Students are spending more while travelling

A fall afternoon on Mount St-Hilaire, Quebec
Photo: Claude-Jean Harel

(Originally published in TOURISM)

Travelmole's David Wilkening reports that a new survey shows the average spent by young people on a trip abroad is now $2,600, a 39% rise since 2002. That's an 8% growth, which is more than inflation and slightly higher than the growth in travel expenditures across the population, says the World Youth Student & Educational Travel Confederation (WYSE).

"Overall, the global youth travel market will be worth US$154 billion this year," the group says. The report also shows young travellers are early adopters of new travel technology, with more than 80% now using the internet to search for information before departing on their trip, up from 70% in 2002.

When asked what were the most valuable features of travel websites, respondents noted the ability to compare prices and the availability of information about destinations, both of which were cited by over 80%. Less than 60% identified the ability to book their entire trip on the same website or the ability to save their enquiry on the site as valuable.

Gaspé has high hopes for the cruise sector

(Originally published in TOURISM)

Radio-Canada reports that by 2010, the town of Gaspé hopes to welcome cruise ships with a capacity of between 1500 and 3000 passengers. The ships currently making Gaspé a port of call rarely carry more that 400 to 500 passengers.

The Gaspé region harbours a number of potential draws for tourists who go on cruises, according to the executive director of Gaspé's visitors and conventions bureau Stéphane Sainte-Croix: "Our national parks are major assets in our tourism offering, as is the presence of the Port of Gaspé, which is open year-round and provides berthing space for sizeable ships."

The report mentions how the quality of port infrastructure could be a determinant in Tourisme Québec's upcoming choice of ports of call for the province. The intent, according to Gaspé Chamber of Commerce director Julie Bouffard, "is to be able to provide a variety of suitable programs, towns and ports that are market-ready for the cruise sector."

Canadian hotel construction booms

(Originally published in TOURISM)

An astounding 2000 more hotel rooms are being created in Montréal over the next two years. Two international hotel companies, Ritz-Carlton and Starwood Hotel's, are investing $100 million dollar each into their respective properties, and another big spend on property is an $80 million dollar investment in the Crystal de la Montagne, located in the heart of Montréal's downtown shopping area, according to an article published in eTurboNews. The report says the project with the biggest budget is the $400-million redevelopment project for Montréal's historic former Viger Station Hotel.

The article states that a brand new concept for cheap-chic hotels, offering affordable accommodation without compromising on design and comfort, has been introduced in Montréal by ALT Hotels; in addition to the leisure market, ALT Hotels will also target business, meetings and convention market. To serve this clientele, the hotel will have more than 5,000 square feet of space for business meetings including a main conference room located on the top floor, with breath-taking views of Montreal.

The luxury-hotel boom is well underway with close to 1,000 luxury hotel rooms opening up across Toronto. In August 2007, Toronto saw the opening of The Hazelton Hotel, the first five-star hotel in the city. According to eTurboNews, by 2010 Toronto will have four new 5-star hotels with major players such as Trump, the Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons and Shangri-La. And, existing hotels have stepped it up a notch by undergoing extensive refurbishments in 2007.

Luxury boutique hotels are also opening up in Canada, with properties like the Montréal Buddha Bar Hotel which will have 106 rooms and will be located in the former building of the Provincial Bank. In Vancouver, the Melville area is fast becoming a hotbed of upscale boutique hotels, including the 127-room Ritz-Carlton, the 77-room Loden Vancouver, the Shangri-La Hotel, and the Coast Coal Harbour Hotel will be a four-star hotel offering a range of accommodation for business and leisure travellers.

Wi-Fi hotspots keep growing

(Originally published in TOURISM)

ITworldcanada.com reports that a recent report from research firm In-Stat suggests Wi-Fi use is on the rise due to the proliferation of hotspots. The data are mixed however, according to an article by Tim Wilson, in that some areas are a lot hotter than others.

"People use Wi-Fi in hotels, airports, and cafes," says Daryl Schoolar, senior analyst at In-Stat and the author of the report. "You don't have a lot of people using Wi-Fi outdoors." Schoolar says this is one of the reasons why municipal Wi-Fi networks have struggled: the blanket access model doesn't reflect usage.