JimBits: Food Travel On the Rise, Canadian Airport Rankings and Airline Poo on a Car

In case your Instagram account wasn't proof enough, the folks at Booking.com have released a story that shows we're definitely travelling with our stomachs and taste buds in mind.

Data from more than 50,000 global travellers reveals that six in ten travelers (61 per cent) pick a destination for great food or drink. There's no denying the significance of culinary travel, with more than a third (34 per cent) of travellers (rising to 40 per cent of millennials) planning to take a food trip in 2018.

Almost half (49 per cent of travellers said they hope to be more adventurous with the type of cuisine they eat, rising to 60 per cent of millennials. One way to achieve this is to sample local delicacies while travelling; almost two thirds (64 per cent) of travellers said they'll try to eat more local food in 2018.

Something for agents to keep in mind, for sure.

Just for fun, here's a list of some destinations that Booking.com rated highly for their food. Alas, no Canadian places on this list. Nor American ones for that matter.

1. Ipoh, Malaysia

2. Kaohsiung, Taiwan

3. Nagoya, Japan

4. Johor Bahru, Malaysia

5. João Pessoa, Brazil

6. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

7. Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

8. Colmar, France

9. Lima, Peru

10. Catania, Italy

Boy, oh, boy. Do we ever need improving in the airports department.

A new study from a company called AirHelp paints a rather dismal picture of Canadian airports. The company looked at on-time performance (45 per cent of the ranking), quality of service (also 45 per cent) and passenger sentiment as registered through Twitter comments (10 per cent).

The results show the world's top-ranked airport is the one in Doha, Qatar, which got a combined rating of 8.77 out of 10. The worst-ranked isn't far away, that being Kuwait with a mark of just 5.40.

I've always thought Canadian airports, especially some of the smaller ones without so much traffic, are quite nice. I think Pearson has gotten a lot better, and Vancouver is an airport I always enjoy (although luggage delivery is still painfully slow at Pearson far too often and is often slow at YVR, too).

But apparently the folks surveyed by AirHelp don't agree. They looked at 141 airports around the world, and the best of the Canadian bunch was Ottawa in the 53rd position.

I guess the Ottawa folks can proclaim that they're best in Canada, but they're nowhere the top internationally if AirHelp has anything to say about it. Ottawa's airport finished with a combined score of 7.74, with a 7.6 mark for on-time performance, 8.6 for quality of service (nice) and 4.5 for passenger sentiment on Twitter.

Here are the other Canadian rankings:

67. Edmonton, 7.63

77. Vancouver, 7.51

88. Kelowna, 7.39

92. Montreal, 7.38

101. Billy Bishop Toronto Island, 7.24

104. Calgary, 7.22

109. Halifax, 7.10

117. Quebec, 6.87

126. Toronto, 6.59

For the record, Toronto Pearson scored 6.7 for on-time performance and 7.2 for quality of service, but just 3.2 for passenger sentiment. Guess we all have some work to do….

Not sure if you saw this, or if you really want to. But it seems an airliner of some kind mistakenly (we hope) dumped the contents of one of its on-board toilets onto a car near Kelowna, B.C. this week.

Global News reports that a Kelowna driver and her son "are speaking out after they said they were hit with flying poop from a passing plane while sitting in their car."

The TV network reported that Susan Allen and her son were stopped at a red light in town on May 9. Unfortunately, it was a nice day and the sunroof was open.

Yes, you can guess the rest.

"While we were sitting there, our car was inundated with liquid poo falling from the sky," Allen told Global News.

Allen took pics of the spots on her car, which were displayed on the networks' news segment.

"I had it on my face, down my shirt, my entire car, and the vehicle beside us were all covered in it."

"We [saw] the airplane flying over. We watched the stuff fall from the sky," she said, adding that it was a large passenger plane.

Not surprisingly, no airlines have stepped up to admit they're the guilty party.

Insight Vacations, an award-winning leader in premium escorted journeys, will be commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings on the Normandy beaches by offering a 15-day unforgettable journey to the historical sites of France and Belgium from May 28th to June 10th, 2019.

The trip was specifically created for Canadian travellers and history buffs who would like to honour and remember our nation's troops along with Allied forces who fought with immense courage and made the ultimate sacrifice for the liberation of the people of Europe.

This significant journey observes visits to Canada's battlefields and memorials of the First and Second World Wars, and features participation in the ceremony commemorating the landings on Juno Beach on June 6th, 2019.

"As Canadians, we are honoured to pay tribute to the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings in 2019 with our 'Canadian Battlefields Through Europe' journey filled with incredible Insight Experiences and our knowledgeable Travel Director," said Brad Ford, president of Insight Vacations. "Travellers will be able to discover and appreciate the history of our courageous Canadian military who served and sacrificed in both World Wars."

If you've never been to see any of the World War I or World War II battlefield sites in Europe, you're missing a very sobering but very powerful experience. I was in Flanders a few years ago and was taken aback at how emotional it felt to stand in the trenches and fields and villages where Canadian and other soldiers died; young men and women taken from their loved ones far too early.

It's not what you'd call a fun trip, but it's an important one that I highly recommend.

Air Canada is offering 15 per cent off all base fares to celebrate 70 years of flights to Bermuda from Canada.

From the Great White North to the South Shore, pink-sand beaches, oceanfront golf and Rum Swizzles, just a three-hour flight from Toronto: your dream vacation awaits.

Click here for the promotion code and book between June 1 and 30, 2018 to save!

Leisure air arrivals from Canada climbed 20 per cent in the first quarter of 2018 and the island is well positioned to see further growth from Canada.

*Conditions apply. Visit aircanada.com/Bermuda for details.

Contiki the original travel company designed exclusively for 18 to 35-year olds, this week announced the launch of its newest campaign that pens their love letter to Europe in an effort to encourage young Canadians to experience the beauty of the continent every day of the year, not just during the summer months.

During the launch of their Europe Everyday campaign (now until July 31, 2018), clients can save up to 20 percnet on a selection of last minute Summer Europe adventures that depart this summer and up to $365 off select trips to Europe this fall, winter and in the spring of 2019.

"We're excited to launch this new campaign as an ode to such a beautiful region. From the snow-capped mountains of Switzerland to the sheer romanticism of Paris during springtime, we want young Canadians to fall in love with Europe every day of the year," said Sheralyn Berry, President of Contiki Canada. "This is also a great way for our agent partners to encourage their clients to book their European travels now."

While Europe is still primarily seen as a summer vacation destination, the continent has seen a new trend among young travellers visiting during the 'off-season'. Canadians are beginning to realize the endless possibilities that await those who opt to see the continent in the cooler months with unique experiences not offered during the summer season such as less crowding, oftentimes lower prices, Christmas markets and plenty of outdoor festivals only Europe is known for.

Sandals Resorts International (SRI) is proud to announce their new collaboration with The Real Madrid Foundation to implement the first-ever series of soccer clinics at Beaches Resorts in 2019.

Hosted in partnership with the Sandals Foundatioin, the philanthropic arm of Sandals Resorts International, these world-class educational and training programs will take place over two, separate five-day periods the first being at Negril, Jamaica on May 14-20, 2019 and the second at Providenciales, Turks and Caicos on May 22-28, 2019. Each training session will feature immersive instruction and sport values sessions by the Real Madrid Foundation coaches.

"Partnering with Real Madrid Foundation presents a unique opportunity for us to bring local Caribbean children together with guests of the resorts, over the most popular sport in the world - soccer," said Adam Stewart, Deputy Chairman of Sandals Resorts International. "Our work with the Sandals Foundation aims to improve the communities of the Caribbean, and this partnership is an exciting way for us to continue these efforts and facilitate bonds between visitors and locals alike.

Beaches Resorts will offer limited packages at an introductory price of US$495 to vacationing guests, ages 6 - 17 years, to participate while on holiday as part of the resort company's LIV+ Program, a series of exclusive events to enhance guests' vacation experience. Additionally, a reserved number of spaces will also be made available for the Sandals Foundation to invite local children, as well as coaches, in each island to participate complimentary and have the opportunity to learn values, tricks and skills directly from the professionals of the Real Madrid Foundation, selected by the Real Madrid Academy one of the world's most internationally acclaimed soccer clubs.

Through their relationship for the clinics program, Beaches Resorts and The Sandals Foundation will support the Real Madrid Foundation's goal to foster grassroots sports to all level of players to promote good values and will help contribute to the development of young players in the region through these events.

Click here for more information on the Real Madrid/Beaches Resorts/Sandals clinics.

We've probably all read about the hordes of tourists descending on European cities such as Venice and Barcelona, not to mention Amsterdam. Now the Greeks may be on the verge of the same problem.

Reports this week say Greece is expected to welcome a record 32 million international visitors in 2018.

That may not sound like a lot for an entire country, but most of those tourists head for Athens and a few small islands. It's also a massive increase for a country that attracted just 6.2 million international visitors in 1998; a mere 20 years ago and 15 million in 2010. The new figures suggest the number of international visitors will have more than doubled in eight years.

I haven't seen any stories - yet - about drunken visitors raising a ruckus during the nightly Santorini sunset, or parading naked around the Plaka in Athens, but I wouldn't be surprised if we start hearing those sorts of tales given what's happened in other popular destinations in Europe.

Indeed, in Amsterdam, there are reports the city has launched a crackdown against holidaymakers as they seek to prevent anti-social behaviour from tourists; behaviour that locals feel is ruining their city.

Hyatt on Thursday announced plans to expand the Hyatt Place and Hyatt House brand footprint in Canada with the signing of management and franchise agreements by a Hyatt affiliate for nine Hyatt Place hotel and three Hyatt House hotels. There are currently nine Hyatt-branded hotels open Canada, and the expected openings of these 12 Hyatt Place and Hyatt House hotels would increase Hyatt's brand presence in the region to 21 hotels within the next few years.

"We believe the new agreements being announced today, along with the previously announced properties under development, demonstrate growing confidence among owners and developers in the strength of the Hyatt Place and Hyatt House hotels in Canada," said Scott Richer, Hyatt's vice president of real estate and development for Canada. "There is tremendous growth opportunity in this region - coming off the heels of its 150th anniversary, Canada continues to see strong levels of leisure travel, as well as an increase in corporate travel. Today's announcement is a testament to the global appeal of Hyatt's select service portfolio as it continues to expand worldwide and offer more choices to our guests."

Hyatt Place and Hyatt House brands are designed to deliver seamless experiences that are authentic, intuitive and modern, allowing business travelers to remain productive and worry free, without skipping a beat. Twelve Hyatt Place and Hyatt House hotels are expected to open in Canada in the next two years, including:

2018

· Hyatt Place Calgary Airport (127 guestrooms) in Calgary, Alberta

· Hyatt Place Mississauga Centre (126 guestrooms) in Mississauga, Ontario

2019

· Hyatt Place Brampton (123 guestrooms) in Brampton, Ontario

· Hyatt Place Kelowna (161 guestrooms) in Kelowna, British Columbia

· Hyatt Place Moncton (120 guestrooms) in Moncton, New Brunswick

· Hyatt Place Winnipeg Downtown (144 guestrooms) in Winnipeg, Manitoba

· Hyatt House Hamilton/McMaster University (135 guestrooms) in Hamilton, Ontario

· Hyatt House Winnipeg South West (135 guestrooms) in Winnipeg Manitoba

2020

· Hyatt Place Toronto International Airport (196 guestrooms) in Toronto, Ontario

· Hyatt Place Toronto Airport Corporate Centre and Hyatt House Toronto Airport Corporate Centre (250 guestrooms) in Toronto, Ontario

· Hyatt Place Vancouver Airport (97 guestrooms) in Vancouver, British Columbia