November 2006 travel Newsletter

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Canadian travel news

Concern new travel ID will be rushed ahead
The Canadian ambassador to the U.S., Michael Wilson, says Canada remains concerned about a plan requiring a passport or special ID card to enter the U.S., but his American counterpart said everyone should get used to the idea because it's not going away. By June 2009, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) will require that all Canadians and Americans show a passport or one of the new ID cards before crossing the U.S. border by land or sea ports.
A passport requirement for air travellers entering the United States goes into effect in January 2007.
Wilson said he has great concerns that the new rules will be forced onto the North American public and businesses before it is fully tested.
He's also concerned that U.S. Congress will rush the rules into place before the deadline, and perhaps put them in place by January 2008.
"Canada continues to believe that the U.S. should not rush implementation," Wilson said. "All the time and flexibility provided by Congress should be used to ensure that we get it right. Business, border communities, and the travelling public need to have the opportunity to provide input and guidance on the implementation of this initiative."
He said there are still unanswered questions about whether there will be a phase-in period and how all the cards will be produced in time for the implementation date.
"Whether WHTI comes online in 2 months at the airport or later at the land and sea ports, there's not much time to implement such a vast initiative," Wilson said.
"From a logistics point of view, this does not leave a great deal of time to conduct the necessary trial runs, install any necessary new equipment at the border, issue the card and, most importantly, promote it to the public for purchase."
The pass cards will cost US$20, plus a $25 execution fee for adult travellers, and are valid for 10 years.
But the American ambassador to Canada, David Wilkins, said Canadians and Americans better get used to the idea of the new system because it's going to be a requirement, regardless of any protests.
Wilkins said the United States is focused on implementing WHTI effectively and efficiently, with minimal disruption to trade and travel.
Wilkins backed up Wilson's concerns that WHTI could very well be enacted sooner than the 2008 deadline.
"It's not an automatic 17-month delay (before implementing WHTI), it's up to 17 months."
Wilkins said WHTI may be inconvenient in the short-term, but will eventually enable much smoother border traffic because of the technology involved.
Information on the ID card will be transmitted over a radio frequency as the traveller approaches the border checkpoint, so all the border guard has to do is visually verify the identity of the traveller.
He said the ID card will be faster than using passports, since border guards won't have to flip through and stamp pages.
Canada has yet to decide whether it will follow suit with a similar pass card system.

Tourists to Canada statistics
Recently released statistics from StatsCan:

Canadian RevPAR
Latest lodging report (week ending October 28th) from the Canadian hotel industry showing 'revenue per available room' (RevPAR).

Notes:
RevPAR is typically defined as room revenue divided by rooms available.

Toronto 2015 World Expo bid
Toronto 2015 World Expo Corporation recently announced the signing of another sponsorship deal for Toronto's bid to host the 2015 World Expo. VIA Rail Canada has signed on as a Tier Two sponsor. Earlier, Expo Corp announced Bell Globemedia as the bid's National Media Sponsor.
To keep up to date on the latest news about Toronto 2015 World Expo bid, you can subscribe to the ExpoUpdate newsletter at www.expo2015torontoconsults.ca

International travel news

Travellers reveal likes and dislikes in travel for 2007
Here are some of the highlights from the TripAdvisor annual travel trends survey of nearly 4,000 travellers, globally:

• Pining for pine trees: 43% of travellers are likely to go hiking, up from 24% 1 year ago, and 39% intend to partake in adventure activities (such as parasailing and whitewater rafting), up from 29% last year. More women than men plan to participate in outdoor activities in 2007 according to the survey.
• Germaphobic guests: Travellers continue to suffer from 'germaphobia' as 24% won't leave home without disinfectant/cleaning supplies, shower shoes, their own pillow, their own sheets/pillowcase, or their own towels, compared to 22%, last year. Travellers from the U.S. are more than twice as concerned as travellers from the U.K.
• Spas losing steam: Fewer travellers (47%) intend to visit a spa this year, compared to last year (55%).
• Pesky parasites: 4% of travellers have experienced bed bugs in a hotel room.
• Baring it all: 10% of travellers have stayed at a clothing-optional or adults-only resort; 2% want to, but can't because of their significant other or spouse.
• Loose lips sink ships: 18% of travellers have had to impose the "whatever happens in (fill in the destination), stays in (fill in the destination)" rule with their travel partners.
• Love is in the air: 6% of travellers were asked on a date or started a romantic relationship with a perfect stranger while on a flight, up from 4% last year.
• Loosening the ties: 26% of travellers are likely to dress more provocatively while on vacation than they ever would at home.
• Work-aholism: 16% of travellers checked their work email or voicemail at least once daily when on their last vacation.
• Hotel kleptomania: 20% of travellers have taken items from a hotel such as towels, bathrobes, decorative pieces, glassware or flatware.
• Paint the town red: 4% of travellers are likely to do something illegal that they wouldn't normally do at home.
• Star-crossed: 68% of travellers have been to a destination known to have celebrity guests.
• Rapid relaxation: 20% of travellers said it took them less than 1 hour to relax on their last vacation. For an additional 35%, it took less than a day, and 3% could never relax.
• Hit the gas: 81% of travellers plan to drive this year for leisure trips, versus 71% just 1 year ago.
• Going green: 13% of travellers are likely to use a bicycle as a means of transportation for their next vacation, 11% will go sailing and 4% will ride in a rickshaw.
• Skip my loo: 28% of travellers said their worst experience in a hotel room was a dirty bathroom, and 75% of travellers think that a clean restroom is what makes an airport great. 8% of travellers have actually showered in an airport restroom.
• Beach bound: 59% of travellers are planning a beach vacation this coming year, up from 52% when TripAdvisor asked travelers in May.
• Breaking the bank: Although 86% of travellers said budget was an important consideration when making vacation plans last year, 46% of respondents said they spent beyond their travel budget.
• Packed to the gills: 64% of travellers have bought or brought an additional piece of luggage, just to pack the items they purchased on vacation for the return trip home.
• Terrorism matters, fuel not so much: 61% of travellers consider the threat of terrorism an important factor when choosing where to go on their next vacation, up from 52% last year. 25% of travellers (and 29% of Americans) now consider the cost of fuel important when choosing where to go on vacation

US arrivals 'to hit record levels'
The number of foreign visitors to the US this year is forecast to surpass the previous record of 51.2 million achieved in 2000.
US Department of Commerce also projects a further rise to 54 million, generating $113 billion in income in 2007, rising to 63 million in 2010, bringing in $135 billion.
The US hosted 49 million international visitors last year, a 7% increase over 2004.
Visitors from Europe are expected to generate 4% annual growth from 2005 to 2010 to reach 13 million visitors. The UK is projected to maintain its rank as the top overseas market.
The forecasts confirm a bounce back of international arrivals following the 9/11 terrorist attacks of 5 years ago and come against a background of continuing industry concerns over tightened security measures and visa requirements for travellers to the US.

Internet info

Visitor traffic to holiday homes.canada (www.holidayhomes.ca) & For Rent By Owner in Canada (www.FRBO.ca) web sites for the month of October 2005:
Total 'hits' for the month = 161,170 hits (5,199 per day)
Total 'unique visits' for the month = 12,122 (391 per day)
Visitors came from 80+ countries.
For more information, including an independent audit of our site performance, and to view the countries of origin for visitors click here.

Advice for the property owner

Insurance
Owners of rental properties currently face a challenging insurance market where high premiums, elevated deductibles and lower coverage levels are the norm. And that's where coverage is available at all! Click here for a complete article.

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