Kirk Cassels' Weekly Wrap of User Comments: June 15-18

I was semi-watching the United States tie Slovenia 2-2 in our team's second match in the 2010 FIFA World Cup today (semi-watching because half of the screen time was spent on my laptop working and, for the record, there were other employees with me— who will remain nameless unless I need to take them down with me), and could not miss the confusion and outrage over the referee's disqualification of a go-ahead goal in the final minutes that would have put our guys up 3-2. Not only was his call vilified by the ESPN commentators (one of which can be considered objective when, in his natural English accent, he said that even as an England fan he felt the U.S. was robbed), but there appeared to be no explanation or citation of what foul was committed.

Fortunately for that referee, the game wasn't taking place in Philadelphia, McAfee Coliseum (where the dreaded Black Hole of Oakland Raiders fans await) or even in Madison Square Garden when Bowe and Golotta are fighting. There are probably hundreds in South Africa right now, and hundreds of thousands across the planet, that want his head. This takes place just after the recent tainting of a perfect game by Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga when umpire Jim Joyce made, clearly, an incorrect call at first base (he later admitted his error).

Needless to say, it has not been the best of times for sports referees as of late. Hence, I'm a little on edge this week when it comes to making calls on what readers of TravelAgentCentral.com have been saying as of late. I'd like to think that, over the course of the Weekly Wrap, I've been fair enough and have admitted when incorrect calls have been made. But that could always change. Let's see what happens this week.

Yellow Card of the Week

Mistakes happen and fouls are sometimes committed without any malicious intention. But they still happen. Last week, I had to remind someone that we are not Pet Airways but instead are a media outlet reporting about the airline. A similar instance took place this week when a reader commented on our report about Le Sereno in St. Barts naming a new general manager. Maroussia Nassief Reid apparently believes new GM Javier Vila works with us, writing:

Hello Mr. Vila,
Remember me? Maroussia from the Mayfair......my dad was going to spain so i looked you up and found you close to my caribbean home!!! Please email me so we can keep in touch! My email is nomadtribe@sbcglobal.net

Come on, Maroussia. The property's website is right there at the end of the story(here it is again: www.lesereno.com). We enjoy sharing the news with everyone but we can't do all of the following up and networking on our own. Have to call a foul on that one.

Red Card of the Week

As I said, mistakes sometimes happen without any ill will. But then there are those that are not only blatanly malicious, but sloppy as well. Take for instance Jonh London who, when commenting on our new full-timer Meagan Drillinger's report on adrenaline junky travel suggestions, posted:

You call this "for travellers on a budget" ? ($19999 for 1 week)....For that kind of money I can go 2 weeks to New-Zealand, and climb the vulcano's there!

Jonh, or somehow I bet you meant to add your name as "John," there is no package for $19,999. Yes, there is one for $1,999 if you want to go tornado chasing. However, not only are the rest of the packages low-cost (one as low as $96 per night) but the story says the source of the list is one that targets budget-minded. There's no line that deliberately says "these are all highly affordable" or something of the sort. Plus, I am pretty sure New Zealand is not supposed to have a hyphen in it and it's "volcano," not vulcano (Spock plays no role in magma production). You're always welcome to share your two cents, but that doesn't mean your free from penalty if you are not careful.

Time Out

I enjoy seeing the passion that readers have when it comes to multilevel marketing companies like YTB, but sometimes it's exhausting and could use a break. Such is the case with a recent report by George Dooley analyzing a cheeky column written by Peter Stilphen about whether travel professionals should join an MLM or not. I shared most of the exchanges last week, and there are now more to read. The latest is a call-and-response pattern between denyse and Laura. It began with denyse's initial comment:

I'm a former YTB member and once I learned that there are definitely alternatives for me to sell MORE travel WITHOUT paying $50 per month, I jumped. I needed to sell RCCL and NCL because that's what my clients wanted. I also get much more training and support.  My business has increased by 3000% since leaving and I pay $0 per month.
I had talked and talked to various YTB people to get them to see the light. I've come to understand that no matter what I say, unless you see the light for yourself you'll stay there. I don't have the time to keep saying the same things over and over again.
I wish everyone in YTB well who's looking to sell travel. But there ARE better alternatives. Think about your clients. SOME of them HAVE heard about YTB. And your business will not be as successful as it could be while with YTB.

Laura then chimed in:

Just because you WISH that MLMs didn't have a legitimate (and successful) business model doesn't mean they don't. No, YTB is not my host. There are a lot of businesses that sell their products through the MLM model...Avon, Stella and Dot, Discovery Toys, etc. Traditional travel agents have my respect...I was one myself...but they do not OWN the product of travel. It is not their decision who gets to sell travel and who doesn't. Sorry.

To which denyse responded:

Laura, I don't think this article is talking about ANY MLM outside of travel. Yes, Avon, Mary Kay, Discovery Toys, etc are successful MLM business models.
The issue with TRAVEL MLMs is that the profit margin in travel is not large enough to support a MLM business model. Therefore, you HAVE to recruit in order to make money. Those other businesses promote products. Travel MLMs promote travel websites - that's not a product. That's a marketing tool.
There is not one SUCCESSFUL travel MLM.  All of them have issues. Even the ones who "claim" success have added additional products to their company so the reps can earn money.

Time out. I'm taking a break from this one on calls. But I'd enjoy to read what others have to say.

Fair Call

There's been some major stories taking place about air travel— only during the past few days, weeks, months and years— from airline mergers to added fees, and they are obviously of concern to agents. Two recent developments that have caught the attention of some readers are the proposed merger between Continental Airlines and United Airlines as well as American Airlines latest unbundling of fees. The former is the larger story, and Bradley is taking it quite seriously, stating:

This merger needs blocked. Ultimately, it will force airlines to keep merging until there are only one or two mega-airlines left. What this is doing is creating a position where domestic flights will cost far more than international flights. This hurts the airlines and the consumer, with us travel agents stuck in the middle.

Sounds like a good point. Does anyone out there disagree? I don't, but perhaps I'm making a bad call here.

Meanwhile, Alex appears to be on the fence regarding the issue with American Airlines, writing:

I'm a bit torn on this issue - specifically on the idea of paying a fee to reduce another fee you may or may not incurr. Also, can we file this as another fee related to baggage? With assigned seats, the only real reason to be first on board is to grab overhead bin space for your luggage - space which has become far more precious since baggage fees have driven passengers to bring more and more baggage as carry-ons. Bin space was never meant to handle the influx of passengers trying to avoid fees - if more of these bags were capable of being checked without a fee, would this kind of pre-boarding even be considered to be a perk?

I think you are on the right track, Alex. Whether it's been for business or leisure, I've tried my hardest to pack carry-on luggage only to save time and money. In the end, it seems travelers will have to decide whether to spend more on convenience or being well-equipped. This doesn't seem like a winning situation for anyone besides the airlines, those bastards.

Note to the Peanut Gallery

I am no stranger to sarcasm and Darrell Turner apparently isn't, either. From the sidelines, he makes an interesting point this week about the UK Culture Secretary's new tourism plan but I can't help but sense some heckling in his tone when he comments:

This is a great strategy, for the UK. But let me think about it a minute. Gee, if the USA did the same, and if Germany and Thailand and Spain and Italy did the same, we could collectively choke off 10 or 15% of international travel. The British can vacation at home. We'll vacation at home. Germans can vacation at home. International Airlines can reduce their routes, and all will be happy. Right??

We can and may. Or, maybe we can hear colorful tales from the Brits and Germans, among others, about some enriching and/or exciting journeys that they've taken within their homeland and become inspired to make that journey ourselves? That seems plausible to me.

Moment of Silence

No matter what's taking place on the playing field, the sidelines or elsewhere, there are some instances when all teams and fans take an appropriate moment to honor something important. This week, the travel industry lost a friend in John Shands, executive vice president of Leisure Alliance, who passed away after a battle with cancer. Christopher Flores of the Airlines Reporting Corporation's (ARC) Verified Travel Consultant (VTC) program immediately took a moment to honor Shands, saying:

You will be missed, John.

I am sure he will be. We here at Travel Agent are keeping Shands' family, friends and colleagues in our prayers.

As always, the conversation never ends here. Keep sharing your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you by posting comments below or one other articles. Write us at our Facebook page or send a tweet to our Twitter page (@travelagentmag). Of course, you can always discuss topics in real time at AgentNation. We want to hear from you. Until next week...

Kirk Cassels' Weekly Wrap of User Comments: May 10-14

Before we get started this week, I'd like to suggest agents (particularly those with clients who are eager to visit Great Britain) take time this weekend, or sometime soon, to go see the new Robin Hood film by Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett and William Hurt. I had the privilege of seeing an advance screening this past Wednesday and, in my layman's opinion, not only is the film a subtle and original take on the legendary figure (that is neither hoaky nor driven by a Robin Hood that speaks with an American accent- sorry, Costner), it has some beautiful scenery that could further entice clients to make the journey across the pond. The backdrop of the film can remind clients about the bucolic regions of the country where they can go to truly escape and, perhaps, get in touch with the original sources of thei heritage. Visit www.visitbritain.com/en/campaigns/robinhood for more and you'll see what I mean.

That being said, let's take a look at what readers have been saying at TravelAgentCentral this week. I'm glad to report that most of the comments this week have been focused on helping agents through advice or warning.

More on Vacation Rentals

We've been discussing the potential impact that vacation rentals can have on an agent's business for almost a month now, and the conversation is not going away just yet. In fact, two readers shared some information on the topic just this week.

First up this week was michael chisholm, of Wimco Villas. He wrote:

As a sales agent working for a villa reservation company, we help Travel Agents all the time as we apprciate the need to further the villa vacation market. The company I work for, www.wimco.com represents villas in the Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico, Europe and Nantucket and ALL our destinations have on island support for vactioners. In the ever expanding vacation rental marketplace, specialising in specfic destinations is important as this provides better accuracy overall.

Perhaps you are weary of potentially subjective information coming from a supplier, which is understandable. Therefore, I suggest you listen to Amanda, who posted:

Staying in hotels on vacation is a thing of the past! So many more people love the option of getting a vacation rental and having more privacy and more space. Not to mention how affordable they can be. I believe that vacation rentals are a great market for travel agents. I myself book vacation rentals and get nothing but great reviews.

Lisa is another non-supplier who is a strong supporter of this niche market, stating:

When in Hawaii, staying in a vacation rental whether it is in a villa or a home, it is the only way to go. I had the opportunity to work with the friendly staff at Tropical Villa Vacations, who showed a genuine concern for all of my travel needs. The location that we chose was perfect!

The fact that so many comments have been coming in on this topic over the course of a month (which is like years in Internet timing) is more than encouraging, to say the least. I hope agents take the opportunity to keep sharing more on the topic both here and at a discussion thread on AgentNation.

Speaking of AgentNation

Last week, we reported on Expedia's new Travel Agent Affiliate program and, although there have been no comments posted (yet) directly on the story, we've received feedback at our discussion thread on the matter at AgentNation. If you haven't signed up and/or logged in yet, here's what some agents had to share on the matter.

Angie was the first to respond, writing:

I am excited about this because now clients can't say "we booked it on Expedia". They will know we can get them the best price available no questions asked. I do have one question. I am trying to sign up online for the free sign up before June promo. It wants my bank info. Is that so they can bill us the 50dollars?

Meanwhile, user macaw_mom does not appear as enthused as Angie, posting:

I am not that excited. I see the online agencies like this worried they are losing to the True Travel Agent. Commission levels for TAAP are: 10% for Expedia Special Rate hotels $6 per booking for Agency Hotels 5% on vacation packages (flight+hotel, flight+car rental, flight+hotel+car rental). Note Minimum 3 night/3day Land Content 3% on vacation packages (flight+hotel, flight+car rental, flight+hotel+car rental). Note Less than 3 night/3day Land Content 10% for activities I just booked a 7 day vacation - Hotel/Air - my commission is $347.00 If I did it through Expedia - at 5% - my commission would have been $160.00 I work hard for my money - to build my business not theirs If people want to book from Orbitz or Expedia, I say okay... In 2010 I have seen an increase in customers, who say they are tired of spending so much time on the internet finding the best price. I will remain "true" to my agency & my customers, without affiliating with these online booking companies.

What's your take? Is the Expedia program an opportunity for agents as online travel agencies (OTAs) seek new relationships or is it, perhaps, a waste of time too late in the game? Agents chimed in on the subject at our Facebook page as well. Here is what some of them had to say.

Dedra Shahan wrote:

While it's wonderful to be recognized as valuable, I can't help but think these giant companies will market direct to our clients thus becoming Their clients. My prefered tour operators will price match. I work with companies that have always valued my expertise.

Laure Poffenberger shared:

They are chasing their tails now & realize what a great asset using a travel agent is. So much of travel just cannot be planned over the Internet & when there is a problem our clients want help from someone the know & trust. I in turn want to use a tour operator that I know & trust. I think OTA's are in trouble & are grasping at straws.

What are your thoughts? Hit us up by posting a comment below or at the original posting. You can also join the conversation at our Facebook page, send a tweet to us at our Twitter page (@travelagentmag) and join the discussion in real time at AgentNation.

Readers Request Answers

Sometimes, we write a report about a new business or supplier and some readers, apparently, believe that means we are that same business. That's flattering, in some regard, as they consider us the ultimate source of information on the matter. But as an organization that does its best to cover all aspects of the travel trade, it can be hard to answer specific questions.

For instance, we've received a lot of attention to our initial report on the introduction of Pet Airways to the industry. Most recently, one reader inquired about potential flights to Europe on the carrier.

Gisela Gonzalez Flores-Clarke wrote:

Your service looks fantastic!! When are you opening flights to Europe? I need to travel to England twice a year and need to bring my 5 kilo Yorkie. Sending him in the hold is definately not a option for me!!! I do hope you start service to Europe asap!!!!!!!!

I wish I had an answer for you, Gisela. With the company now just more than a year old, I kind of doubt they will be doing flights outside of the United States just yet. However, perhaps if you take a gander at the Help section Pet Airways web site you can find the answers you need, be it a timetable on potential flights or a straight up answer if it is going to happen, ever.

James Collier recently commented on a story in a similar manner. After learning about Tourism Ireland's new Golden Trekker for seniors riding Irish Rail, he commented:

This development is very welcome, my sister was born in UK of Irish parentd and they returned to Ireland when she was 2, she went to nurse in UKwhen she was 18 and has lived there since. She comes to stay with us each year and this will be very useful. I write for the Senior Times and I would appreciate an e-mail of this information and any other useful information for seniors travelling, including reserving seats, etc.
Best Regards,
Jim Collier
116 Sea Park, Malahide

James, I'd be delighted to help you by sharing any information I can find. However, you did not provide an e-mail for me to contact you. Can you post it in a comment or contact me at kcassels@questex.com and I'll see what I can do? Until then, if any agents and readers out there can share additional information on this program, that would be a great help. It runs through the end of the year. Here's the Tourism Ireland web site, which may provide answers: www.tourismireland.com.

America('s Vacation Center) is Under Attack!

Two months ago, there was a lot of attention on the temporary demise of Travelport and it transitioned to discussions on how an agent's leads may be affected. But as much as the conversation was based around Travelport, one reader brough America's Vacation Center (AVC) into the fray.

Mary brought it up, writing:

Beware of AVC They will take 70% of your commission and all referrals generated from that one lead will be their's, again taking 70% commision. I was promised the referrals as my own, which I thought would be worth giving up that initial commission,but boy was I wrong. I was hounded on every extra person that booked their trip and asked if they came from their live lead. They took that customer as their own because they were referred.. Also, all of my customer base that I put into their system at the time so I could market to them, are still being marketed to by AVC after I quit them as my host agency. That is so wrong. Just my 2cents worth.

Note that this is Mary's opinion and not that of the staff her at Travel Agent. Regardless, that's disappointing to read. Anyone out there able to support or rebuff Mary's take on AVC? I'd like to learn more (and I doubt I'm alone).

Advice for an Editor

Normally, an exchange between readers and writers/editors on the site involves our staff responding with some information to help our audience. But this week, we was a bit of the reverse happen as our own Jena Tesse Fox journeyed to Durban, South Africa for the 2010 Indaba trade show (the largest in Africa). Read her most recent report here.

But before Jen hit the trade show floor to share reports, she took a seemingly endless journey across the Atlantic Ocean, most of it pleasant thanks to South African Airlines. On the topic of drinking too much or not enough coffee before a flight, reader Alfredo Tor-Paz made a suggestion to Jena, stating:

In spite of the strong coffee, never drink so much caffeine after 6pm, it is a very good airline, SAA, my comment, would be over the transfer to domestic, there is no place to complain much....have you tried to fly via the USA??? Horror, thanks for reminding that, I still prefer transferring thru JNB...my grain of sand or salt.

I am currently in the midst of what has been numerous attempts to cut back on coffeed, and it is indeed hard. Still, Afredo's comments are spot on regarding drinking it at night. Hopefully Jena takes his advice before flying back next week.

Speaking of next week... we'll catch up again on what's causing buzz around the industry and at TravelAgentCentral. Keep the comments coming (below or elsewhere) and don't forget to extend to conversation to other outlets such as our Facebook page, our Twitter page (@travelagentmag) and in real time at AgentNation

Wrapping Up in Wales

There are, in fact, two "Waleses." One is a mix of blue-collar industry and urban development, while the other is a fairytale land of pastoral farms, mist-covered mountains and gently flowing rivers and streams. Somehow, these two worlds co-exist in harmony, with 12th-century castles surrounded by suburban town—as though the combination were the most normal thing on earth.

After leaving Cardiff, we drove for half-an-hour into the Welsh countryside until we reached the Celtic Manor Resort, which has quietly been growing and expanding in the town of Newport for the past several decades. It was originally a private estate, then a small hotel, then a maternity hospital (!), then a larger hotel, and is now a spacious resort with three distinct golf courses. Golf fanatics will know the name immediately: The resort will host the Ryder Cup this October on a course it designed specifically for the event—the 2010 Course. 

Rooms at the Resort are elegant and comfortable in an understated way. While maintaining a classy level of luxury, the rooms have a quiet dignity that makes them feel cozy (sorry, cosy) at the same time. (Bear in mind: The King-size bed in my room was actually two twin beds put together, which is great for couples but a wee bit jarring for a single traveler who likes sprawling out in the middle of a huge bed.) 

Like the rooms, the resort's Forum Health Club and Spa is spacious and comfortable without being overwhelming. (Remind your clients to bring a pound coin to use for their lockers. They'll get it back when they leave.) Treatments at the spa are fairly traditional (massages, facials, etc., though one can enjoy an exotic Rasul Mud Ritual as well), and are surprisingly cost-effective. (A 50-minute full-body massage costs £55—roughly $82.) The steam room is dark and small (and quite soothing), and has quirky features like LED lights in the ceiling to recreate a night sky. The therapy rooms are dimly lit and have quiet music on an endless loop—very helpful for relaxing. Therapist Julie Urquhart did my full-body massage, and did a terrific job soothing this perpetually tense New Yorker's knotted back—I highly recommend her. 

[gallery|id=20486|width=580|height=600]

The resort is also a good option for meetings and conventions. Built onto the side of a hill, the convention space links the old Manor House with the new Resort building, keeping guests in daylight on all levels. (Having spent many claustrophobic hours in subterranean conference rooms, this is a real plus.)

For meals, guests can stay at the main Resort building and dine in the Olive Tree restaurant (which sets up a lovely breakfast spread in the mornings—who knew Welsh breakfasts were so much like English breakfasts?!) or The Crown, which has an amazing tasting menu that must be sampled to be believed. The clubhouses at the various golf courses also have great restaurants—check out The Lodge, which sits on the 18th green of the Roman Road golf course, and try the lamb shank (which is probably close in size to a whole lamb).

Culinary note: Wales has a wonderful dish called laverbread—a mix of edible seaweed and oats that is wonderfully tasty and filling. Encourage your clients to ask for some at breakfast, or to see if it's on the menu at their restaurants.

Freshly invigorated by our spa experiences, clay shooting (!), golfing and some delicious meals, we set off for the town of Abergavenny, which is just south of the Brecon Beacons National Park. In a delightfully local twist, we were brought to the Angel Hotel, an intimate little boutique property that sits on top of a pub and restaurant. The 32 rooms are all unique and individually appointed (some have claw-foot tubs), and were all recently renovated. (We could still smell the fresh paint.) The floors in the hallways were uneven and slanted, and the lobby is still being refurbished and refitted. While it currently only has stairs between floors, we were told it would soon be getting elevators (sorry, I mean lifts...no, wait, it's Wales—I mean liffts!) as part of the renovation. The hotel couldn't have been more endearing, and is a great home base for clients visiting the National Park or the surrounding countryside. In the main restaurant, the traditional Welsh cawl (a lamb and vegetable stew) is very tasty, and their mushroom risotto is also delicious. Outside, the town itself is quiet, with most of the stores closing in the early evenings. After the bustling activity of Cardiff, however, the suburban peace of Abergavenny is quite relaxing.

The next morning, with Paul Harris of See Wales as our excellent and very knowledgeable guide, we set off for the mountains, touring the Big Pit—a former iron and coal mine that has been preserved as a museum. Visitors are given headlamps and helmets before descending 300 feet down into the mine, and get to experience what life was like for the people who worked there before Maggie Thatcher closed the mines in the early 1980s. Our guide described—sometimes quite graphically—what working conditions were like there for the men, women and children (often as young as five years old) who were employed for generations in the dangerous darkness. (History buffs will love this gritty and powerful experience, but claustrophobic clients may want to pass.)

The Brecon Beacons National Park is a nature enthusiast's paradise, and your adventure-seeking clients will absolutely want to spend several days here. Activities in the Park include walking (one trail is 100 miles long, and begins in Abergavenny), cycling, rock-climbing, hang-gliding, caving and horse riding; aquatic adventures include sailing, windsurfing, canoeing and fishing its rivers and reservoirs. Unlike most national parks in America, the Brecon Beacons is a living, breathing community—driving through it, one passes numerous farms with sheep grazing in the fields. (Wales, Paul told us, has three million citizens and 15 million sheep.) Advise your clients to be on the lookout for wild ponies—they make for great photo ops. 

One of Wales' former marketing slogans was "641 Castles, 6 Starbucks." (We suspect a few more Starbucks have opened since the slogan was coined, but they have a way to go before they reach the number of castles.) Two of those castles are Castell Coch and Caerphilly Castle, both of which are in varying stages of preservation, but can be rented for events and even weddings. (History-buff clients will swoon over these sites, especially over being able to walk through the thousand-year old buildings.) Pack a picnic lunch and comfortable shoes and go exploring.

Wandering Through Wales

After one last English breakfast, we departed the Park PlazaWestminster Bridge to head to Paddington Station. At Paddington, we boarded a First Great Western train, and admired the scenery for the quiet and remarkably smooth ride. Nice touches: In the first-class cars, tea, coffee and snacks are complimentary, and everything from sandwiches to full meals is available for purchase onboard. (The first-class tickets also give the bearer access to a lovely little lounge in Paddington station, with more coffee/tea/snacks as well as newspapers and Internet access.)

As soon as we crossed into Wales, all of the signs became bilingual. Much like Canada (especially Montreal), Wales is very proud of its heritage, and all signs and menus and other public wording must be in Welsh as well as English. (It’s a great way to pick up a few words in a new language. For example, “lift” is “lifft,” and “balcony” is “balconi.” I’m learning new words every day!)

We disembarked in Cardiff and were promptly picked up by our guide, who drove us over to the Wales Millennium Centre for lunch. Ffresh (yes, with two “f”s and a period) is a funky little restaurant right in the Centre that serves locally sourced cuisine courtesy of Head Chef Kurt Fleming. (The duck confit was quite tasty.) For bespoke tastes, the menu says that they will make any dish for which they have the ingredients upon request. (I thought about asking for something with Spam just to see their reaction, but decided against it.) The kitchen is open, so diners can watch their meals being prepared if they get tired of people-watching through the huge windows that look out over the plaza.

[gallery|id=20435|width=580|height=600]

After lunch, Hazel Robinson took us on a tour of the Millennium Centre, which is all of five years old and has already become a cultural hub of Cardiff. Outside, two poems—one in Welsh, one in English—are carved into the façade of the building. Inside, the lobby and quite a few other areas are open to the public to explore, and performances are frequently held on a smaller stage to the far right of the lobby. The design is hip, post-modern and thoroughly Welsh, with wood from different kinds of local trees and sculptures representing different facets of the country—all by local artists, of course. Inside, various theaters (pardon me, theatres) and studios play host to the Welsh National Opera, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, National Dance Company Wales and other groups. The Donald Gordon Theatre is, according to Hazel, the second-largest stage in Europe (behind Covent Garden in London), and is currently setting up for a run of the musical "Hairspray." The space is ideal for music, she continued, because the walls and chairs are designed to maximize sound, using brick, wood and cloth to bounce or muffle the sound as needed.

Post-tour, we stepped outside into the rain (traditional British weather for March had caught up with us) and walked around the Bay, which was the hub of British industry for over a century. (Today, the area is well-known as the setting for the TV series "Torchwood.") For a lovely spot of color on a gloomy, grey day, a gorgeous carousel has been set up by the water.

We then made our way over to the 2,000-year-old Cardiff Castle, which has managed to remain standing (in some form or another) through eons of history. With less than an hour to explore, we only got to see the Keep (one of the oldest parts of the castle on top of a steep mound—and offering some of the best views of the city to those willing to take on the old stone staircases) and an exhibit on Wales’ military history. (Did you know that the Welsh military always has a goat serving as a lance-corporal? I couldn’t make this up if I tried.) The Castle has a magnificent sense of different eras of history about it, from crumbling walls to a restored and preserved mansion. Encourage your history-buff clients to dedicate several hours to the Castle if they go. Also encourage them to stop off in one of the shops across the street from the Castle and pick up some traditional Welsh artwork like lovespoons. (They’re spoons carved with hearts, and are absolutely adorable.)

From there, we drove half-an-hour out of the city to the Celtic Manor Resort, a five-star golf-and-spa center high on a hill looking over the countryside. We’ll be touring the property tomorrow (and indulging in the spa—can’t wait!), so more about that to come…
 

Report from Best of Britain & Ireland Exhibition

The floor of the Best of Britain & Ireland exhibition

After two days of constantly running around the city, it was almost a relief to stay in one place for a whole day. The Best of Britain & Ireland exhibition brought dozens of specialists and tour operators from all over the British Isles together to celebrate all the things to see and do here. A much longer recap will follow, but here are a few attractions and destinations to bear in mind.

*    Kent is hyping up its tourism campaign, reminding people that Canterbury has been a popular tourist destination ever since Thomas Becket was murdered (some would say martyred) in its cathedral almost 1,000 years ago. Two somewhat more modern attractions around Kent are the neighboring properties of Hever Castle and Penshurst Place, where Henry VIII courted Anne Boleyn. (Like I said, only somewhat more modern.)  Naturally, the two estates celebrate their Tudor history with tours and events, and we heard tell that there is a package visiting sites used in the film The Other Boleyn Girl.

*    In Wiltshire, visitors can stay at the five-star Lucknam Park, the new Bowood Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort—which just opened last year—or the new serviced Peartree Apartments.

*    In Devon, geology buffs can rent a car and drive along the Jurassic Coast line, where exposed rocks show off the layers of the earth. For those less inclined towards geology, there are cycling routes, walking tours and intimate bed-and-breakfasts for a genuine escape from the outside world. At The Globe Hotel, a small inn in the town of Topsham, General Manager Liz Hodges hosts unique events—like a community-wide pot-luck dinner that brought 1,500 people together for a locally-sourced meal. (She hopes to repeat the dinner this year.)

*    Last year’s Homecoming Scotland campaign worked very well, said Linda McAllister, trade marketing manager with Visit Scotland. While the recession kept many people home, North American numbers to Scotland remained steady, and are “way up” for this year already. “Value-for-money is the most important message,” she said. “Events and festivals give clients a chance to really experience cultures.” She said some new fam trips were in the works, and that Scotland would begin promoting itself as a destination for adventure travel, including sea kayaking and mountain climbing.