Destinations
48 Hours in Hong Kong: hotels, restaurants and places to visit
The oppressively hot days of summer will soon be coming to an end and the high-rise metropolis of Hong Kong will once again be a joy to behold. Throw in new flights, a wave of new bars and restaurants and some of the most iconic sights and experiences in the Far East and you've got a city break of epic proportions…
— The Independent
25 things every traveller should know about Japan
Japan is a land where tradition and modernity exist. It has sumo wrestlers and super-fast trains. The serenity of a tea ceremony and cities that move so fast your head will spin…
— Escape
Tours and Activities
Cuddle 500 Kitties At This Heavenly Cat Sanctuary In Hawaii
Most people visit Hawaii looking to spend long, lethargic hours on white sand beaches drinking bottomless mai tais. Cat people, on the other hand, might have a more cuddly option in mind. On the small island of Lanai, a little-known slice of feline heaven called the Lanai Cat Sanctuary is home to 495 cats. People fly from all over the world just to hang out with them…
— The Huffington Post
Red Panda Escapes Zoo, Takes Eight-Month Vacation Before Returning
Three red pandas took full advantage of a weather-induced opportunity last winter and escaped from their home in the Hangzhou Zoo. A branch in the pandas' cage broke under the weight of the snow, giving the trio a chance to experience a bit of the great outdoors…
— Travel Leisure
Cruise
Holland America Line Raises Prices in Specialty Restaurants Across Cruise Fleet
Holland America Line has upped prices in three alternative restaurants across its fleet. Dining package pricing has also subsequently increased. According to the line it has been several years since it made a price adjustment at its restaurants. "The three award-winning restaurants remain among the best values at sea for specialty dining with pricing that falls below that of other cruise line alternative restaurants," the line said in a statement…
— CruiseCritic.com
Get a real taste of Barcelona
Look, I know the ship's captain is steering us westwards, my housekeeper doing a sterling job, and the engineers keeping the engines ticking down below. But really, I can't help thinking that the chefs are the most important staff on Viking Sea. They're the people keeping everybody satisfied, and I wonder at the enormity of their task on this ship of 930 passengers…
— Sydney Morning Herald
Transportation
Flying With Shrieking Children? Give Your Neighbors a Goody Bag
Some of the world’s rudest and most obnoxious people can be found on airplanes: the line jumpers, the overhead-bin hogs, the incessant talkers, the seat recliners and the armrest appropriators. And don’t forget the shrieking children and the parents who can’t or won’t keep them quiet…
— New York Times
Delta flights grounded after systems outage
US airline Delta grounds departing flights worldwide after suffering a system outage, saying it is working to resolve the problem as soon as possible…
— BBC News
Lodging
Best rentals and B&Bs near top national parks
There are many lodging options for national park visitors, from backcountry camping to rustic cabins to classic luxury lodges. If your tastes tend to comforts of a bed and breakfast, you’re covered there too…
— USA Today
Amsterdam's Pulitzer offers a sleep steeped in history
As I walk from Amsterdam’s Central Station – across busy bike lanes, down narrow streets and across canals – my phone buzzes in my pocket to tell me I’ve made a wrong turn. I correct course and continue the 20-minute walk through hundreds of years of history to the Pulitzer hotel. As I cross the bridge over Keizersgracht and turn right along the canal, Google Maps tells me “You have arrived.”…
— Globe and Mail
The Best Hotel Breakfasts in the World
Gone are the days of boring continental breakfasts. Instead, we're saying "good morning" with dumplings, prosciutto with sliced melon, and airy eggs Benedict at some of the best breakfasts our editors have eaten at hotels around the world…
— Condé Nast Traveler
Other and Odd
The future of travel, from villas beneath the sea to journeys into space
Though we are in tumultuous times, post-Brexit, nobody has yet confronted the prospect of an enclave of Britain adopting the euro – but it is going to happen, and shortly. For an Austrian developer is set to make this unlikely eventuality a reality; and to understand the supposedly impossible, we need to venture somewhere that specialises in creating what has previously been inconceivable: Dubai…
— Telegraph (London)
Holiday downloads: what to put in your digital suitcase
We now spend more time deciding what to take with us on our tablets, phones and e-readers than we do packing our bags. Here's how to organise your digital luggage…
— The Guardian
Disney World builds stone wall at lake where alligator killed boy
Workers are building a stone wall around a Walt Disney World lake where an alligator killed a toddler earlier this summer. Disney officials told the Orlando Sentinel for a story published Sunday that the barrier wall is part of the new security plan following the death of 2-year-old Lane Graves of Omaha, Nebraska. The boulder wall is going up along the beaches of the Seven Seas Lagoon where several resorts are located…
— Fox Travel News
Today in History
The Great Train Robbery
On August 8, 1963, a group of 15 men held up a train at at Bridego Railway Bridge, Ledburn near Mentmore in Buckinghamshire, England. The robbery did not go well. The robbers were misinformed, ill-equipped and more than a little bumbling…
— Travel Research Online
Editorial Musings
Time for a field trip
by John Frenaye
Monday August 08, 2016
We can learn a  lot when we get out of the office. There’s a whole world out there to explore—or so we tell out clients. But, how often do you get out to explore? I am not talking about to some far-flung destination or the most recent FAM trip. When was the last time you took a field trip in your own town?
Let’s face it; first and foremost, we are in a service industry and if our service is off, we will lose. Granted, in today’s environment, the bar is not set terribly high and it does not take a lot to offer good service. It still amazes me that Comcast has yet to figure that out—but I digress!
While there is much to be learned…
— Travel Research Online
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Reading Between the Lines
The Pursuit of WOW!: We Need to Fail More
 “Almost nothing, small or large, was ever accomplished without setback after setback after setback.”
The Pursuit of WOW! by Tom Peters, page 49
You are probably expecting me to start reciting a litany of names of the famous people we all know have failed their way to success. "Like who?" you ask. Oprah Winfrey. Thomas Edison. Bill Gates. Winston Churchill. Abe Lincoln. Mike Piazza, and I could go on and on and on. But I…
— Travel Research Online
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Publishers Corner
Promises Made
by Richard Earls
Sunday August 07, 2016
 "We promise according to our hopes, and perform according to our fears." ~Francois duc de la Rochefoucauld
How easy is it to make a promise? Far too easy. We make promises continually. Sometimes they take the form of solemn oaths ("I do") and other times they take the form of appointments and deliverables. We easily assure our business partners we will "be right back with you" and then let far too much time slip away. Suddenly our promise has gone stale and we are working not to hit our deadline, but to not be terribly late in our…
— Travel Research Online
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One-to-One Interviews
Mark Fravel, Founder and President of National Transaction Corporation
 Before founding National Transaction Corporation, Mark Fravel worked extensively in the data collection and financial technology fields under Harbridge Merchant Services and First Data, both serving as their Vice President. In 1999 Mark left to start his own merchant processing company, National Transaction Corporation, and has continued as its president for over 19 years. National Transaction has always exceeded excellence, often ranking in the top 10 for many prestigious data and technology awards.
Today Mark lives in South Florida where he dedicates his spare time away from NTC to volunteering and advocating for children, the environment, and better quality education. He has been a board member of the Prestige Club, an organization dedicated to helping children in need in…
— 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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