Destinations
36 Hours in Cleveland
Whatever the fallout from the forthcoming Republican National Convention, Cleveland, with its booming food scene and revitalized downtown, is camera ready…
— New York Times
Explore Georgia O'Keeffe's world: from New Mexico to New York
This summer, the “Mother of American Modernism” gets her moment in the spotlight as London’s Tate Modern features American artist Georgia O’Keeffe from 6 July-30 October (tate.org.uk; £19)…
— The Independent
27 reasons to keep visiting Europe in 2016
Whichever way you voted, Europe will always be a favourite holiday destination. Chris Leadbeater finds plenty to tempt travellers to the EU member states in 2016…
— Telegraph (London)
Tours and Activities
The Weekend Escape: 'Yurting' on the Oregon coast
My husband and I wanted to try something different for a getaway recently, so we stayed in a yurt on the Oregon coast just steps from the beach. We have fond memories of “yurting” the coast many years ago, kids and dogs in tow, enjoying outdoor activities at each stop. This time we tried a new place, Cape Lookout State Park, just west of Tillamook and were delighted with the sandy beaches, show-stopping views, a lighthouse, great hikes, good food and a clean, comfortable yurt. The tab: $96 for two nights in the yurt, $77 for breakfast both mornings, and $55 for groceries and firewood to use at the campground…
— LA Times
The Faroe Islands: the natural home of Nordic cuisine
Chefs in the Faroes are masters of creating magic from what they have on the doorstep, though the fermented mutton can be an acquired taste, says food stylist Mette Helbaek…
— The Guardian
Cruise
Anthem of the Seas Cruise Ship Returns to Port After Pool Accident
Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas was forced to return to port just hours into a cruise after a boy, 8, was found unconscious in one of the pools. The boy was treated by the ship's medical team after an accident in one of the ship's swimming pools, but required additional medical attention, according to Royal Caribbean…
— CruiseCritic.com
Royal Caribbean to build new terminal, bring Oasis-class ship to Miami
Royal Caribbean plans to spread the love with the world's largest cruise ships as it announced a plan to build a new terminal in Miami. "We are truly excited to be working with Miami-Dade County and PortMiami to create not just another cruise terminal, but a truly iconic building," said Richard D. Fain, chairman and CEO for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. "This new terminal is a symbol of our commitment to Miami, the city where our company first started almost 50 years ago. We can’t wait to bring an Oasis-class ship to PortMiami."…
— Sun Sentinel
Transportation
The perfect yoga routine to do before your flight
Doing yoga before your flight is a great way to prepare your body for the hours ahead…
— USA Today
This Magical App Lets You Skip Through Airport Customs For Free
We all know the line at airport customs can be painfully long. And most travelers know they can skip the line by enrolling in the Global Entry program for a $100 application fee. But most of us weren’t told that there’s an app that lets travelers skip the line FOR FREE…
— The Huffington Post
Airlines Are Offering Big Sales for the Fourth of July
Starting Friday, Emirates is offering steep discounts on many of their international destinations to help you celebrate the Fourth of July. You can take a round-trip Economy Class flight from New York City to Milan for $514, or a luxurious Business Class flight to India for $3,549 (a relative bargain). Emirates’ business class experience includes chauffeured car service to and from the airport, access to the airport lounge spa, and Bulgari amenities to freshen up before you bed down in your lie-flat seat. Other destinations on sale include Bangkok, Cape Town, and Mauritius…
— Travel Leisure
Lodging
Five tents you’ll want to stay in
Think you hate camping? Think again. These top-notch tents around the world are enough to convince even the most dedicated five-star dwellers of the joys of a night (or more) under canvas…
— Escape
Tokyo's first hotel skyscraper
Tokyo's first hotel skyscraper is on the precipice of being as many years old as it is storeys high. Although no longer a visually striking structure in the vertically unchallenged urban landscape of Shinjuku, the 47-level Keio Plaza Hotel now stands out within one of the city's main administrative and commercial areas by offering guests intimate insights and hands-on experiences of traditional Japanese culture…
— Sydney Morning Herald
Other and Odd
The gay conundrum: Does this destination deserve my money?
“Every person who has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any person … shall be liable to imprisonment for 10 years.” This is a quote from the Belize criminal code, one of the first things you read when you Google “LGBTQ rights in Belize.”…
— Globe and Mail
Hollywood's New Favorite Travel Accessory Is the Ishu 'Privacy Scarf'
Constantly dodging paparazzi as they clamor and claw to take your picture? Neither are we. But that doesn’t mean we're any less intrigued by the new "anti-flash" Ishu scarf, quickly becoming a piece of must-have celebrity apparel on par with a Birkin. It's not just about style: The two-toned geometric-patterned "privacy scarf," invented by 28-year-old entrepreneur Saif Siddiqui, is made up of special light-reflecting crystals that bounces back a flash at the offending camera, rendering pictures dark, grainy, and useless. (It also works with video camera lights.) So far, celebrities from A- to-C-list (Cameron Diaz, Paris Hilton, Jeremy Piven, two of three Jonas brothers) have been buying up the scarves and draping them around their famous necks and shoulders to ward off unwanted pictures…
— Condé Nast Traveler
Today in History
The First Zip Code
On July 1, 1963, the United States Post Office introduced the first non-mandatory ZIP for the entire country. Employee Robert Moon first submitted his proposal for the idea while working as a postal inspector in 1944…
— Travel Research Online
Press Releases of Interest
XL Airways adds winter seasonal flights between New York & Paris
Ready for a holiday getaway to Paris? See the City of Lights over the holidays by taking advantage of 13 new flights. French carrier XL Airways has loaded into all GDS systems new one-way and roundtrip fares from New York (JFK) to Paris (CDG) for the winter season…
— Travel Research Online
Agent Perspectives
Start your day off on the right foot!
by Marti Litwin
Friday July 01, 2016
 Good morning! Or is it? How important is it to start your day with good habits and the right frame of mind? Research shows it's critical! How you start your day has far-reaching positive and negative ramifications that affect work, personal life, and your overall well-being. We've all started the day in a panic because we are running late or need to immediately go into crisis mode, only to see the morning hours fade and the rest of the day be unproductive. There are days we wrap up work and feel elated and pleased with the services we have provided and the impact we've made; then there are other days when burn out and allow negativity to set in. Believe it or not, the first…
— Travel Research Online
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Reading Between the Lines
Become the Exception: Making The Telephone Your Weapon of Choice, Part 5
 Back to asking for an appointment. Once you realize that you are not going to get the appointment, you should shift gears and try to learn something that will help you the next time you decide to try again with this prospect. You might say,
MM: “I understand. Personally, I wouldn’t change either if I was totally happy with who I was doing business with. Before hanging up, may I ask you three questions? Is your annual travel budget closer to ten thousand or one-hundred thousand dollars? Do you ever travel internationally? Do you have a central travel coordinator or does each individual secretary book your travel?”
Ask two or three questions that will help you position the prospect as an A, B, or C…
— 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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