2010 Adventure Travel World Summit goes to Scotland

by Kraig Becker on

The 2009 edition of the Adventure Travel World Summit (ATWS) has barely ended, and the industry is already looking forward to next year’s event which is scheduled to take place in Aviemore, Scotland in early October. The annual convention, which is hosted by the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), brings together some of the top adventure travel representatives from around the world to discuss issues such as ecotourism, sustainable travel, and possible future destinations.

This year’s event was held in Quebec and welcomed more than 500 attendees who represented a host of travel companies spanning 56 countries from around the globe. Many of those attending used the opportunity to network with one another on potential partnerships as well as share information on best practices that can be applied to the adventure travel industry. A similar number of people are expected to attend the 2010 conference as well.

The ATWS is also used as a showcase for the host destination to demonstrate its own adventure travel potential. Next year, Scotland will be highlighting its challenging trekking courses, white water rafting destinations, and impressive sea kayaking options, all set against dramatic backdrops that are always a lure for outdoor enthusiasts.

Next year’s World Summit will take place from October 4-7 and registration is already open.

Iceland ditches McDonald’s

by Tom Johansmeyer on

It’s been a tough year for Iceland. Thanks to foreign money, crazy lending and borrowing practices and a real estate bubble that amazed the world as it grew and when it popped, the small northern country has suffered severely through the global financial crisis … which was predicted by a walking tour guide prophetic viking. Now, a year after Iceland went bankrupt, it’s losing something else – fast food. McDonald’s is leaving the island nation.

Reykjavik, the capital, is home to all three of the country’s McDonald’s restaurants … but not for long. The decimation of the Icelandic krona and declining profits are forcing the franchise owner to call it quits. Magnus Ogmundsson, managing director of Lyst Hr., which holds the franchise in Iceland, told The Associated Press, “The economic situation has just made it too expensive for us.” His situation was made difficult by the McDonald’s requirement that the store’s goods be imported from Germany. So, he had to spend in euros, which became incredibly expensive because of the krona’s plunge.

To get a sense of how bad the situation became, check out the price of a Big Mac. It already costs $5.29 in Reykjavik, and to turn a profit, it would have to go for $6.36 – making it the most expensive in the world. Currently, the title goes to Switzerland and Norway, where a Big Mac costs $5.75.

Ironically, the first person to taste a Big Mac in Iceland was David Oddson. At the time, he was the prime minister but later moved into the position of governor of the country’s central bank, where oversaw the rise of the bubble. He was forced out of office by lawmakers earlier this year.

McDonald’s has had a presence in Reykjavik since 1993 but has no plans to return in the near future. Theresa Riley, a company spokesperson, released a statement saying, “The unique operational complexity of doing business in Iceland combined with the very challenging economic climate in the country makes it financially prohibitive to continue the business.” She added, “This complex set of challenges means we have no plans to seek a new partner in Iceland.”

Lyst, however, isn’t finished. Ogmundsson plans to reopen the stores under the name Metro and use locally sourced materials and produce, keeping the company’s 90 employees in jobs.

In the meantime, you can still get a solid hotdog in Reykjavik with fantastic mustard.

Hundreds of flights cancelled as Iberia workers go on strike

by Sean McLachlan on

Thousands of passengers were left stranded today as workers at Iberia Airlines walked off the job for the first day of a two-day strike.

Iberia was forced to cancel more than 400 of its 2,000 flights for this Monday and Tuesday as cabin crews protested the fact that they haven’t received a pay increase in four years. This is a tough situation for Spanish workers, who live in a country with one of Europe’s highest inflation rates, between 3.6 and 4 percent annually in the past few years. And that’s just the official rate. Living in Madrid I can say that here at least it seems to be much higher.

Spain’s national airline has been hit hard by the recession and this new blow will only worsen its situation. It couldn’t be helping Iberia’s chances of clinching a proposed merger with British Airways either.

Information on the affected flights is available here.

Europeans still booking travel online

by Tom Johansmeyer on

This year, the online travel business in Europe is expected to creep higher this year. Travel research firm PhoCusWright forecasts that online bookings will edge up to 0.6 percent this year in its latest report. Yet, this outperforms the hell out of the broader European travel market, which is expected to be down 10 percent in 2009.

Carol Rheem, director, research at PhoCusWright, says, “As Europeans seek to make the most of their treasured time off this year, they are increasingly using online options to plan the best holiday for their budget.” She continues, “Online travel agencies are weathering this economic storm better than any other booking channel.”

Though there’s still room for some sort of surprise by the end of the year (not likely), the European online travel space is expected to see gross bookings of €23 billion when we close the book on 2009, with supplier websites lagging online travel agencies.

“Even in the bleak travel backdrop of 2009, some travel companies are thriving — and not all of them are OTAs [online travel agencies]. Countercyclical trends bolster these companies while exacerbating decline for others. Those dependent on business travelers are among the hardest hit,” Rheem observes. Business travel is expected to be off 17 percent for the year.

London’s Tube will have (some) air conditioning next summer

by Sean McLachlan on

Londoners love to hate the Tube. The London Underground is said to be overpriced, overcrowded, and prone to breakdowns and strikes, but perhaps the biggest (and most valid) complaint is that on hot summer days the lack of air conditioning turns the cars into ovens. I’ve even seen people faint, either from the heat or the stink of sweaty bodies.

Londoners and visitors alike will have some relief next summer as the city introduces its first air conditioned subway car, which was delivered this week.

But don’t throw away your water bottles just yet. The first air conditioned car will only be on the Metropolitan line, and that line won’t be entirely air conditioned until 2011. By 2015, the District and Circle lines will also have air conditioning.

That’s a long wait, and the nine other lines will have to wait even longer, perhaps forever. Some, such as the heavily used Northern and Piccadilly lines, are too deep in the earth to easily expel warm air. The Piccadilly is the one that goes to Heathrow, so you can have a nice sweat after several hours of cramped seating and airline food.

Oh, and there’s more bad news. Since this is part of a major revamping of the Tube system, prices will go up 3.9 percent, and bus fares will also go up 12 percent. The fare hikes will start in January 2012.