Destinations
Five hidden-gem Greek islands
Greece has somewhere between 2,000 and 6,000 islands and islets scattered through the Aegean and Ionian Seas, of which a little over 200 are inhabited. Many visitors come to the islands with an ingrained image: Whitewashed houses and churches with vivid blue accents, crisp burnt orange sunsets, a labyrinth of narrow streets where a slant of sunlight peaks through the alabaster town square. That really is what favorites like Santorini and Mykonos look like, which is why they're so popular and crowded…
— USA Today
Łódź: the best city you can't pronounce
When it comes to fairy tale destinations, the Polish city of Łódź wouldn’t trouble many - if any - bucket lists. Nicknamed “the Manchester of Poland”, it was a smoking industrial behemoth during the 19th Century, before collapsing into catastrophic decline after the Great Depression…
— Telegraph (London)
Georgia on his mind: Chris Morgan Jones's Tbilisi highlights
Georgia is a gift to a novelist: it seems to change every 10 miles. Tbilisi and the mountains in the north-east – the places I use in my new book – are particularly rich. It was important to me to pick a location as alien to most readers as it is to my main character, who finds himself a long way from home and utterly out of his depth. And it has Russia to the north – a long-term enemy/rival/meddler in Georgian affairs – to add tension…
— The Guardian
Tours and Activities
Vivid Sydney's pop-culture fest lights up the city with music and ideas too
Australia's biggest light show -- projecting images onto the Opera House and other landmarks -- is on until June 18. But only when it's dark…
— LA Times
Wonderland, After Hours
Above the grey, chimney-strewn rooftops, the sky is dusky indigo. Of the little darkened storefronts along the rue du Bac, only one remains lit. Monsieur Deyrolle‘s old taxidermy, the front door is ajar. We tiptoe up the creaky, winding stairs, to a secret menagerie, where spots of light from the street lamps outside filter softly through the tall glass panes. Paintings and plants, books and animals are all fast asleep. Our intrusion goes unacknowledged; the bear’s nose barely twitches, the lion’s tail does not stir…
— The Huffington Post
World's most incredible bookstores
The world's most incredible bookstores, according to SmarterTravel.com…
— Chicago Tribune
Cruise
Disney Wonder to Receive a Marvel Super Hero Academy, Tiana's Place Restaurant and More During Massive Refurb
Disney Wonder will receive several new attractions including a Marvel Super Hero Academy, It's a Small World Nursery, Tiana's Place restaurant and an English-style pub during a fall dry dock in Cadiz, Spain…
— CruiseCritic.com
Le Boat launches new range of high-spec, self-drive boats
Le Boat has launched a new range of high-spec, self-drive boats for couples and small groups, the first of which floated out last month…
— Sydney Morning Herald
Transportation
Inside planes' secret bedrooms where cabin crew go to rest
The hidden areas where cabin crews rest when not pacing up and down plane aisles have been revealed in a series of fascinating photos. Images of concealed interiors on select Boeing 777 and 787 planes show staff sleeping quarters with beds, mattresses and curtains, accessible only by secret staircases, hidden behind security-coded doors. Some of the sleeping areas, known as Crew Rest Compartments (CRC), are even hidden behind entrances that resemble overhead luggage bins…
— The Independent
See Cabin Damage After Plane 'Bounces' in Aborted Landing
A United Airways pilot aborted his landing at Newark, New Jersey, after the Boeing 767 bounced so hard that ceiling panels fell into the aisle…
— NBC
Uber is Offering Free Trips to Bermuda, But You Have to Leave Tomorrow
Uber partnered with Bermuda Tourism Authority and is sending New York riders on a free trip to Bermuda, but there's a catch. Winners have to have their passport handy and be able to travel tomorrow…
— Travel Leisure
Lodging
Cordis hotel in Hong Kong offers respite from the masses
Densely packed and vibrant, with far fewer expats than Hong Kong Island, the district of Mong Kok in Kowloon is renowned for its shopping and eating, not to mention its iconic neon signs. The Langham Place hotel has been a part of the neighbourhood since 2005, and the chain chose this location to transform into its first, well-being-focused Cordis hotel. The new brand encourages guests to get out and explore the nearby streets, while also offering them an oasis from the crowds…
— Globe and Mail
The train fanatic's fantasy inn
The Izaak Walton Inn sits in the unincorporated township of Essex, 26 miles from West Glacier and 30 from East Glacier…
— The Boston Globe
Other and Odd
How to Pack for a Destination Wedding
While out-of-town weddings are a no-brainer excuse to travel, packing for the big day can be a more complicated endeavor. This season, we've done the careful planning for you, by developing comprehensive style guides to ceremonies around the globe…
— Condé Nast Traveler
8 places to see the world’s cutest baby animals
Wildlife encounters are often the highlights of a holiday - especially when they involve baby animals. Here are some of the best places to see the world’s cutest creatures…
— Escape
Today in History
The Shooting of Andy Warhol
Valerie Jean Solanas was an unusual woman and artist. Her work was so radically feminist and pornographic that even Andy Warhol refused to publish it. The two collaborated on other ventures, but Solanas, perhaps suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, grew increasingly agitated and angry with Warhol…
— Travel Research Online
Press Releases of Interest
Windstar Cruises Announces 2017 Voyage Collection
Luxury cruise line Windstar Cruises announces its 2017 Voyage Collection. Known for in-depth cultural exploration, the line’s broad spectrum of worldwide cruise vacations includes two new cruises added to dozens of itineraries visiting more than 150 ports of call — including 13 new ports for 2017 — in 50 countries…
— Travel Research Online
Alexander+Roberts Offers the Most Complete Pearl Harbor Journey
Kyoto + Hiroshima + Mt. Fuji + Tokyo + Honolulu + Pearl Harbor
Through July 4, travelers can save $1,000 on Alexander+Roberts Original Journey commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Departing on November 28, 2016, this exclusive 12-day journey is limited to 25 guests and promises the most complete itinerary tracing the paths of war in Japan and Hawaii…
— Travel Research Online
Agent Perspectives
Craig Satterfield: The Cruise Scholar
by Susan Schaefer
Friday June 03, 2016
We recently sat down with Craig Satterfield and spoke with him about his 4 decades in the travel industry, and about his book which was recently published.
Craig Satterfield has been in the travel industry for nearly 40 years. His experience has included owning his own business, managing a franchise, and also as an employee. Currently Craig is an employee for two different cruise agencies, Sure Cruise and Cruise Travel Outlet. In the 1970's, Craig started one of the first five cruise-only agencies. At that time other travel agents told him he wasn’t a legitimate travel agent if he wasn’t writing airline tickets. Many of those agencies went out of business years later when the airlines stopped paying commissions and the agencies didn’t adapt…
— Travel Research Online
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Reading Between the Lines
Hey, I'm The Customer: Know When To Talk
 “Another tip, and one most sales people don’t seem to practice, is to mention only the features and benefits that relate to the needs or wants that have been identified.”
Hey, I'm The Customer — Ron Willingham, page 157
The last thing in the world I would write down in any column is that you were given two ears and one mouth as a reminder of the importance of each. In effort to avoid insulting you, I will simply remind you of the importance of listening more than you talk.…
— Travel Research Online
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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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