by John Frenaye
Monday November 30, 2015

Thanksgiving has come and gone; but I would be remiss if I did not use the time to reflect on my lives (personal and professional) and consider what makes me thankful. 2015 has been an odd year for me—business has been steady, a few new opportunities have surfaced, I survived the "Bummer Summer" (dead car, house getting robbed, and knee surgery) and am now looking forward to a positive 2016 with  great anticipation.  I have a lot of friends who are teachers and as the kids return to school this week, many will be toting vacation "homework" which undoubtedly included a "What am I thankful for" list. In that vein, I offer…

You have everyone in your company/organization to do this each and every day for the next 3 months.

by Richard Earls
Sunday November 29, 2015

Every few years or so the phrase “Content is King” enjoys new popularity. What most surprises me is that content has ever lost its royal positioning in marketing. Why does it come as a surprise when we re-discover the importance of well-written, engaging content? That aside, what role does content play in your own efforts to market your travel practice?

Certainly the publishing world, both online and in print, has long depended on topical content as a vehicle for attracting the attention of consumers. The difference now, of course, is that more of us are publishers to some degree. Every travel consultant with a Facebook profile or page, a Twitter account, a website, or a blog now finds…

by Jamison Bachrach
Friday November 27, 2015

I started writing this article many months ago as my busy season started in May. We have now come to the end of November, finally having a chance to complete it, so perhaps this is a year in review with still a month to go. I have written many articles in the past for TRO about issues in the industry and how I feel they should be handled; and also about concerns of the challenges we all face in this volatile world in which we live. It has been a year like Grand Central Station – crazy busy where I thought I had reached a saturation point and not knowing what to do. I thought I had reached my limit and perhaps many of you have felt this way at times. Business has been excellent, as I have read from many this year, which is a good issue to have, especially when you are self-employed as I am. It can also be bad, as there has to be a balance…

by Paull Tickner
Wednesday November 25, 2015

To mark the 300th anniversary of ‘Capability’ Brown and in celebration of England’s many fabulous gardens, landscapes, and events, VisitEngland is promoting ‘Year of the English Garden’ as a major theme for 2016. As most of the places your customers will want to visit lie outside of London, you now have the opportunity to develop new itineraries which spend 5-6 nights in the countryside packed with value-added visits to privately owned castles, stately homes, and gardens. Pubs and tea rooms get added into the mix and with jetlag parked, your clients are then ready for 2-3 nights in London, plus extensions on an independent basis…