Destinations
36 Hours in Hong Kong
As impressive as Hong Kong’s skyline is, the city never seems to stop building. Case in point: the rapid expansion of the rail system. The MTR’s Island Line was extended to the neighborhood of Kennedy Town at the end of 2014, sparking a development boom on the once-quiet western side of the city. Several other projects are also on the way, including an express link to the mainland border…
— New York Times
14 insanely cheap destinations for spring 2016
We've been watching trends and keeping tabs on deals and prices for months. Now we're ready to share this list of the season's affordable destinations. Why not treat yourself for surviving the winter by booking a trip to one of these insanely affordable spring destinations?…
— USA Today
Abruzzo offers Italian magnificence without the endless crowds of tourists
What makes the region so unique to the country is that even if you visit in high season, you might not see any other tourists…
— Globe and Mail
Tours and Activities
Children's author Eoin Colfer on why he loves Hook Head, Ireland
'As a boy I looked through the bevelled glass of the lighthouse at the Irish landscape, skewed and magical, framed by curved, shining bezels. I think I have seen the world that way ever since'…
— The Guardian
A story of rebirth in Nepal
When I think about the chance encounters I’ve had in my travels, dominoes come to mind. Every effect has its cause, sometimes stretching back for weeks, years, or (in this case) eons. It’s as if time itself conspires, wilfully, to set up the cascade that tumbles us into the present moment, as if no encounter truly happens by chance…
— BBC Travel
Japan's hot springs may allow tattooed guests
Naked, tattooed foreigners may soon become a less unusual sight in Japan's public baths. Tourism officials are urging the country's onsens (hot springs) to relax rules restricting body art wearers from entering their steamy waters…
— CNN
Cruise
Best upscale cruise ship cabins for your next family sailing
If you want to kick it up a notch on your next family cruise, CruiseCompete offers some suite suggestions. The cruise booking website shares its favorite cabins at sea — and they come with extra goodies like 24/7 butlers and beverage packages. The good life at sea doesn't come cheap…
— LA Times
Vantage River Cruises to Offer Family Itineraries in 2017
Add Vantage to the list of river cruise companies that are becoming family friendly. In 2017, the company will start offering Vantage Family Journeys river cruises, open to children ages 8 and up. The trips will be planned during summer and holidays and feature a family welcome reception; arts and crafts workshops and singing sessions for kids ages 8 to 12; activities for tweens, teens and 20-somethings; a dedicated host to oversee family activities in the evenings; special ship tours; kid friendly menus; complimentary travel journals and language lessons; and visits to schools if the cruise takes place when class is in session…
— CruiseCritic.com
Transportation
Airbus unveils the plane cabin that social media built
If you've been hyperventilating over dystopian "cabins of the future" which have gone viral over the past year, it’s time to break out the champagne and toast social media’s power to move mountains. (Or at least make icebergs jiggle a bit.)…
— Mashable
Everything you need to know about Easter holiday travel disruptions
The Easter holiday begins with the travel industry in some disarray - mainly because of the attacks in Brussels on Tuesday, but also because of wider warnings. Travel to, from and within Brussels remains severely disrupted following the attacks on 22 March, while in Paris the French interior minister says a separate terror plot has been foiled by police. ABTA, the travel association, is advising all travellers "to allow adequate time for check in and security clearance at airports, borders and ports"…
— The Independent
Court Clips Flight Attendant Marsha Reynolds' Wings After Coke Bust
The flight attendant who allegedly ditched $3 million worth of cocaine and went on the run won't be going anywhere else for a while, a California court has ruled. A federal judge in New York, where former beauty queen Marsha Gay Reynolds had surrendered, approved a $500,000 bail package for her on Thursday, but prosecutors immediately appealed…
— NBC
Lodging
Country Manors You Can Stay in in Scotland
Scotland is a magical place to visit and explore, filled with myths, legends and history. So when it comes to choosing a place to stay one of the country’s manor houses seems like the perfect place to start…
— The Huffington Post
Cool off in style: Caribbean resort pools not to miss
Skip the crowded beach by opting for a refreshing dip in a resort pool. Practical and fantastic, these pools run the gamut from rooftops with awesome vistas and funky bars to artistically sculpted infinity varieties with edges that seem to disappear into the ocean or the sky. Put a new spin on an old splash and take a leisurely lap around a cool pool in the Caribbean…
— USA Today
Other and Odd
Book your Easter 2017 holiday now - before everyone else does
Sometimes, the calendar gives gifts in unexpected places. While, this year, Easter Day falls so early that Europe has not yet completely shaken off its cloak of clouds and wet winter lethargy, in 2017, it is due to occur on April 16 – three weeks later. This will make a crucial difference in terms of the weather, casting our home continent in sunshine and warmth that will make the four-day weekend even more enticing for travel…
— Telegraph (London)
Radical vacation adventures for special needs kids
Shannan Williams was born into an outdoors-loving Colorado family. The fact that she has cerebral palsy, is confined to a wheelchair and has trouble using her hands wasn't going to keep her from an active life skiing, scuba-diving and rock-climbing, not to mention graduating from college…
— Fox Travel News
Today in History
The Slave Trade Act
The United Kingdom abolished the slave trade with The Slave Trade Act, an act of Parliament passed on 25 March 1807. The Act abolished the slave trade in the British Empire, but not slavery. The institution of slavery would fall 26 years later with the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833…
Press Releases of Interest
G Adventures HOTTTEST RIVER CRUISING OFFER!
Save up to 35% off on your 2016 Small Ship River Cruising Adventure!
Are you ready for the HOTTTEST RIVER CRUISING OFFER in market to share with your audiences and through your markets?!?
Here is a brand new promotion that we are offering! G Adventures is currently promoting two separate RIVER CRUISING OFFERS now, until July 31, 2016!…
— Travel Research Online
Agent Perspectives
Penney Rudicil and the Extreme Agency Make-Over
by Susan Schaefer
Friday March 25, 2016
Penney Rudicil  has gone from being an independent contractor to owning her own agency, The Travel Planner, to educating and training travel agents through Travel Agent Success. We recently talked to Penney about her time in the travel industry and her progression to training and educating other travel agents.
Travel Research Online (TRO): When and how did you enter the travel industry?
Penney Rudicil (PR): I started as a part time independent contractor with a host agency back in 1987. I did that while working a full time job for some time. Around 1995 I started my own agency, The Travel Planner, and eventually hosted independent contractors…
— Travel Research Online
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Reading Between the Lines
Duct Tape Marketing: A Little Panache
 "It is all about meeting and exceeding expectations – and moving your customers way beyond satisfied.”
Duct Tape Marketing by John Jantsch, page 245
Chapter 13 : Turn Prospects Into Clients and Clients Into Partners
Let’s slow down and take first things first. You need to know what your clients expect before you can (1) deliver the intended service and (2) exceed their expectations. You do this by asking questions and by meticulously probing deeper into their answers…
— Travel Research Online
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