Destinations
36 Hours in Porto, Portugal
From its stunning Beaux-Arts station to its cool bars serving Porto’s signature drink, this charming city combines the best of old and new…
— New York Times
South Africa's Garden Route: Lush forest, quaint towns, and lagoons
Along South Africa's southern coast, between the thick forests and dramatic river valleys of the Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma Mountains is a coastal string of lagoons, lakes and holiday towns dedicated to downtime - all connected by the N2 highway…
— The Independent
World's 25 top tourism destinations
Still one of the world's most vibrant cities despite astronomical living costs, it's no surprise London is the world's second most visited destination. So what's the first?…
— CNN
Tours and Activities
The 10 Best Film Festivals You've Never Heard Of
Yes, everyone knows Cannes and Sundance. The behemoths of the film-fest world aren't exactly accessible for most of us, though, and they don't always showcase the freshest material. Here's where to go to see film's bright up-and-comers, for a lot cheaper than the French Riviera…
— The Huffington Post
Venice's only female gondoliera
She can spend up to 15 hours on the boat fighting the wind, rain and heat – but Venice’s only female gondolier, Giorgia Boscolo, wouldn’t change a thing…
— BBC Travel
Cruise
Toddler on MSC Cruise Dies, Six Other Passengers Involved in Dominica Vehicle Crash
A vehicle carrying seven cruise passengers on MSC Orchestra crashed in Dominica today, causing the death of one of them, a 16-month-old boy…
— CruiseCritic.com
Costa's Italian-style cruises return to Fort Lauderdale
Costa, a division of Miami-based Carnival Corp. & PLC, strives to distinguish itself by offering what it calls an authentic Italian cruise experience…
— Sun Sentinel
Transportation
American unveils new amenity kits for premium fliers
American Airlines unveiled a new collection of amenity kits on Wednesday that will begin appearing on flights this March. American has collaborated with several big brands for its amenity kit update. The kits will feature designs and products from Cole Haan, 3LAB Skincare, C.O. Bigelow Apothecaries and Clark’s Botanicals…
— USA Today
Iran: European airlines set to resume flights to Tehran
Several European airlines aim to resume their flights to Iran following a landmark nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers, the state-owned IRAN daily reported on Thursday…
— Fox Travel News
Lodging
Castles give fairy-tale flavor to romantic getaways
These six castle-like surroundings in Europe and North America can add a fairy-tale flavor to romantic getaways…
— Chicago Tribune
The sky-high hotel prices for Super Bowl 50 and 2016's other major sporting events
Hotels are raising their rates by up to…
— Telegraph (London)
Stay in a spectacular monastery in Venice for what you can afford
The curious instruction that bookings could only be made by fax should have been our first clue. Our stay at the monastery of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice would be one to remember, akin to sleeping in the quiet eye of a tourism hurricane…
— Globe and Mail
Other and Odd
14 Ways to Be a Traveler...Not a Tourist
To help you really sink your teeth into a country and get a sense of place, here are 14 ways to immerse yourself in the culture that surrounds you…
— Yahoo! Travel
Zika virus causes pregnant women to reconsider travel plans
Zika virus warnings in countries popular as babymoon destinations lead pregnant women to change their plans…
— Chicago Tribune
Today in History
King George III Dies
George III was the third British monarch of the House of Hanover, all of whom were of German, not British descent. In fact, he was the first of the Hanovers to actually be born in Britain and speak English as his first language. But his reign was not an easy one, marked by decisive military struggles…
— Travel Research Online
Agent Perspectives
Hema Khan, Kirkwood Travel
by Susan Schaefer
Friday January 29, 2016
 Hema Khan is both the owner of Kirkwood Travel in Voorhees, New Jersey, and the CCRA/OSSN Northeast Regional Director & Southern NJ Chapter Director. Susan Schaefer recently caught up with Hema to talk about her experience in the travel industry and with CCRA – Travel Commerce Network, previously known as OSSN.
Travel Research Online (TRO): When did you enter the travel industry?
Hema Khan (HK): I had been leading groups of friends and families on many group cruises since the early 1990s. Around 2000, after 25 years as a tech consultant in IT for a corporation, I was looking for early retirement options. I took a travel course at a local college; the teacher happened to be with AAA Travel and hired me as a group travel…
— Travel Research Online
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Reading Between the Lines
Do It! Marketing: Inbound Leads
 "Simple. When it comes to responding to leads, the mantra is ‘Now Or Never’. Leads won’t wait. They are looking for a solution NOW.”
DO IT! MARKETING- David Newman, page 148
Why Inbound Leads Are a 911 Call
Leads very well may be your key focal point in growing your business. Without leads, you have no direction. Enter the topic of speed: Once you uncover a lead, it is imperative that you respond to it in the expeditious fashion it deserves…
— Travel Research Online
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