Travel Manitoba is pleased to welcome Laurie Barkman of ServicEdge Training and Consulting as a guest columnist on our Tourism Industry website. Laurie has extensive experience working in the hospitality industry and has seen the impact that excellent customer service, both internal and external, can have on a business. Laurie’s first article asks the question, “Are you easy to do business with?” Click below to find out how to look at your business from the customer’s perspective.

http://www.travelmanitoba.com/TI/IndustryToolbox/Insider/ArticleID_40/AreYouEasytodoBusinessWith/&node=5045&page=200434&article_id=40

Thinking about expanding your farm business? MAFRI is offering an experiential agritourism tour on March 21^st, from 9:30 – 4:00 in Brandon. Click below for details.

http://www.travelmanitoba.com/images_tr/pdf/experiential_agritourism_study_tour.pdf

Complete: With less than a week to go before the first camping reservations open in Manitoba provincial parks, now is a good time to confirm your online user name and password.

The province says that, last year, three-quarters of their reservations happened online — triple the number from a decade ago — and they are adjusting their service to match demand.

Cabins, yurts and group-use areas will open for reservations at 7 a.m. on Monday, March 25. Regular campsite reservations begin the first Monday in April. This year, that is April 1.

Online reservations will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The call centre will be open varying hours, during the times that the people are most likely to call — generally mornings. It's a toll-free number, 1-888-482-2267.

Walk-in reservations are also available at 200 Salteaux Cres. in Winnipeg, during normal business hours.

Cabin and yurt reservations require a two-night minimum.

Accounts for online reservations can be set up at http://prspub.gov.mb.ca.

http://www.brandonsun.com/breaking-news/Cabin-reservations-less-than-a-week-away-198974121.html?thx=y

OTTAWA -- Canada's largest bank is forecasting the economy will do slightly better than most expect in the next two years, and one reason why is that the Canadian dollar won't.

The Royal Bank (TSX:RY) is projecting growth rates of 1.8 per cent for 2013 and 2.9 per cent for 2014, which is a couple of decimal points better than the consensus estimate federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty will use in Thursday's budget.

The RBC forecasts Manitoba will have the fourth-strongest growth rate in the country with a 2.7 per cent boost in the GDP in 2013, which matches 2012's rate, second-highest among the provinces. It's calling for 2.8 per cent growth for 2014, third-highest.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/lower-loonie-will-boost-economy-rbc-predicts-199105371.html

Complete: Statistics Canada says Canadians made 5.5 million trips abroad in January, down 0.4 per cent from December.

Travel to the United States rose 0.2 per cent in January to 4.8 million trips, but this increase was outweighed by a drop in trips overseas.

Canadians made 769,000 trips to countries other than the United States in January, down 4.3 per cent from December and the lowest level since December 2011.

Travel to Canada remained unchanged at 2.1 million trips in January, as an increase in trips from the United States offset a decrease from overseas countries.

More than 1.7 million visitors came to Canada from the United States, up 0.2 per cent from December.

Visits to Canada by overseas travellers declined 1.1 per cent to 387,000.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2013/03/20/business-travel-january.html

GENEVA - The global airline industry has forecast a modest improvement in global net profits for 2013, crediting a backdrop of rising optimism about the world's economy — particularly in the United States and Europe.

The International Air Transport Association, whose 240 member airlines carry 84 per cent of all passengers and cargo, upgraded its financial outlook Wednesday to expected profits of $10.6 billion this year, mainly based on more passengers and cargo handled.

IATA said the industry's overall revenue in 2013 is expected to rise to $671 billion from $637 billion last year, while costs will go up to $649 billion from $623 billion.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/airlines-raise-2013-profit-outlook-based-on-passenger-cargo-demand-199125741.html

SAN ANTONIO - In a March 13 story about a proposed judgment in a lawsuit brought by Texas communities who say several online travel companies owe them hotel occupancy taxes, The Associated Press erroneously reported that U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia ordered the companies to pay the communities $55 million. The two sides submitted a proposed judgment for that amount, but Garcia isn't expected to rule on the proposal until April.

Lawyers for 11 online travel companies and more than 170 Texas cities have agreed on a proposed $55 million judgment in a dispute over hotel occupancy taxes.

U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia of San Antonio on March 12 accepted the proposal on possible total damages and interest in the 2006 class-action case. Garcia had asked both sides to agree on an amount before he enters his final judgment in April.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/correction-hotel-tax-story-198996571.html

MEXICO CITY - Mexico's top tourism official said the country may drop out of the world's top 10 tourist destinations, a spot it has held for years.

Tourism Secretary Claudia Ruiz Massieu hasn't said why the drop occurred, but there were declines in 2012 in two areas that have been affected by violence: border tourism and cruise ship stopovers.

The number of cruise ship passengers stopping in Mexico dropped 3 per cent in 2012 and more than 15 per cent over the past two years. The number of border visitors dropped 5.3 per cent in 2012, according to Tourism Department figures.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/travel/official-mexico-may-drop-out-of-top-10-tourism-destinations-a-spot-its-held-for-years-199028591.html

(A complete article published originally in the WFP, Mar.  '56)

A bill up for second reading in the legislature will allow the government to restrict construction of new tourist camps, hunting and fishing lodges, auto and trailer parks adjacent to highways if it feels it desirable. The bill also contains a number of other amendments to the industry and commerce act. The main amendment has resulted from a number of "shacks" springing up close to highways. Until the bill is passed the government had no authority to restrict; such buildings. The bill gives the provincial cabinet power to prescribe the type and standard of construction of hunting or fishing lodges, motels and tourist camps built adjacent to highways.