Travel: Something To Declare

NEWS FROM THE TRAVEL WORLD

IN A YEAR when transatlantic air fares have hit absurdly low levels, travellers to Canada have not seen much benefit - until now. To try to stimulate business after its recent strike, Air Canada is offering cut- price "Welcome Back" fares of pounds 259 from London to the eastern destinations of Montreal and Toronto, and pounds 359 to Vancouver. These are for travel in November and early December.

But Philip Genochio of flight specialist Quest Worldwide says British Airways and its partner Canadian Airlines are undercutting these fares by pounds 19 to the east, pounds 29 to the west, through discount agents. "Given that Canada is not a fiercely competitive market," he says, "these represent excellent value."

THE LATEST disease of concern in Africa is the Buruli ulcer, a flesh- eating disease described as "the leprosy bug for the third millennium". Worst hit are the Ivory Coast, Ghana and Benin, although the disease has also been reported in Asia, Latin America and Australia, where it is known as Daintree ulcer. It will strip away skin and even bone leaving terrible scars for those who survive. It has been found most commonly in marshy areas, but little is known about how it is caught. Travellers with unusual skin eruptions on returning home should seek medical advice, says Dr Larry Goodyer, writing in the new edition of Wanderlust magazine; subscriptions: 01753 620426.