Destinations
A Guide to Kauai’s Magical North Shore
Visiting Kauai’s North Shore, with its embarrassment of nature and cinematic coastlines, might convince you to forget about heading back to the mainland. And no one understands that more than the people who live there…
— Condé Nast Traveler
Three-minute guide to Hoi An
Hoi An's UNESCO heritage-listed old town with a wonderfully ancient Japanese Bridge as its centrepiece, was miraculously untouched by the Vietnam-American War. What survives is a living museum of traditional early 19th century architecture and some. It's mostly closed to motorised traffic leaving pedestrians to wander carefree along serene lantern-lit streets. Alongside the old town, the Thu Bon River and its islands provide tranquil terrain to explore by boat and bike. Ten minutes out of town there are beaches to relax on…
— Sydney Morning Herald
Tours and Activities
Knott's opts for an old and familiar GhostRider over a new thrill ride
An extensive renovation of GhostRider has returned the aging wooden coaster to its original glory and left the Knott's Berry Farm ride running smoother and faster than it has in a decade…
— LA Times
Trulli delicious: a taste of southern Italy in Puglia
“So, is the slow-cooked donkey off tonight? No d’asino al vino rosso?” The waiter, who speaks as little English as I speak Italian, disappears to consult with the kitchen. Back he comes, and all’s well. The donkey’s on. Everyone at the table breathes a sigh of relief and tucks into the salumi and cheese and the first of what will be many €12 bottles of house red…
— The Independent
Cruise
Sushi on Five Replaces Bistro on Five Across Celebrity Cruises Fleet
Celebrity Cruises is replacing its popular creperie, Bistro on Five, with Sushi on Five, after a four-month test onboard Celebrity Reflection…
— CruiseCritic.com
A cruise director’s guide to getting the most fun from your holiday at sea
Do you remember going to the circus for the first time as a kid? Stepping through the doors of the big top into a magical world of new and amazing sights, sounds and experiences and not knowing what to feast your eyes on first or what to devour next? That’s how I felt when I stepped aboard Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas for an eight-day cruise of the South Pacific…
— Escape
Transportation
Delta's new CEO touts service and reliability over price
Delta Air Lines is posting record profits and is generally envied by the rest of the industry, due largely to its success in catering to high-paying business passengers. While other carriers try to copy that model, Delta's new CEO, Ed Bastian, has turned his attention to the rest of the plane…
— USA Today
How long will I wait in the TSA line?
I'm flying out of the busiest passenger airport in the world on Friday morning, and I don't know how early to get there for my flight. You'd think a travel writer would know. But I've seen the same tweets as everyone else about long, long security lines at airports all over the country, interspersed with tweets about short lines at the same airports…
— CNN
Lodging
Mama Shelter hotel draws new crowd to lost Hollywood corner
Youth-focused hotel brings a younger generation to an old-school Hollywood neighbourhood…
— Globe and Mail
Is this the world's best hotel room?
“Please be careful,” says the manager as she hands over the keys, with a face like she’s just been ordered to scrub the chemical toilets after Glastonbury. To be fair, we don’t look much like the regular clientele at this particular property. In fact, with our unshaven faces, flip flops and puffa jackets we look more like a has-been boyband, 10 years past our prime. But this evening, just 12 hours after waking up in wooden barrels at the bottom of a Moravian field, we’re going to the opposite extreme - and spending the night in a Hapsburg palace…
— Telegraph (London)
You Can Now Stay on a Floating Airbnb Above the Great Barrier Reef
Airbnb announced their latest listing that consists of a floating apartment in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef. One lucky family will get the chance to spend the night through an online contest…
— Travel Leisure
Other and Odd
In Defense of the Three-Week Vacation
The ancient Romans believed in generous vacations: They took sightseeing tours for two to five years at a time. In more recent centuries, Europeans of means and faint constitutions spent multiple months languishing at spas. Even Jesus withdrew for 40 days and 40 nights to find some peace and quiet in the desert. Yet so many of us today — I’m speaking of those fortunate enough to have the resources and the vacation days — remain slavishly attached to our 24/7 connectivity and take only a week at a time, maybe two!, off work…
— New York Times
Let's Talk About Where You're Moving To In November
Every presidential election people threaten to, “move to Canada” if the candidate they don’t like wins. This time, I think it might be more than a threat for a lot of people. So, it’s time we have an open conversation about it. What exactly do you plan to do when you wake up on November 9th with a killer hangover because you drowned your sorrows the night before with a bottle of tequila (or whatever your alcohol of choice is) over the fact that some businessman with really orange skin and fabulous hair is now the president?…
— The Huffington Post
How to live like a billionaire on the cheap
From private islands that can be yours for as little as £100,000, to yachts and jets to rent for just £90 a pop, the luxury lifestyle isn’t so exclusive after all…
— The Guardian
Today in History
The Hanging of Bridget Bishop
Bridget Bishop spoke her mind. She dressed in a flamboyant way, at least in the eyes of her Puritan neighbors in Salem, Massachusetts. When several young girls in the community began acting strangely and telling tales of strange apparitions and pain, Bridget was accused of witchcraft…
— Travel Research Online
Press Releases of Interest
Alexander+Roberts Introduces Persian Moments
The Cultural Adventure of our Time
With the recent lifting of U.S. and European sanctions, Iran’s ancient heritage is opening to the world and its youthful society is eager to engage American travelers. These exciting developments come as Alexander+Roberts prepares to celebrate its 70th anniversary in 2017. And just as the company did with its pioneering trips to the Soviet Union in 1954, Alexander+Roberts will again be “breaking borders” with Persian Moments – a new Small Group Journey for 16 guests that will bring travelers face-to-face with the ancient history, vibrant modern stories and friendly people of Iran…
— Travel Research Online
Departures
Visit Reykjavik, the Land of the Northern Lights and Vikings with Windstar Cruises
by Elizabeth Cody
Friday June 10, 2016
 Before its formation into a town in the 18th century, Reykjavik had been inhabited for almost a millennium already. Legend has it that the first inhabitant was a sailor who threw his pillars into the sea and vowed to settled wherever they washed up, which happened to be in Iceland. In 1801 Reykjavik became the capital of Iceland, and in the mid-20th century saw a boon from the second World War that most countries did not, thanks to occupation of the countries by the Allied Nations. The city differs from many other Nordic metropolises, with is cozier spread of smaller buildings reminiscent of the coast of Canada rather than the heavy opulence of many European countries…
— Travel Research Online
Read the rest of this article »
|
Reading Between the Lines
Integrity Selling: Walk Your Talk
 “People are more apt to believe you when they see a congruence between what you say and who you are.”
Integrity Selling: How to Succeed in Selling in the Competitive Years Ahead — Ron Willingham, page 99
For years, sales professionals had a reputation of saying what their prospects wanted to hear, and then resorting back to business as usual. Politicians have honed this skill to…
— Travel Research Online
Read the rest of this article »
|
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!
|
 |
|
