Destinations
Gem of a town sparkles brightly
Pretty, pristine and lakeside, with a striking mountain panorama as a backdrop, Lucerne — also known as Luzern — has long been Switzerland’s tourism capital. Since the Romantic era in the 19th century, it’s been a regular stop on the Grand Tour of Europe for the likes of Mark Twain and Queen Victoria…
— Vancouver Sun
Head to the South Sound for hiking, paddling, birding and fun
When my husband and I bought tickets to an upcoming event in the Olympia area, we decided to make a weekend of it and explore an area where we hadn’t spent much time. As nature lovers, we always like to work in some outdoor activities whenever we travel — which got me thinking about how little I knew about the Puget Sound’s southern end…
— Seattle Times
Lesbos: a Greek island in limbo over tourism, refugees, and its future
The island of Lesbos has become a focal point of the refugee crisis in Greece. Its residents have been nominated for a Nobel peace prize for their empathy and assistance but worries persist over long-term effects to its tourist trade…
— The Guardian
Tours and Activities
10 dishes every visitor to Argentina needs to try
U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama have been immersing themselves in Argentinian culture during their visit to South America, tangoing with professional dancers at a state dinner in Buenos Aires. While beef is the backbone of Argentina's daily diet, there are plenty of other tasty treats awaiting the Obamas in the world's eighth-largest country…
— CNN
Universal Studios raises ticket prices ahead of Harry Potter park opening
Just a few weeks before the grand opening of the west coast Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Studios has jacked up the price of its single day tickets—by 20 percent. The move is in line with other theme parks that have recently raised entrance fees, including Disneyland and Universal Orlando. Theme park experts say, raising the price right before a highly anticipated attraction is typical…
— Fox Travel News
Cruise
P&O Cruises Cancels Britannia's Belgium Port Call Following Terrorist Attacks
P&O Cruises has made the decision to cancel Britannia's call to Zeebrugge this Saturday (March 27) as a result of yesterday's terrorist attacks in Brussels…
— CruiseCritic.com
Holland America adds more cruises to Mexico
Are cruisers ready to return to the Mexican Riviera? Holland America is the latest line to bet on it. The Seattle-based company will more than double its capacity in the region next winter with more departures and the deployment of a larger ship…
— USA Today
Transportation
Ten secrets of air travel you always wondered about
You're about to board a huge, sealed metal cylinder, sit down, eat a meal and watch a movie while whizzing over the ground at 900km/h and that in itself is astonishingly weird, yet it's something we do without thinking twice. Here are 10 more weird things to ponder when you take to the skies…
— Sydney Morning Herald
Spring blizzard slams the Midwest, hundreds of flights cancelled
Across the country, millions of people are waking up to heavy snow and lots of travel headaches Thursday morning as a monster spring storm bears down on huge cross section of the country, moving into the Midwest after pounding Colorado and moving East…
— Today
Lodging
See inside the new Ace Hotel in downtown New Orleans
The 234-room hotel includes a new restaurant and music venue, retail space, a coffee shop and rooftop swimming pool…
— The Times-Picayune
Stunning eco-luxury resorts to add to your holiday wishlist
Green travel has come a long way from mosquito nets and carbon offsets. Nowadays the options are as varied as the futuristic “Whitepod” in the Swiss Alps, or a thatched-roof tented cottage at Campi ya Kanzi in…
— Herald Sun
How To Score A Hotel Room Upgrade Every Time
We’ve all experienced hotel letdown. You arrive at what you thought would be a majestic place to stay, only to be assigned a corner room on the first floor, with a view of the parking lot and the faint scent of cigarettes in the air. Pro tip: This is why you should pretty much ALWAYS ask to switch hotel rooms after seeing the first one you’re offered…
— The Huffington Post
Other and Odd
Where to Find the Best Chocolate in the World
From a revamped L.A. institution to an award-winning confectionary company in Budapest, these are the spots for the tastiest, most beautiful chocolate across the globe…
— Condé Nast Traveler
14 Amazing Trips You Can Take With the Average Tax Return
The average tax return is $3,000—here's how to book a trip so far under budget, you'll manage to save half of it…
— Travel Leisure
30 reasons why you must keep visiting Belgium
A slump in visitors to Belgium is anticipated following this week's terror attacks. Antony Mason, our Brussels expert, offers 30 good reasons to keep the country in your travel plans…
— Telegraph (London)
Today in History
The Exxon Valdeze Oil Spill
On March 24, 1989, Captain Joseph Hazelwood grounded his boat. Unfortunately, his boat was a 30,000 ton oil tanker filled with 53,094,510 gallons of oil, of which 10.8 million gallons spilled into Prince William Sound. The resulting oil spill ranks as one of the most disasterous environmental catastrophes of record…
— Travel Research Online
Press Releases of Interest
Central Holidays Announces Guaranteed Cuba Departures through 2017 and Record Group Bookings to Cuba for the Company
Record tourism numbers to Cuba, upcoming new commercial air agreements, and President Obama’s visit to Cuba this month have all lead to a crunch in hotel capacity – but not for Central Holidays! – Central Holidays is pleased to announce just completed agreements for proprietary blocked hotel space through June 2017 in 5-star accommodations to continue expanding its Cuba People-to-People programs. In this unique position, Central Holidays is now guaranteeing its scheduled departures to Cuba through June 2017 and will soon announce dates through 2018…
— Travel Research Online
South African Airways Puts Africa On Sale For Spring & Summer Travel Season
South African Airways (SAA), the national flag carrier of South Africa and Africa’s most awarded airline announces new low fares to select destinations throughout Africa for the spring and late-summer travel seasons. Sale fares start at $939.00 * round-trip (restrictions apply) from Washington, DC-Dulles to Accra, Ghana and from New York-JFK to Johannesburg, South Africa starting at $1,149.00* round-trip (restrictions apply). Fares are available for purchase through March 31, 2016, for travel from April 1 - May 31, 2016 and August 11 – September 12, 2016.…
— Travel Research Online
Reading Between the Lines
Duct Tape Marketing: Employee Challenge
 "Make marketing education and the emphasis on marketing part of your hiring process.”
Duct Tape Marketing by John Jantsch, page 95
Chapter 7: Get Your Entire Team Involved In Marketing
Growing a business in these competitive times calls for highly coordinated and synchronized teamwork among all employees…
— Travel Research Online
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Spotlight
Take A Drive With Enterprise Holdings
by Elizabeth Cody
Thursday March 24, 2016
 Whether it’s the budget-conscious traveler looking for a car to take the scenic route to their destination or the frenzied business traveler on his or her way to an important seminar, Enterprise Holdings has every vehicle for every need. With three car rental brands under its umbrella, Enterprise Holdings owns Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car. The brands, through their regional subsidiaries, operate fully staffed locations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean. Founded in 1957 by Jack Taylor, Enterprise Holdings began with only a seven car fleet and one employee, and is still owned by the Taylor family today.…
— Travel Research Online
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Luxury Travel Tips
Don't Forget Your Vision
by Dan Chapelle
Thursday March 24, 2016
It has been a y ear since I left my Vice President of Sales role with a vision of helping travel professionals realize they really can earn a sizable income in the travel sales business by selling to affluent travelers, and 6 months since we launched WealthyTravelAgent.com. Like many of you, I started with a business plan. Nothing fancy, just something to define the purpose and direction of the company. Mine is probably different from most, in that I tend to plan for one year at a time. You may say this is contrary to what is considered a "standard business practice" and you would be correct. Long term planning works for large, established businesses which tend to move at a much slower pace and have…
— Travel Research Online
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