'red zone', which is another misguided invention by the UK Met Office and the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority)," the statement said.

Airlines all over Europe have had to cancel flights because of the ash cloud and fear a repeat of last summer's travel disruptions that led to them losing billions of dollars in lost revenue.

So who are we, the passengers, supposed to believe? The air authorities who claim to have our best interests at heart or a low-cost carrier who has a history of putting profits ahead of people.

I'd rather be safe than sorry - so sorry Ryanair, I won't take a chance on you.

O'Bama kicks off his Irish tour

You can bet O'Bama will pull a pint in an Irish pub.

Tourism Ireland is hoping U.S. President Barack O'Bama's - let's make the President truly Irish - visit to the Emerald Isle this week will help encourage more Americans to make travel plans to the prettiest patch of green in the world.

Ireland is where O'Bama has some firm family roots - it's the home of his great, great grandfather, and let's face it, with all its economic woes, Ireland needs all the help it can get.

I have no worries O'Bama will love Ireland - I'd rank it among the Top 10 places in the world I've visited.

He won't have much time there so he'll miss Lahinch, one of the loveliest towns I've ever set foot in and whose seaside golf course is legendary, and of course Gallway, my favourite place in Ireland.

Gallway is where Christopher Columbus left from to discover the New World and it has a great connection to the Kennedy family - former president John F. Kennedy visited Gallway when he was in the Oval Office. Gallway's Old Town with its ancient book stores and quaint fish and chip shops is a delight.

I'm not a big fan of Dublin - too rowdy - but I must admit its coloured doors and parks charmed me.

Irish security officials have been put to the test the last few weeks - the Queen left Ireland a few days before O'Bama arrived - but you can bet the U.S. President will get a warmer welcome.