Destinations
It's chow, bella time in Tuscany
Claudio and Oriela, the two doughty middle-aged chefs, barely speak a word of English. None of our 15-strong tour group can string a sentence of Italian together. But, thanks to a flurry of hand signals, facial gestures, arched eyebrows and Itanglese (the Italian equivalent of Franglish and Spanglish), we are, between us, conjuring an epicurean feast…
— Sydney Morning Herald
Rich, hidden mystery cloaks Venice's historic Jewish ghetto
Only a small Jewish community remains 500 years after the segregated quarter was created, but it still touches the soul of the city…
— Globe and Mail
Tours and Activities
Traveling the world, with coffee
Coffee-centric destinations such as Melbourne, Seattle, Oregon's Portland, and even Columbus now have café tours organizers say primarily attract travelers…
— The Boston Globe
The 11 Best Beaches Around NYC
Urban beaches don't have to be concrete slabs overlooking a river. Within two hours (okay, maybe three—#traffic) of Manhattan, you can find classic boardwalks, tiny seaside towns, and sandy beaches that'll make you forget about the Caribbean, even if just for a moment. As you gear up for an extra-long 4th of July weekend, consider a beach escape to Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Long Island, or—gasp—New Jersey…
— Condé Nast Traveler
Celebrating the United States in Philadelphia, where it all began
Skip your normal Fourth of July routine and take a patriotic road trip to Philadelphia to celebrate Independence Day in the city where the good ol' US of A got its start…
— The Baltimore Sun
Cruise
Empress of the Seas Sailing Rerouted Due to Engine Trouble
Just one month after returning to the Royal Caribbean fleet after several years with a sister cruise line and a $50 million refurbishment, Empress of the Seas is experiencing trouble with one of its engines, forcing the cruise line to reroute the ship's current sailing…
— CruiseCritic.com
No shirt, no shoes? No problem for some cruise companies looking to lure alternative travelers
It’s obviously not for everyone — “Yuck. I feel for the crew who work these cruisers,” someone posted on CruiseCritic.com — but the clothing-optional cruising concept has plenty of fans. Bare Necessities Tour and Travel has been selling nude cruises since 1990. Its cruise to the South Pacific aboard the m/s Paul Gaugin is sold out, and it has scheduled cruises to the Caribbean on the Carnival Pride next year and on the Carnival Victory in 2018…
— Fox Travel News
Transportation
Fourth of July travel to break record
A record 43 million Americans are expected to travel this Independence Day weekend, with the overwhelming majority driving, according to AAA…
— Chicago Tribune
Spirit, America's most hated airline, wants to fix one thing: being on time
Spirit Airlines is the carrier that leads the pack when it comes to customer gripes. With that in mind, its new boss is trying to repair one crucial aspect of the business: getting to your destination on time…
— The Times-Picayune
Riding the rails to discover the rhythm of India
Chai! Chai! Chai! The chai wallah’s voice is clearly heard through the train car: he’s the most welcome of the on-board vendors, with passengers stopping him for cups of the sweet milky elixir that is India’s best known addiction…
— Vancouver Sun
Lodging
The ultimate in glamping at Uluru
You know you’re somewhere special when passengers start furiously taking photos out the window as the plane comes in to land. It’s the sight we’re all here for and that first glimpse of the magnificent Uluru is one you’ll never forget…
— Escape
Favorite mid-scale hotels: Top picks from our travel panel
For Mike Maloney, consistency is key when staying at a hotel. For that reason, his favorite mid-scale hotel brand is Hilton Garden Inn. “You know what to expect at each location,” he says. The consumer products consultant from Overland Park, Kan., says the Hilton Worldwide brand has also won him over with its clean and comfortable rooms and food and beverage selections that he calls on par with upscale hotels…
— USA Today
Five new hotels to check out in Greece
From adults-only beach retreats to a hip new address in the capital…
— The Independent
Other and Odd
Here's How Brexit Will Affect Your European Travel
While you were sleeping, the United Kingdom voted to remove itself from the European Union, a historic move for what was originally conceived to be a magnanimous social, political, and economic alliance. What’s the deal?…
— Travel+Leisure
10 Free (or Cheap) Travel Apps Worth Downloading
After a week of downloading and trying out various travel and navigation apps, I reached an unfortunate conclusion: Most of them are worthless — clunky, buggy, seemingly desultory efforts by developers rushing a poor product to market. There are a few, though, that provide elegant solutions to some of travel’s more common complications, doing what a good app should do: make life easier. Here are seven free travel apps that are worth your time, and three that are worth your money…
— New York Times
Today in History
Treaty of Versailles
On this day in 1919, the governments of Belgium, Britain, France, Italy, the United States, and all allies on one side and Germany and Austria Hungary on the other signed the Treaty of Versailles in Paris…
— Travel Research Online
Reading Between the Lines
60-Second Geography
Soak in the Sun and Some History on the Greek Islands with European Tours
by Elizabeth Cody
Tuesday June 28, 2016
 When visitors think of Greece, they tend to think of the mainland: the Parthenon, an overabundance of venerable ruins and history, and delectable cuisine such as baklava. However, look beyond Greece's shores to its outer territories floating in the Mediterranean, and you will find so much more history and recreation than you ever imagined. It's no wonder that the Greek Islands are quickly rising as one of the cruising industry's favorite destinations.
— 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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Here is how it might sound when calling a prospective new client:
