This year, Travel Manitoba’s prestigious Tourism Awards program celebrates its 15^th year. Join us in honouring those who make a difference in Manitoba’s tourism industry. Nominate a leader, an innovator, an organization or individual who is passionate about Manitoba and works hard to share that with our visitors. Nominate someone or yourself today. Click below for detailed information.

http://www.manitobatourismawards.com/

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%3D5045&page%3D200434&article_id%3D40

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

WFP Columnist Doug Speirs: After Zeus checked into the Delta Winnipeg earlier this month, it wasn't long before the devilishly handsome young fellow became unbearably lonely.

A stranger in a strange land, his mournful wails made it clear to everyone in the upscale hotel that he just couldn't stand being stuck in a room all by himself.

Fortunately for Zeus, from the moment the staff at the downtown Delta laid eyes on his fuzzy face, it was love at first sight.

So, alerted by their guest's plaintive cries, they came riding to the rescue, freeing Zeus from his room, taking him downstairs and showering him with love, affection and more than a few treats.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/a-doggone-nice-hotel-197265551.html

Developers are beginning to add meat to the bones as they piece together a plan for a major new development that will reshape the future of downtown Winnipeg.

Longboat Development Corporation and Artis Real Estate Investment Trust were given the go-ahead last year to put together plans for redeveloping two large Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation-owned surface parking lots in the heart of the downtown -- one on Graham Avenue and the other on Donald Avenue....      ...But the proposal they presented to MPI last year, the details of which haven't been previously released, called for a mixed-use development that includes a large outdoor plaza surrounded by two mid-sized office buildings and a multi-level parkade. 

Both office buildings would face onto the outdoor plaza and would include restaurants and retail shops on the bottom two floors. The parkade would also have restaurant or retail space on the ground floor and maybe a highrise hotel built above it at one end.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/more-big-ideas-for-downtown-197266281.html

In a town whose economy depends on tourism dollars, the province’s recent announcement of a ban on smoking at public beaches and provincial parks will likely affect visitors to this small beachside community who smoke, at least initially.

Winnipeg Beach mayor Tony Pimentel says the smoking ban will have an effect on the town, but says people will adjust.

“Unfortunately, our bandstand sits right in the middle of a provincial park, so the smoking ban will be an inconvenience for smokers who would like to enjoy the shows there. I guess that they will simply have to move back past the sidewalk.”

That is indeed where the line will be drawn, so to speak, as smoking will still be permitted on town property only inches away from the designated smoking ban area, and so the inconvenience will in actuality be a minor one for smokers in the case of Winnipeg Beach.

http://www.interlaketoday.ca/2013/03/11/smoking-ban-a-minor-inconvenience-for-winnipeg-beach

Complete: Richardson International Airport has been recognized as being one of the best air terminals for its size in the world.

Winnipeg Airports Authority, which runs the recently-opened terminal, placed fifth in the Best Airport by Size Award at the Airport Service Quality Awards. The WAA won the best improvement in North America category.

More than 275 airports globally participate in the awards, which is calculated by measuring passenger satisfaction.

“Exceeding customers’ expectations is a priority and the service quality awards confirm the position of our community’s airport in the eyes of our passengers and community members,” said Barry Rempel, president and CEO of the WAA.

http://www.winnipegsun.com/2013/03/11/winnipegs-airport-wins-most-improved-title

As Catholics across Canada pay close attention to Rome, where 115 cardinals locked in the Sistine Chapel will soon elect a new Pope, nowhere is there a more personal connection than La Motte, Que.

The tiny town of just 439 residents is the hometown of Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, considered to be one of the frontrunners for the papacy.

Located 600 kilometres northwest of Montreal, La Motte doesn’t have a single restaurant or hotel room. But if Ouellet were to become pope, making him the world’s most powerful religious leader, the town could quickly turn into an international pilgrimage destination.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/could-this-tiny-quebec-town-become-a-tourist-destination-1.1192017

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. - After a year-plus that included a fatal cruise and a disabled ship that had to be towed back to port, cruise line executives will discuss industry trends and its future at a 29th annual conference.

Seven executives are expected to address the on-board experience, globalization of the industry and more on Tuesday for the State of the Industry session at the Cruise Shipping Miami conference.

On the panel will be a representative from Carnival Cruise Lines, part of Miami-based Carnival Corp. The company owns both the Triumph that spent days without power in the Gulf of Mexico and the Costa Concordia that ran aground off the coast of Italy a year ago, killing 32 people.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/cruise-line-executives-to-discuss-trends-future-during-panel-session-at-annual-conference-197261191.html

PARIS - Frankfurt's airport closed, trains under the English Channel were suspended, and Belgium's prince was among thousands of people stuck at home — all because of a sudden dump of oddly late snowfall on Western Europe.

Less prepared for the kind of heavy snow that regularly hits northern and eastern neighbours, France, Britain and Belgium struggled Tuesday to keep moving amid the frosty, blustery conditions.

Instead of enjoying the onset of spring, travellers shivered in stranded cars, packed onto icy train platforms, or languished in airport waiting halls. Thousands of schoolchildren stayed home. Thousands of homes were without electricity.

Frankfurt airport, Europe's third busiest, closed at midday after recording about 12 centimetres (5 inches) of snow. More than 200 flights had already been cancelled and many others were delayed.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/frankfurt-airport-europes-3rd-busiest-shut-down-amid-heavy-snowfall-197300431.html

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. said Monday that it plans to add 50 more luxury hotels in 12 countries over the next five years after nearly doubling its international luxury presence over the past five.

The company currently owns 160 hotels in 39 countries as part of The Luxury Collection, St. Regis and W brands, and says it responding to growing global demand for luxury lodging.

"We are on the cusp of a new golden age of luxury travel as technology and globalization drive new trade routes, capital flows and wealth creation," Frits van Paasschen, president and CEO, said in a statement.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/travel/starwood-says-it-will-add-50-luxury-hotels-overseas-in-the-next-5-years-197134271.html

(A complete article published originally in the WFP, Mar.  '27)

The Advertising Club of New York will stop off in Winnipeg for luncheon and dinner July 22, on the return trip from the Pacific coast, following a convention In Denver, Col., announced T. T. Porte, manager of the Tourist and Convention bureau, yesterday. This is the same organization that visited London, England, in 1926.