In the room
Ernest Hemingway loved adventure, good food and crowded watering holes. Now U.S. developer Tuckey Devlin is working with the writer's family estate to plan a chain of Hemingway Hotels & Resorts. He promises properties with fine dining, gathering-place bars, libraries and adventure activities, each in a location associated with Hemingway. Possibilities could include Key West, Cuba, Spain, Africa and even Toronto, where he was a newspaper reporter.
On the seas
It took the tragic crash of the Costa Concordia to spur action, but the global cruise industry has recently implemented three new safety measures. Last-minute detours at the captain's whim are forbidden by a policy requiring all passage plans to be plotted by a designated officer, approved by a master and communicated to all bridge personnel. Ships must carry significantly more than the legal minimum of one lifejacket per passenger. And, access to the bridge is restricted to operational staff during tricky manoeuvres.
At the airport
Coming soon to an airport near you: self-serve customs kiosks for arriving passengers. A two-year trial of the Automated Border Clearance system at Vancouver International sped up processing and reduced wait times for passengers, says Heritage Minister James Moore. Now terminals will be set up in other airports, beginning with Montreal's Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport in June. Travellers use the terminals to scan passports and customs declaration forms. Up to four people with the same address can be processed at once.
Sources: The Grand Rapids Press, Cruise Lines International Association, Canadian Press.
Special to The Globe and Mail