Open Jaw :: On The Town ::

With Martha Chapman
31JUL08

Carl Walsh and Clare Curnow of VisitBritain with Tourism Ireland’s Hazel Dolezel

Britain’s newest big fan: Lynda Falcone

Armando Mendoça of ACV with AutoEurope’s Walter Mills

Jolly Good: Masses Of Canucks Cross Pond To UK

Yes, we’ve heard about the £15 martinis and the over-the-top hotels, but guess what? Canadians are in the midst of a very steamy love affair with ye olde Britain.

This was definitely the vibe at a recent “do” at VisitBritain’s new offices in downtown YYZ. And the crowd was quite chuffed to hear that, as Simon Bradley, VP for the Americas of VisitBritain pointed out, we are outperforming our American cousins when it comes to travel to the UK – we’re up 12% for the first five months of the year!

The evening also proved the perfect occasion to poll travel honchos about their fave thing to do in Britain. Anglophiles all, they had some strong opinions. ACV’s Armando Mendonça loves the theatre, while Auto Europe’s Walter Mills is content to wander the streets of London. VisitBritain’s Clare Curnow has a soft spot for her home town of Durham, and Katherine Woschiz, also with VisitBritain, loves anything to do with British history, notably Charles II. She has such a huge crush on him I didn’t have the heart to tell her he went to the big throne in the sky in 1685.

Sporting the broadest smile in the group was well-known industry exec Lynda Falcone, who joins VisitBritain next week in Trade Sales. Now there’s a major Anglophile!