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: The Canadian Power Toboggan Championships at Beausejour over the weekend were a big success. Spokesperson Andy Baker says 4,000 people attended the event and they attracted a large number of racers.

``We had a great crowd, we had a great turnout for racers. We covered pretty much all of North America. We had guys from as far south as Texas and all the way north from east to west, from B.C. to New Hampshire. It was a lot of fun. Everybody enjoyed themselves.``

Baker says the sport of snowmobile racing is on the upswing again with more Manitoba racers showing up every year which is making up for fewer American entries.

``Unfortunately the economy in the U.S. Midwest is still suffering so we get a few less racers out of there but we have a really good turnout of local racers now and that`s really encouraging. It also helps our crowd because local people like to watch local racers. The sport itself is growing and we are getting more young people involved so that`s always encouraging.``

He is also pleased to report there were no serious crashes and adds the quality of racing was top notch.

http://www.steinbachonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=35261&Itemid=100413

The city has approved a five-year lease agreement which will see Chez Sophie become the new restaurant on Esplanade Riel.

This morning, council's downtown development committee unanimously approved the deal, which does not require further approval by executive policy committee or city council. Chez Sophie will replace Salisbury House on the bridge and the restaurant's lease begins April 1.

Coun. Jenny Gerbasi (Fort Rouge) said she thinks the French restaurant fits in with the original vision for the bridge.

"I just can't think of anything more perfect," Gerbasi said.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/Chez-Sophie-approved-as-new-tenant-on-Esplanade-Riel-194912211.html

The Ultimate Fighting Championship takes to the ring at the MTS Centre this June in a fight card that's been in the works for at least three years.

Details of the June 15 event are to be released this morning by True North Sports & Entertainment, who billed it Monday as "a major sporting event."

Sources told the Free Press the UFC, the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world, has added Winnipeg to its list of cities to host its extremely popular pay-per-view TV fight matches....        ...Three years ago, Manitoba Boxing Commission chairman Dan Vandal told the Free Press that at a match in Montreal, he promoted Winnipeg as a host city to UFC officials.

"They definitely know of Winnipeg," Vandal said at the time. "I spoke to (UFC president) Dana White himself. I told him I was from Winnipeg and he already knew all about Winnipeg and how we have a lot of mixed martial arts fans here.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/ufc-debuts-in-city-in-mid-june-195212681.html

LA MOTTE, Que. - A media centre was being set up Monday in the hometown of Canada's presumed papal contender, as the tiny community prepares for a journalistic invasion during the upcoming vote to choose the next pontiff.

With Marc Cardinal Ouellet considered among the papal front-runners, people in this northwestern Quebec village of 439 people began transforming the basement of his old church into a media room....         ...Village officials expect dozens of journalists — and several satellite TV trucks — will descend on La Motte during the upcoming conclave to choose the next pontiff. The farming community is nearly 600 kilometres northeast of Montreal in the province's Abitibi region.

The village does not have a restaurant or motel so, with the help of its two full-time office employees, La Motte is taking steps to make its influx of guests feel welcome.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/faith/tiny-village-of-canadian-papal-contender-prepares-for-media-invasion-195086411.html

Complete: CALGARY - WestJet Airlines Ltd. (TSX:WJA) reports it carried about 1.4 million passengers last month, up 5.5 per cent from the same time last year.

On a more technical basis, WestJet's passenger traffic increased by 7.3 per cent in terms of revenue passenger miles.

WestJet says demand last month grew faster than the capacity added to its main service for flights within Canada and some international destinations.

That resulted in a record February load factor of 86.1 per cent for the Calgary-based company, which is preparing to launch a second airline called Encore.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/westjet-reports-strong-demand-in-february-pushing-up-traffic-and-load-factor-195252821.html

Complete: LONDON - Thomson Airways passengers expecting to fly the Boeing 787 Dreamliner on holiday trips in May and June will be put on other aircraft because of ongoing problems with the plane.

The company said Tuesday it has not been able to get a delivery schedule from Boeing for planes it had been expecting to put in operation in May. The 787s have been temporarily grounded worldwide while malfunctions are investigated.

Thomson says customers would get refunds for extra fees paid to travel on the 787 and would be placed instead on Boeing 767 jets.

The 787s had been expected to fly between Britain and resorts in Florida and Mexico.

Officials say holidaymakers who wanted to change their travel plans will be allowed to do so without paying change fees.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/travel/boeing-delays-force-holiday-airline-thomson-to-switch-passengers-from-787-dreamliners-195254381.html

TORONTO, March 5, 2013 /CNW/ - The average price of a hotel room around the world rose by three per cent during 2012, compared with the previous year, according to the latest Hotels.com Hotel Price Index. The rate of increase has moderated when judged against the four per cent rise in 2011 as the Eurozone's problems pulled down the global average and slowed growth in the second half of the year.

Three regions drew away from the rest. The Caribbean saw a six per cent rise, North America had one of its best results in recent years growing at five per cent and the Pacific gained four per cent, all outpacing the global figure. Asia added two per cent and Latin America one per cent while the Europe and Middle East region registered a slight fall.

A look at Canada shows that travel was on the agenda in 2012, as Canadian travellers increased their spend on hotel accommodation and paid an average of $144 per night for domestic hotel stays and $150 per night internationally.

http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1123921/north-american-hotel-prices-increase-by-five-per-cent

CANCUN, Mexico - Tens of thousands of U.S. college students are flooding into the Mexican city of Cancun, where officials have stepped up patrols of marines, soldiers and special tourist police in zones packed with hotels and bars.

City officials say they expect thousands more spring breakers this year than the 25,000 who came to the Caribbean coast resort last year. They said at least part of that increase might be due to people avoiding Pacific Coast resorts such as Acapulco, which have been hit by high-profile incidents of criminal violence in recent years.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/travel/spring-break-us-college-students-flood-cancun-under-watch-of-mexican-marines-police-officers-194820761.html

(A complete article published originally in the WFP, Mar.  '65)

The head of the physical education faculty of the University of Manitoba has proposed that a competitive-sized practice swimming pool be built on the Fort Garry campus 1967 Pan American Games.

Dr. Frank Kennedy said in an interview that the pool, which would cost about $200,000, is essential to provide the competitors from about 25 to 30 nations with a place to practise.

Even if a competitive sized pool is built for the Games, it alone cannot serve all the practice needs, and there are now no other 50-metre pools in the city he said.  The practice pool would have to have eight swimming lanes and be about 165 feet by 60 feet.

A good swimmer wouldn’t want to practise in a shorter pool.  He needs the comparable equipment and standard.

Dr. Kennedy said it would be most economical to build the practice pool alongside the new $550,000 pool which will be opened July 1 at the University.  Then there could be a multiple use of facilities.

The filtration system and dressing rooms could be used for both pools, he said.

Dr. Kennedy stressed that any facilities built could be used by future citizens of Manitoba in future years.  There must be a continuing leadership from day to day and from year to year.

The university will have a lifeguard, instruction, aquatic clubs, and the necessary leadership to keep it functioning well he said.  No matter what the facilities, you need the leadership or you will not service the community.

Besides, to use an existing organization is better than to build another one, and the university already has some equipment, he said.

An outdoor pool preferably can be used in comfort only about 40 days.  The water should be heated to extend the usable period Dr. Kennedy said.