News, Reviews, and Perspective on the Art and Business of Travel
The Top 5 Overlooked Luxury Vacation Experiences for 2008
Atlantic Provinces of Canada
Bordeaux City, Southwest France
Granada, Andalusia, Spain
San Sebastian, Spain
Bocas del Toro, Panama
Atlantic Provinces of Canada: Weave together a tapestry of pristine, uncrowded coastlines reminiscent
of Martha's Vineyard 45 years ago, an increasingly sophisticated assemblage of small luxury hotels in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick,
and Prince Edward Island, and the absolute best summer weather in the world! Our accommodation recommendations: the Kingsbrae Arms in St. Andrews, NB, a Relais & Chateau member; Trout Point Lodge in Nova Scotia: acclaimed worldwide for combining gourmet cuisine with wilderness finesse; and the Inn at Bay Fortune on lovely Prince Edward Island, where you will unwind in abeautiful seaside manor once owned by actress Colleen
Duwhurst.
Our number two selection: the City of Bordeaux has reclaimed all of its 18th century glory and elegance.
Forget staying amongst the vignobles! Bordeaux offers a refined, urban center surrounded by the finest vineyards
and wineries in the world. The city's facelift has revealed architectural treasures, a polite and welcoming populace, beautiful
parks, promenades, and plazas, and a pleasant selection of restaurants, wine shops (of course) and cafes. Where to stay?
Les Sources de Caudalie, a 49 room luxury hotel with two restaurants and a "vinotherapie"spa amidst the blanlieu of Bordeaux, which are at the same
time the historic vineyards of Pessac-Léognan; or to be in the center of it all, the brand-new SAS Grand Hotel, across from the Grand Théatre, with all rooms designed by the world-famous Jacques Garcia.
Comprehensive Culinary Travel Survey Provides Insights on Food and Wine Travelers
First-Ever Report by Travel Industry Association, Gourmet and International Culinary Tourism Association Identifies, Defines
and Profiles Culinary Tourist Segments
NEW YORK, Feb. 14, 2007/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ A first-of-its-kind national survey on the popular culinary travel
niche market shows that 27 million travelers, or 17% of American leisure travelers, engaged in culinary or wine- related activities
while traveling within the past three years, based on a new report from the Travel Industry Association (TIA), in partnership
with Gourmet and the International Culinary Tourism Association and released today at a press conference in New York City.
The future is bright for the culinary traveler market, as the share of U.S. leisure travelers interested in culinary travel
in the near future (60%) is significantly larger than those currently engaged. These travelers are younger, more affluent
and better educated than non- culinary travelers. They are clearly motivated by unique experiences, reinforcing the benefits
of focusing on a destination's individual environmental and cultural elements. The survey was conducted by Edge Research among
a representative sample of 2,364 U.S. leisure travelers.
"The study demonstrates that a sizable proportion of the U.S. leisure market does indeed make travel decisions based on
a desire for wine and culinary experiences. In fact, it confirms that wine and culinary experiences are a driver of destination
choice," said Laura Mandala, Vice President of Research for the Travel Industry Association.
Culinary activities participated in while traveling include cooking classes, dining out for a unique and memorable experience,
visiting farmers markets, gourmet food shopping and attending food festivals. Wine activities included participating in winery
tours, driving a wine trail, tasting locally made wines and attending wine festivals.
"These travelers are also more likely to take local foods and wines back home with them, providing a secondary opportunity
for destinations to spread the word about their unique offerings," said Mandala.
The study also provided in-depth data about what is being called the "serious" culinary traveler, one who intentionally
seeks out wine and food experiences while traveling. These serious culinary travelers are significantly different from other
types of travelers, which has implications for any travel providers' strategy and marketing. Serious culinary travelers are
more likely to shop, visit state and national parks and museums; specifically choose a destination to experience local culture
and cuisine and read epicurean magazines, as well as publications such as Newsweek.
"These differences suggest that this segment of the market may be responsive to travel packages that focus on the uniqueness
of the destination and local food, wine and environment," said Catherine Makk, Executive Marketing Director for Gourmet. "It
also suggests that travel providers and destinations should work together to offer immersion into the local culture, through
not only wine and cuisine but also the hotel experience, leisure activities and more."
The fact that serious culinary travelers read highly specialized publications that cater to their interests confirms that
magazines remain a viable channel for reaching this travel segment. The study showed a slight majority of culinary travelers
who participate in just food-related activities while traveling, with one-in-ten leisure travelers (10%), or 16 million Americans,
reporting having done so. Another one-in-ten (9.4%), or 15 million Americans, participate in just wine-related activities.
About 4 million leisure travelers participated in both food and wine activities. On average, food travelers spend $1,194 per
trip, with over one-third (36% or $425) of their travel budget going towards food-related activities. Those considered to
be "deliberate" food travelers (culinary activities were the key reason for trip) tend to spend a significantly higher dollar
amount of their overall travel budget on food-related activities ($1,271 average trip cost; $593 or 50% spent on food-related
activities).
Wine travelers spend, on average, $973 per trip, with about one-fourth (23% or $219) of their travel budget going towards
wine-specific activities. Those considered to be "deliberate" wine travelers spend more of their overall travel budget on
wine-related activities ($950 average trip cost; $339 or 36% spent on wine-related activities).
"Culinary Tourism has reached the tipping point as a niche and an industry. Unique food and drink are the perfect attractions,
especially for second and tertiary destinations that now must market more proactively in the globally competitive market,"
said Erik Wolf, President and CEO of the International Culinary Tourism Association. "It's also the perfect tool for economic
and community development because visitors fly, buy and try new food and drink and look for it when they return home, helping
boost value-added food and drink exports. Every community should be looking for ways to promote its unique food and drink
experiences."
For information on purchasing the survey, interested parties should contact Valerie Hutchinson, TIA, 202-218-3630 or
TIA is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the $703 billion travel industry. TIA's mission
is to represent the whole of the U.S. travel industry to promote and facilitate increased travel to and within the United
States.
The new Canticum Hotels Group takes shape
The Canticum Hotels Group of Canticum, S.A. (Costa Rica) has revamped its merbserrship and prestigious image, but with
a twist: sustainable luxury.
The hotels group provides marketing and booking services to a select group of small hotels, inns, and villa/vacation
rentals including properties in Canada, Spain, Turkey, and Costa Rica.
The new eco-friendly image is backed up by requirements that member hotels demonstrate the use of specific sustainable
practices in their day-to-day operations without loosing sight of luxury treatment for guests. The Group makes the point that
luxury travel and sustainable travel are not antithetical.
For example, Trout Point Lodge of Nova Scotia publishes a list of committments to the environment, and has received a
high rating from the Hotel Association of Canada's ECOmmodation program. At the same time, the ecolodge has received the highest
rating possible from Frommer's guides.
Another example, the Inn at Coyote Mountain has merited inclusion in Travel & Leisure magazine's 2007 book The
World's Greatest Hotels, Resorts, & Spas in yet has also received praise from Lonely Planet, Green Places to
Stay, and ethicalescape.com for its eco-practices.
The company looks to attract the market of those wealthy and exclusive travellers who also care about the environmental
impact of their vacations.
Elegant Small Hotels tops for small luxury hotel finds
Now in its 21st year, this connoisseurs' favorite presents many of the great boutique hotels of the world especially
to enhance your travel enjoyment. These properties' hallmarks include exquisitely appointed guestrooms and suites, inspired
architecture, luxurious ambience, amazing amenities and personal service par excellence. The associated web site is www.elegantsmallhotel.com.
This gorgeous guidebook encompasses 246 grand luxe hotels, city center hotels, outstanding resorts, affordable elegance,
wonderful country inns and luxurious historic hotels. Each has been hand-selected and the detailed information included gives
travel readers a glimpse of the little touches that separate these exceptional properties from merely first class. Many of
these properties are also members of prestigious hotel groups such as Canticum Hotels Group or Relais & Chateaux or have received AAA 4-diamond awards.
The amazing cover property for the 21st edition is The Luna Hotel Baglioni
, Venice’s oldest Hotel located right behind St. Mark’s Square. A private mooring-berth enables gondolas and motorboats
to reach the entrance of the Hotel. In the days of the Templars, the Hotel was known as the Locanda della Luna (“The
Moonlight Tavern”) and would offer travellers a comfortable shelter. Now, more than eight centuries later, it is still
committed to the same cause: the Luna Hotel Baglioni carries on a tradition made of class, comfort and refined elegance.
Elegant Small Hotels - A Connoisseur's Guide 21st Edition by Pamela Lanier isbn# 1-58008-809-0 212
pages including color inserts
Yahoo Internet Life Magazine has just reviewed TravelGuideS.com and said
that Elegant Small Hotels is THE source for "Luxury Digs and Inn-timate Getaways". This ties in well with the TIA report,
which found that 74% of adults surveyed favor romance related travel. Both are great news for our member properties! In other
media, TechTV did a special feature segment for business travelers on Elegant Small Hotels and www.TravelGuides.com.
"The
book includes the world's finest grand luxe hotels, resorts and country inns." ~ International Travel News
"Every
great hotel in this guide is unique." ~ Hideaways International
"Elegant Small Hotels contains all the information
you will need to select the right hotel experience … the hotels described in this book are ideal for the discriminating
traveler." ~ Grandtimes.com (Internet Magazine)
Leaders of the World's Best Hotels Join Five Star Alliance's New Editorial Advisory Board
Top executives at the world's most prominent hotels have formed even closer partnerships with
Five Star Alliance, the leading online travel agency and information site for luxury hotels. The new initiative will help
the hundreds of thousands of affluent travelers reached by Five Star Alliance each month find and book the ideal luxury
hotel.
Five Star Alliance (http://www.FiveStarAlliance.com) is the leading online travel agency focused exclusively on luxury
hotels. The company's web site includes the world's most comprehensive collection of luxury hotels, along with exclusive information,
recommendations and photographs. Clients from around the world can search and book the world's finest hotels through an intuitive,
custom booking engine. Five Star Alliance clients receive immediate confirmation and personal service.
The company has formed close partnerships with dozens of luxury hotels around the world, including the Hotel de Crillon
in Paris, New York's Carlyle Hotel, the Burj al Arab in Dubai, One Aldwych in London, and The Hay-Adams in Washington, DC.
More
than twenty CEOs, General Managers, and influential leaders of the world's best luxury hotels have joined Five Star Alliance's
new Editorial Advisory Board. These prominent executives have formed close relationships with Five Star Alliance, the leading
online travel agency focused exclusively on luxury hotels. The Editorial Advisory Board will help Five Star Alliance customers
find and book the ideal luxury hotel.
Editorial Advisory Board members, including Mr. Jonathan
Critchard, GM of the Athenaeum Hotel in London, and Mr. James McBride, General Manager of The Carlyle in New York, will deliver
exclusive news and offers directly to affluent travelers via the Five Star Alliance web site (http://www.FiveStarAlliance.com),
blog, and email newsletters. The hundreds of thousands of luxury travelers reached each month by Five Star Alliance will now
have a unique opportunity to hear directly from the leaders of the world's best hotels.
Ms.
Julie A. Skrei of the new billion dollar Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa in Las Vegas, for example, recently highlighted the
"coolest" features of her property on Five Star Alliance's blog: The Informed Traveler. Within one week, Five Star Alliance
delivered over $14,000 in reservations to her property.
Mr. Hans Bruland, GM of The Hay-Adams
in Washington, DC, and a founding Editorial Advisory Board member, notes that, "As an independent luxury hotel, Five Star
Alliance has given us exposure to a worldwide audience of affluent travelers that we could not have reached on our own."
For
the Hon. Michael J. Winfield, President & CEO of Cambridge Beaches in Bermuda, Five Star Alliance supplements his own
promotion of the unique property. "Renowned worldwide as one of the most romantic and welcoming resorts in Bermuda, Cambridge
Beaches strives to market itself to the world's most discerning travelers. Through our enhanced Partner listing on Five Star
Alliance, we have been able to successfully promote the unique personality of our property, and drive new business that we
would not otherwise have found," he said.
A recent sample of interesting, fun and useful news
from the Editorial Advisory Board, such as recipes from top chefs and the advance word on special offers, can be found on
The Informed Traveler: http://traveler.FiveStarAlliance.com/index.php/category/editorial-advisory- board
Founding members of the Five Star Alliance Editorial Advisory Board include executives from
the Hotel de Crillon in Paris, The Carlyle in New York, The Whitehall Hotel in Chicago, The Hay-Adams in Washington, DC, The
Sutton Place Hotel Vancouver, Peter Island Resort in Jamaica, Athenaeum Hotel and Apartments in London, Half Moon Rose Hall
in Jamaica, Sungate Port Royal in Turkey, The Regency New York, and Cambridge Beaches in Bermuda. Also represented by top
executives are Small Luxury Hotels of the World, the Majestic Hotel Group, Maybourne Hotel Group, Station Casinos, Proximo
Restaurants, and Red Carnation Hotels.
Review: Vueling makes the grade
MADRID (February 25, 2007) A last-minute reservation on the new Vueling air for a flight from Madrid to Granada
in Spain proved mostly uneventful--a good thing for a new, low-cost airline.
Booking online was easy, and the confirmation e-mail message arrived rapidly as promised. The price, though not
ultra cheap, was much less expensive than any competitor, such as SpanAir or Iberia.
Flught leave Madrid from the same ultra-modern terminal--T4--as Iberia, making connections with the flag carrier
or other One World airlines easy.
The only hitch: the flight was delayed by about 40 minutes, and the ground personnel had no information about its status.
Boarding was orderly. The planes are brand-new. Legroom is very sllight, but survivable for short flights. Crew members
were professional.
Upon landing, baggage appeared within 5 minutes! This is unprecedented, with Iberia flights typically taking 20-40 minutes
for baggage delivery, even in small airports.
Time will tell how Vueling "fares," but this initial impression bodes well.
Top 5 Gourmet Vacations for 2007
The best gourmet vacation experiences for 2007:
Nova Scotia Seafood Cooking School at Trout Point Lodge
Costa Rica Creole Cooking School, Inn at Coyote Mountain
The Institute of Gastronomy in Bordeaux, France
Directory of Hotels becomes top internet resource for small luxury & boutique hotels
DirectoryofHotels.com serves the online travel industry by connecting consumers with the hotel &
travel experience. A global resource of hotels featuring qualities of merit aimed to indulge the needs of today's discerning
traveler. Due to the unique nature of this colorful, easy-to-use, and elegantly designed hotel directory, the travel planner
will find a diverse collection of hotels including boutique hotels, small luxury hideaways, gourmet retreats, spas, and
unique inns. Whatever your flavor of life...you have come to the right place to be inspired.
The web site also publishes a blog, known as TravelerWire, and a constantly updated list of the hottest
small hotels around the world.
Monarch Airlines fails to be reasonable over 30 pounds and cares not about their customer's comfort and
satsifaction!
Monarch Airlines of England is a low-cost international airline that promises to give more comfort and satisfaction than
many of the true budget carriers.
For example, it will allow you to pre-purchase champagne for your flight and buy seats with extra leg room.
On a recent flight (November, 2006) Monarch sold your intrepid reporters two seats with extra legroom on a flight from
London Gatwick to Granada, Spain. At the last minute, there was an aircraft change from an Airbus to a Boeing 757. This resulted
in the seat assignment for extra legroom seats becoming confused and, in most cases, wrong. Many passengers in our area of
the plane complained.
Flight attendants refused to re-seat passenger who had paid for extra legroom to such seats on the new aircraft. They
gave us a toll number in England to call to request a refund. The seats given were extremely cramped and were marked in color-coded
purple upholstery as "regular"seats. Gold seats have extra leg room. They are gold.
Upon calling, Monarch refused to do anything, became argumentative, and lied to their customers. No refund could be issued,
they said, because we were mistaken and we had actually been given seats with extra leg room, despite the plane change and
despite the very obvious, physical fact of no leg room. When asked what color the extra leg room seats were, she replied,
"gold," but still insisted that seats we had been given were extra legroom seats even when told that they were purple in color.
A supervisor called back to once again say that no refund would be given. He said that the extra legroom seats were,
in fact, purple, which is untrue.
Beware of Monarch!
Four traveler groups to transform airline industry
MADRID, Spain, Feb. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Amadeus, a global leader in technology
and distribution solutions for the travel and tourism industry, today released a major study, Future Traveller Tribes 2020,
that defines who will be traveling in the future, which groups will potentially be most dominant, and the technology
solutions that will facilitate their journeys and improve their travel experience. Produced in partnership
with Henley Centre HeadlightVision (HCHLV), a global futures consultancy, the Amadeus report examines major social, geopolitical,
economic, demographic and technology trends to reveal four "traveler tribes," or major emerging customer segments that
will impact airline operations in the next 15 years: Cosmopolitan Commuters, Global Executives, Active Seniors and Global
Clans. Developed using significant research and input from travel, airline and technology experts,
Future Traveller Tribes 2020 also reveals that technology must increasingly respond intuitively to people's individual needs
throughout their journey. This concept, referred to as the "humanization of technology," will be seen in key development
areas such as trusted digital identities, integrated information systems, real-time/geo-relevant information and new
communications technologies. "Future Traveller Tribes 2020 is a rallying point for the entire air travel
industry to discuss and prepare for what is coming down the pike," said Robert Buckman, Director of Airline Distribution
Strategies for Amadeus North America. "As the report indicates, airlines that master technology 'humanization' over
the next decade or two will be well positioned to exceed customer expectations, build brand loyalty and drive profits."
The Four Traveller Tribes Future Traveller Tribes 2020 analyzes the impact of major international trends
such as the globalization of business, politics, migration and tourism. These trends, considered alongside major consumer
trends such as the growth in environmentalism and affluence, as well as greater demand for personalization and a search
for health and well-being, resulted in the identification of the four groups: 1. Global Executives
- "elite" business travelers that want a private jet-type experience; primarily from
emerging, fast-growing economic markets
2. Active Seniors
- the growing number of wealthy, healthy, older travelers who will travel for cultural
and leisure pursuits
3. Cosmopolitan Commuters - those that live in one city but work in
another, relying on air travel to commute
4. Global Clans - people who will increasingly use air
travel to visit nationally and globally dispersed family and friends; driven by the
explosion of global migration "For the first time, this report brings together major macro-trends, changes
in consumer behavior and technology developments to paint a realistic vision of what groups of travelers will emerge in
the next 10-15 years. We hope it will have a significant impact on how travel services are delivered in the future.
It is essential that travel providers start to think seriously about how the needs of the traveler will evolve and what can
be done to secure customer loyalty," said Sian Davies, Chief Executive, Henley Centre Headlight Vision.
The role of technology in enhancing the customer experience The "humanization of technology," which
will reinforce ease of use and responsiveness, will be seen throughout the entire travel process from booking, through
check-in, in-flight and at baggage collection. Potential technology developments that support the concept of humanization
include: in the near term -- SIM card identification, personalized destination information, mobile travel updates, digital
concierges; and, in the longer term -- digital memories, virtual reality glasses, RFID for both people and baggage and
humanoid check-in kiosks. Scenarios that have been explored in the report range from travelers having
the ability to conduct virtual reality 'walk throughs' to familiarize themselves with the airport before they leave home,
to the use of 'sensing' technologies to tell if customers are anxious at check-in. For more information,
or to read and/or download a copy of the report, please go to http://www.amadeus.com/travellertribes. About Amadeus Amadeus is the chosen technology
partner for providers, sellers, and buyers of travel. The company provides distribution, IT and point-of-sale solutions
to help its customers adapt, grow and succeed in the fast changing travel industry. Customer groups include travel providers (airlines,
hotels, car rental companies, railway companies, ferry lines, cruise lines, insurance companies and tour operators), travel
sellers (travel agencies) and travel buyers (corporations and travellers). Solutions are grouped in four solution categories
- Distribution & Content, Sales & e-Commerce, Business Management and Services & Consulting.
Amadeus has central sites in Madrid (corporate headquarters & marketing), Nice (development) and Erding (Operations
- data processing centre) and regional offices in Miami, Buenos Aires and Bangkok. At market level, Amadeus maintains
customer operations in 76 countries covering more than 215 markets. The company is owned by WAM Acquisition,
whose shareholders are BC Partners, Cinven, Air France, Iberia and Lufthansa. Amadeus employs over 7,160 employees worldwide,
representing 95 nationalities. Amadeus' revenue for the six months year ended 30 June was euro 1,381.6m.
More information about Amadeus is available at: http://www.amadeus.com. About Henley Centre HeadlightVision Henley
Centre HeadlightVision provides intelligence, consultancy and research solutions to blue chip clients around the world.
Our mission is to help our clients create better futures. All of our work is informed by our proprietary global knowledge
base of trends and futures insights. We have a global footprint with offices in London, New York, Mumbai and Delhi and
an intelligence network that spans over 28 countries.
