Destinations
Three-minute guide to Chengdu, China
The city in southwest China known for its Sichuan cuisine and home to 80 per cent of the world's panda population is going through a transformation. Hip hi-tech start-ups are moving in and with that more restaurants, high-end accommodation, galleries and shopping centres are opening up…
— Sydney Morning Herald
Naxos: Lush Greek isle delivers the good life
Some places are better than others at fulfilling the powerful human desire to live well. The Greek island of Naxos delivers. The largest and lushest of the otherwise rocky Cyclades, Naxos is sometimes referred to as the "green leaf" of the Aegean Sea…
— CNN
Tours and Activities
100 best places in the U.S. for brunch, including 16 in California
Just in time for Mother's Day, OpenTable has come out with its crowd-sourced list of what its users say are the 100 best brunch places in America. New York topped the list of brunchable spots with 20 restaurants, and California came in second with these 16 (many of which have Mother's Day menus, in case you're still planning a Sunday meal out)…
— LA Times
You Can Now Visit Charlie Chaplin
Chaplin's World, the first-ever museum dedicated to the work of Charlie Chaplin, has opened in the filmmaker's former home in Vevey, Switzerland…
— Condé Nast Traveler
Cruise
Afraid to cruise in Europe? Nuts! Now's a great time to go
In the weeks after the Paris terrorist attacks, bookings at Europe-focused Viking River Cruises dropped by more than 50%. Not just in France, where the California-based company offers trips on the Seine that begin and end in Paris. But across all of Europe, a continent that spans more than 2,500 miles…
— USA Today
Cunard Reveals New Dining Options For Remastered QM2
Cunard Cruise Line will add two new dining venues, Carinthia Lounge and The Verandah Restaurant, to its remastered Queen Mary 2, plus enhance other existing restaurants…
— CruiseCritic.com
Transportation
10 things you never knew about being an air hostess
In my four years working as a flight attendant for different airlines, including British Airways, I’ve been inundated with questions about what it’s really like to be an air stewardess. From strict grooming protocol to what passengers get up to when they think no one is watching, it’s time to bust some myths and reveal a few surprising truths about life at 30,000 feet…
— Telegraph (London)
Extreme Turbulence Causes 31 Injuries on Etihad Airways Flight
Turbulence can happen on any flight—but that doesn't make it any less nerve-racking, even for frequent flyers. And so one can only imagine the unease of passengers on a recent Etihad Airways flight from Abu Dhabi to Jakarta, where the air became so bumpy, 31 travelers sustained injuries and 10 people had to be hospitalized, including one crew member. Twenty-two others with minor injuries were treated at the airport's clinic, the airline said…
— Condé Nast Traveler
This Is The Greenest Airline In The World
Out of 20 major airlines, Finnair was the least polluting of the world’s largest airlines in 2014, according to a new study. The study was conducted by the U.K.’s University of Warwick in Coventry. They examined data from the annual reports of 20 large airlines as well as from the Carbon Disclosure Project, a voluntary carbon data reporting organization based in London. They looked at both greenhouse gasses emitted by burning jet fuel, and from CO2 emissions from airline ground operations and services…
— Travel Leisure
Lodging
In Advance of the 2020 Olympics, a Mini Hotel Boom in Japan
In anticipation of the 2020 Summer Olympics, Japan is in the midst of a mini hotel boom. The rooms at the new Amanemu (above), within Ise-Shima National Park, seven hours south of Tokyo by car, are designed to promote total tranquility — all clean lines and warm, woodsy neutrals, with a basalt stone onsen-style tub in every suite…
— New York Times
No vacancies: life in Mozambique's abandoned Grande Hotel in pictures
When it opened in 1955, the Grande Hotel in the Indian Ocean city of Beira was one of the most luxurious in Africa. Photojournalist Fellipe Abreu documents the lives of the 3,500 people who now fill this long-closed hotel to capacity…
— The Guardian
Other and Odd
In Defense of the Imperfect Holiday
The comedian Louis C.K. has a bit about all the work that goes into being a modern consumer. “It’s like a job,” he says, mocking the research we do before making even the most inconsequential purchases. “You have to make sure you get the best one.”…
— The New York Times
10 Things Not to Do When Traveling as a Couple
As a couple, my husband and I have traveled quite a bit. We also work remotely as freelancers which means neither of us takes off to an office during the day. Needless to say, over the time we’ve been in a relationship, we’ve spent a lot of time together and often in very close quarters…
— The Huffington Post
10 signs you're a horrible traveler
Everyone thinks they're an awesome traveler. Yes, even the guy who has his seat reclined all the way into your lap on the 30-minute commuter flight thinks he's crushing it in the travel department. It's easy to judge all the other people on your journey, but did you ever stop to ponder that other people might view you as the terrible traveler? Here are 10 signs that the person everyone else hates is, in fact, you…
— USA Today
Today in History
Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo ("5th of May") commemorates the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862 – a victory of Mexican forces led by General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín over the French…
— Travel Research Online
Press Releases of Interest
Enhanced Earning Potential for Agents Year-Round and Up to 40 Percent Savings for Clients
Trafalgar has unveiled its 2016-17 Autumn, Winter and Spring (AWS) brochure with a compelling financial benefit for both agents and clients. The portfolio of 33 trips in Europe, Britain and Eastern Mediterranean features six different travel styles. This includes three City Explorer and three CostSaver trips, plus top-selling new 2016 destination, Iceland; all available off-peak for the first time due to high demand…
— Travel Research Online
Reading Between the Lines
How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big: Kindness Reaps Rewards
 “Adults are starved for a kind word.”
How To Fail At Almost Everything And Still Win Big: Scott Adams, page 107
I’m going to edit s quote slightly. I’ll say that all people are starving for a kind word.
And this presents an enormous opportunity for you and your business: start paying attention. Look for things that are going right in your world and that are worthy of acknowledgement. Then, do something very few people take the time to do. Applaud those people who deserve your applause…
— Travel Research Online
Read the rest of this article »
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TRO and The Travel Institute Scholarship Program
TRO believes ongoing training is important to the health of the travel professional. Therefore, we have partnered with The Travel Institute to assist travel agents to earn their Certified Travel Associate designation. TRO will be awarding a $100 scholarship to at least one attendee of TRO webinars each webinar. If you want to be considered for the scholarship you need only to register here:
http://www.thetravelinstitute.com/troscholarship/
…and then attend TRO’s webinars. Winners will be selected and notified immediately after each webinar!
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