Destinations
Is Genoa Italy's most underrated city?
In some ways, there’s no more appropriate a port of call for a cruise than Genoa. True, the capital of Liguria isn’t the most glamorous corner of Italy. Indeed, as a salty workhorse, its eyes ever on the sea, the country’s sixth largest city isn’t even the most elegant part of the mountainous, beach-laden region of which it is king…
— Telegraph (London)
Branding Hiroshima Beyond Obama
At last month’s G7 Summit at Ise-Shima, I was in a part of Japan not readily featured in travel brochures. It has no hustle and bustle like global megalopolis Greater Tokyo, with its 35 million that make up over one quarter of Japan’s entire population. It is not the ancient cultural capital Kyoto with its 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites…
— The Huffington Post
Tours and Activities
Beach goers fuel record tourism for Gulf Shores, AL.com reports
New Orleans area residents who often use the Alabama Gulf Coast as their summer playground are helping to drive record tourism numbers there, according to AL.com. For the fifth consecutive year, Baldwin County – fueled by beach-bound travelers to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach – enjoyed record-setting growth in the number of visitors, travel-related employment and earnings…
— The Times-Picayune
The World's Best Rooftop Bars
The Ibiza night-life is legendary, and where better to experience it than a rooftop terrace with views across the Mediterranean coastline? Designed to emulate the deck of a ship, The Ninth sits atop the Hard Rock Hotel, and with 360-degree views it’s a spectacular spot to take in the sunset – and a cocktail or two. You can kick on into the wee hours, with live music part of the offering…
— Escape
Cruise
Around the world in 121 days? Check out this epic new cruise
Luxury line Silversea is planning another epic cruise that nearly circles the globe for 2018. The 121-day voyage on the 382-passenger Silver Whisper will kick off Jan. 6, 2018 in Los Angeles and include stops at 60 ports in 21 countries. It'll end in Rome on May 8, 2018…
— USA Today
Norwegian Jewel to Cruise from Sydney in Summer 2017-18
Norwegian Cruise Line has confirmed Norwegian Jewel will be homeported in Sydney for its 2017-18 Australian summer season. The news follows the line’s previous announcement of a short local season with Norwegian Star in early 2017…
— CruiseCritic.com
Transportation
The RV industry has rebounded in a big and beautiful way
Some 9 million RVs are on the road in the United States, the highest number ever…
— The Boston Globe
Delta is Making In-Flight Entertainment Free to Absolutely Everyone
Nothing could be more frustrating than sitting on a long-haul flight, fiddling with a flashy new seat back entertainment console, only to discover that just 1 of the 300 movies on demand are free—and it’s a terrible film. Delta is going to make that moment of disappointment and impending boredom (read: doom) go away. The airline has just announced a fleet-wide policy of free entertainment for all, regardless of your status or cabin class. Yes, that even means you in Basic Economy…
— Travel Leisure
$1,200 for Coach? How to Beat the New Airfare Rules
A few months ago, the nation’s three major airlines quietly tweaked their fare rules. The result? Travelers encountered notably higher prices for certain multicity round-trips (visiting several cities by plane) and open-jaw trips (flying into one city, traveling to another by, say, car or train, then flying home from that city)…
— New York Times
Lodging
The 15 Best Adults-Only All-Inclusive Resorts
Here's what you loved about upscale, adults-only all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico, all highly rated on our 2015 Readers' Choice Awards…
— Condé Nast Traveler
One essential item luxury hotels have lost
Something is missing from some of the most luxurious, high-end hotels. And it's annoying - particularly for women travellers…
— Sydney Morning Herald
The Time is an effortlessly cool hotel in New York's tawdry Times Square
Times Square is synonymous with tawdry, touristy New York. The blinding lights, the monstrous advertising, naked cowboys and strange mascots peddling for your money. It’s sensory overload in the city that never sleeps. Hotels in the area, you’d think, would follow suit. But The Time is anything but tacky. Where the outside world is trying too hard, The Time is effortlessly cool, inside and out…
— Globe and Mail
Other and Odd
How Brexit will affect British tourism
The big EU questions: With 20 days to go before the vote on British membership of the EU, the debate so far has been characterised by bias, distortion and exaggeration. Until the referendum, we are running a series of question-and-answer features that will try to explain the most important issues in a detailed, dispassionate way…
— The Independent
Video: SeaWorld-owned orca whale 'beaches' herself after Loro Parque show
Video of a captive killer whale beaching herself for more than 10 minutes on a concrete slab has reignited animal activists in the fight to free marine mammals used as entertainment. But the theme park that keeps the mammal said it's "totally natural behavior."…
— Fox Travel News
Today in History
The Treaty of Tordesillas
On June 7, 1494, the countries of Spain and Portugal signed the Treaty of Tordesillas, so named for the Spanish city it was created in. The treaty divided the New World of the newly discovered Americas between the two governments…
— Travel Research Online
Travel Agent Diaries
Boomerang Escapes -- “Controlled” Chaos
 I can’t believe it’s already time for me to make another entry. Things have been wild and crazy here. I put an offer in on a condo, put an offer in on another condo, and then eventually ended up with an accepted offer and closing date on my original offer that I made when I went in April on my house hunt—you following? The sale is moving along nicely now, and I will officially be in my new location sometime in the middle of July. In the time between closing here (which is only one week away) and establishing myself there, I will head off to my sister’s (one of my first ICs) and operate the business from her location while working out all the…
— Travel Research Online
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Reading Between the Lines
Integrity Selling: Sales Are Made with Your Mouth Closed
 “People are more apt to buy when they’re talking than when you’re talking.”
Integrity Selling: How to Succeed in Selling in the Competitive Years Ahead — Ron Willingham, page 35
This may be one of the most difficult skills to learn when it comes to the discipline of selling. Thanks to whoever invented the term ”gift of gab,” salesmanship has been closely connected to how well and how long a person can…
— Travel Research Online
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Outposts
Explore the Beauty of the Natural and Urban Landscapes in Sydney with Down Under Answers
by Elizabeth Cody
Tuesday June 07, 2016
 Whenever you mention Australia, almost everyone's mind falls on the metropolis of Sydney. This city is rich in both the natural and modern wonders, from gorgeous beaches to architectural marvels. Even in this urban landscape, adrenaline junkies can find their thrills either in the trees or scaling man-made steel above the rippling waters of the Harbor. Discover all that Sydney has in store for you with Down Under Answers!…
— 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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