Destinations
Why the Seychelles are the most beautiful islands on Earth
There aren’t many places on Earth where hawksbill turtles feel so unthreatened that they come ashore in broad daylight to lay their eggs. The Seychelles is one place where they do. There she was: a turtle scooping a hole in the sand, then entering the trance that accompanies the egg-laying process. Her carapace swayed as lychee-like ova plopped into the hollow…
— Telegraph (London)
World's hottest destinations for vegans
Way back in ancient Greece, Plato was philosophizing about a menu based solely on greenery, making him -- along with Buddha, Gandhi and Einstein -- among history's foremost plant diet trendsetters. Even so, the vegan lifestyle is experiencing a remarkable boom today, with a proliferation of in-demand meat and dairy-free restaurants, bakeries and bars around the globe…
— CNN
Tours and Activities
Walt Disney World: New attractions in all four parks this summer
Is a trip to Disney World on tap this summer? You'll want to revisit old standbys such as Space Mountain and the Tower of Terror of course. But there will be plenty of new features to discover as well. Let's run down what the Mouse has debuted this year at the massive Florida resort…
— USA Today
Finland's sauna scene as hot as ever
In the locker room of Sauna Hermanni, one of the few remaining public saunas in Helsinki, I bumped into Paul, an octogenarian who was cooling down after his weekly steam clean, reading his newspaper dressed only in a saggy white vest. I asked him why he came here every week, and after a moment’s contemplation, he said with a shrug: “I couldn’t imagine life without it.”…
— The Guardian
Where people become real-life cowboys
People come from all over to spend a few days playing cowboy in Saguaro National Park, which flawlessly plays the part of a Western movie set…
— BBC Travel
Cruise
Costa Cruises Announces New Perks and Exclusive Spaces for Suite Passengers
Costa Cruises is expanding its suite perks, giving passengers who book in its more expensive accommodations complimentary meals in specialty restaurants, all-inclusive beverage packages, exclusive access to ship events and more…
— CruiseCritic.com
How to pick a cruise ship cabin
You have picked your dates, your itinerary, your ship – now comes the slightly tricky part: choosing your cabin. A large balcony suite would be nice, but also expensive. Interior is cheap but you miss out on sea views from your sleeping quarters…
— Escape
Transportation
What effect will Istanbul airport attack have on travellers?
By far the biggest airline at Istanbul is Turkish Airlines, which has flights from Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh. It has seven flights scheduled to London alone on Wednesday: four to Heathrow and three to Gatwick. It re-started operations early on Wednesday morning. The first flight of the day from Istanbul to Heathrow was cancelled, as were the two flights from Gatwick to Istanbul Ataturk. But all other Turkish Airlines flights to and from the UK on Wednesday are shown as operating normally…
— The Independent
You Can Now Get Hot Air Balloon Rides Through Uber
In an effort to become a one-stop-shop for travelers, Uber’s Chinese arm is launching a new service called Uber Travel, which allows users in the country to request boat rides in addition to hot air balloon excursions…
— Travel Leisure
Lodging
Hotels That Help You Fight Jet Lag
“It’s annoying to be in a great destination and not enjoy it because your body isn’t adjusted to the current time,” said Michael Holtz, the founder of the New York City travel consultancy SmartFlyer, who makes more than two dozen international trips a year…
— New York Times
One Of New York City's Most Beloved Landmarks Is Changing Forever
As the saying goes: “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” New York City’s landmark Waldorf Astoria hotel will close for up to three years while most of its rooms are gutted and turned into luxury apartments, according to The Wall Street Journal. Once the renovation is completed, the remaining 300 to 500 rooms will remain available to travelers as hotel rooms. China’s Anbang Insurance Group, which acquired the hotel in 2015 for nearly $2 billion, plans to close the Waldorf for renovations in spring 2017…
— The Huffington Post
Other and Odd
'Brexit' vote means travelers to Britain may get more for their money
Britain on sale? With the “Brexit” vote to leave the European Union, Britain saw the pound slide against the dollar on Friday. Although a trip to, say, London is not as inexpensive as visiting many developing nations, the currency shift may mean your get more for your money, at least in the short term…
— LA Times
BauBax's New Clothing Line Will Charge Your Phone in Your Pocket
We’ve all been there: You’re in an unfamiliar city, your phone battery is in the red, there are no outlets in sight, and you forgot your portable charger at the hotel. You are desperately in need of some Internet magic to find your way out of the labyrinth of Noto or to that Cape Town beach you heard about, but now—as a technology-reliant member of the 21st century—you are rendered useless. It was this line of thinking that inspired the Seattle-based start-up BauBax to design a line of technologically-integrated clothing designed to keep your devices charged, which it launched on the crowdfunding site Kickstarter today…
— Condé Nast Traveler
The 15 lessons every traveller learns in their 20s
For travellers, getting older does have its downsides – missing out on working holiday visas, feeling creepy in dorm rooms – but it also has the advantage of teaching you a thing or two about seeing the world. If only I'd known all this when I was 20…
— Sydney Morning Herald
Today in History
First Globe Theatre Burns Down
On June 29, 1613, the first Globe Theatre burned to the ground. The theatre went up in flames during a performance of Shakespeare's Henry VIII, probably a result of a mistake with a prop cannon…
— Travel Research Online
Point-to-Point
Brexit, a cloud with a silver lining for UK tourism
 by Paull Tickner
Wednesday June 29, 2016
While clever people way above my pay grade work out the far reaching implications of the ‘earthquake’ caused by the Brexit victory, as far as our hotels, castles, stately homes, gardens, cathedrals, pubs and tea rooms are concerned, the signs are out everywhere to confirm that it’s very much business as…
— Travel Research Online
Read the rest of this article »
|
Travel Agent Diaries
Reading Between the Lines
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!
|
 |
|
The Best Time To Call
