Budget hotels in Europe are a great IKEA

While the phone traffic going into travel agent offices is by far greatest for travel to winter vacation resorts, the questions this week related to both sunspot travel and worldwide destinations.

QUESTION: I want to go overseas to Europe. I don't like many of the older hotels that seem to be so common in most of the countries. I like some of the newer, less expensive good quality places we can book here in Canada. What is available in this regard over there?

ANSWER: Consumers are waiting with anticipation for the opening of the next IKEA.

But the wait is not just for the big new addition to Winnipeg's retail landscape. The company is branching out well beyond its tradition furniture and home-fixture retail model upon which it has built its success.

It has recently announced it is moving into the hospitality sector with the establishment of at least 100 budget design hotels.

After studying research, they found the fastest expanding sector of the European hospitality industry is in boutique-style properties that are marketed at prices the ordinary traveller can afford.

Concluding this fits in with their style of consumer thinking, the first series of properties will be opened in Europe under a different name and managed in conjunction with an as yet unannounced established hotel operator that understands the European visitor market.

The first one will likely open in Germany with others scheduled for the U.K., Netherlands and Poland.

The North American trend that has really gained traction over the last few years in the accommodation sector revolves around budget properties as well.

Both business and leisure travellers are filling brands that offer free breakfasts, complimentary Internet, and quality beds in small but well-appointed rooms. The boutique style addition to the budget equation is certain to be a great success as it takes foothold in Canada and the United States whether it is by IKEA or other progressive hotel chains.

There is already a number of this style of accommodation in most places in Europe. They may not always be in the central core of the major cities but they are available.

QUESTON: I have been deeply disappointed at the removal of both Panama and Manzanillo from our non-stop sun destination options. What will be the popular places to go this year, and can we look forward to anything new in the future out of Winnipeg?

ANSWER: While Mexico will continue to attract the majority of vacationers, simply because of the numbers of flights available by all the tour operators, my bet for this year is Jamaica.

It, too, has lost some lift out of Manitoba, but it is gaining momentum out of two celebrations that are putting it at the publicity forefront.

With Usain Bolt's achievement as the recognized fastest man on Earth, the coverage of his and other Jamaican runners has been nonstop all over the world. But truly more significant is the celebration of Jamaica's 50 years of independence.

This is a big deal and is being celebrated in a big way, with plenty of events and activities for Canadians to participate in over the winter.

For those who have never been to Jamaica, it is a country with extremely warm and stable weather during our prime travel months, and its accommodation has grown into world-class ranking with most of the major holiday brands available.

It has been a number of years since I visited the country, but it is my plan to take our annual father-son golf vacation there in November. I have golfed on many of their courses over the years and can assure you they, too, are similarly world-class.

As for the future, it may not be on the immediate horizon, but the designation of Air Transat by the Canadian government, allowing them to operate scheduled international air services between Canada and Colombia. Regardless of any of the publicity you may have heard in the past, people who vacation there come back raving about the beaches and the hospitality.

When Transat Holidays will begin putting their product in their brochures is not known, but we can only hope Manitoba might be included in part of the process.

Remember, you can still visit both Manzanillo and Panama with relatively easy connections out of alternative gateways.

QUESTION: I have always wanted to go to Bali but have read reports of criminal activity against tourists recently. How serious is it for tourists visiting there to be accosted or otherwise harmed?

ANSWER: Over the past few years, there were some terrorist cells that created havoc and loss of life to both Indonesians and tourist in the area, but most of these are seen to be under control.

However, our government website (www.voyage.gc.ca) still recommends Canadians exercise a high degree of caution when visiting Jakarta and Bali.

Other reports from Australia point out some of the more recent incidents have been directly related to alcohol consumption, nightclub fights and motorbike accidents.

Traffic accidents are still the biggest cause of deaths, ahead of terrorist incidents by far.

It is noteworthy that traffic accidents are the biggest risk travellers face when travelling to most countries of the world. With different rules and traffic patterns, tourists too often concentrate on the sites rather than the sounds and the vehicle movement around them.

Forward your travel questions to askjourneys@journeystravel.com. Ron Pradinuk is president of Journeys Travel & Leisure SuperCentre and can be heard Sundays at noon on CJOB. Previous columns and tips can be found on www.journeystravelgear.com or read Ron's travel blog at www.thattravelguy.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 25, 2012 D3