Destinations
Top 10 places to visit on the Ecuador coast
Air Europa's new flights from Madrid to Guayaquil start on 16 December, making an Ecuador trip much easier. Here, we highlight a coastline of great resorts, as well as tropical forest and wonderful wildlife…
— The Guardian
Where Our Travel Specialists Say You Should Go in 2017
Here's what Traveler's top specialists are telling clients who ask, "What's trending for travel in 2017?"…
— Condé Nast Traveler
Tours and Activities
Five Places to Go in Pristina
Pristina swims in superlatives. With a population of 200,000, Kosovo’s chief metropolis is also the hub of Europe’s youngest national population; the average age of a Kosovar is 28…
— New York Times
The 10 best food and wine holidays in Italy
Our experts pick of the top 10 food and drink holidays in Italy for 2016, including wine tasting, olive harvest and traditional Italian cookery courses, in destinations such as Florence, Sicily, Umbria, Puglia and Liguria…
— Telegraph (London)
Texas man asked to leave Six Flags for looking too much like Santa Claus
A bearded, bespectacled Texas man isn’t feeling too jolly after being kicked out of a Six Flags theme park for looking too much like Santa Claus…
— Fox Travel News
Cruise
Carrie Underwood to Perform on Carnival Imagination as Part of Carnival LIVE
Following a private performance for military families to kick off Carnival Vista's christening last month, Carrie Underwood has been billed to perform aboard Carnival Imagination as part of Carnival LIVE's 2017 lineup…
— CruiseCritic.com
These New Cruise Ships Are Hitting the Water Soon
The growing popularity of destination-centered voyages has spurred many lines to order new expedition vessels. Here's the latest wave…
— Travel Leisure
Transportation
What to do if you haven't booked your Christmas flight yet
With Christmas less than two weeks away and New Year’s following on its heels, surely all would-be holiday air travelers have booked their tickets by now. Right?…
— USA Today
Male pilots outnumber females by 16 to 1
The flight deck appears to be the last professional bastion of male domination. In the typical UK airline, male pilots outnumber females by 16 to 1 — and at Thomson, Britain's biggest holiday company, the ratio is 33 to 1…
— The Independent
Lodging
Once podunk, now posh; Northstar at Lake Tahoe has come up in the downhill world
Thanks to Vail Resorts, the once-average ski area boasts wine bars, a yoga studio, high-end restaurants and, oh, some good skiing too…
— LA Times
How to experience hot new luxury hotels at a discount
Booking a suite at a new hotel's soft launch is one way to experience a five-star stay at an attractive price…
— Globe and Mail
10 Hotels for New Year
The year is nearly over and 2017 is on the horizon, so whether you’re seeing the New Year in quietly or with a bit of a bang, here are 10 of the Good Hotel Guide’s hotels for New Year…
— The Huffington Post
Other and Odd
Map Reveals Every Country's Tourism Slogan
Countries do a lot of things to market themselves to tourists and one of them is using slogans. Holiday deals website Family Break Finder has collected all of them (except 38 countries that don’t have one) and put them on an interesting map…
— Bored Panda
The Passport Stamps You Should Get in 2017
Passports are more than just little books that let you cross from one country into another—they also tell stories and carry part of our history as travelers. With this in mind, we polled our office and collected the passport stamps we love the most…
— Condé Nast Traveler
Today in History
The Boston Tea Party
Smugglers in Boston were making good money bypassing British tax laws in the late 1700's. But when Britain permitted the East India Company to sell tea to the colonies without paying taxes, the smugglers' livelihood was threatened…
— Travel Research Online
Press Releases of Interest
Discover the Beauty of Jackson Hole with Winter Deals and Holiday Events
Jackson Hole, a year-round destination for world-class outdoor recreation, is offering a variety of events and pricing specials on mountain adventures, culinary experiences, lodging, airfare and more for visitors looking for a breathtaking—yet, budget-friendly—winter getaway this holiday season…
— Travel Research Online
American Duchess™ Voyages Selling at Record-Setting Pace
American Queen Steamboat Company, operator of the American Queen® and American Empress®, reported record-setting bookings for the inaugural season of the new American Duchess, scheduled to debut on the Mississippi River in June 2017. As the first and only all-suite vessel with lofts on the river, the purpose-built boutique paddlewheeler will offer the river cruiser an intimate experience for overnight cruising through America’s heartland.…
— Travel Research Online
Specialty Travel Forums Launches ELEVATE Select Business Summit for Travel Agency Owners
Specialty Travel Forums, a division of Travel Show Marketing Group (TravelSMG), an independent event organizer and producers of the highly-acclaimed Romance Travel Forum and Family Travel Advisor Forum has announced the launch of ELEVATE Select, an exclusive invitation-only business summit that will bring together leaders within the travel agency distribution channel and key executives from the most sought after vacation experience providers…
— Travel Research Online
Make Your 2017 “Nautical and Nice” By Giving the Gift of Cruise Travel – 180 Degrees from Ordinary
Windstar Cruises tempts travelers to treat a loved one to a luxurious cruise on a sleek sailing yacht with tall sails or an elegant yacht with all-suite accommodations. Cruisers will enjoy the best savings of the season during the “Nautical and Nice” Holiday Event through Dec. 23. Featuring more than 100 cruises sailing January through September 2017, each guest also receives a bonus gift of $100 shipboard credit to spend on a variety of indulgences, from spa treatments to a bottle of fine wine…
— Travel Research Online
Reading Between the Lines
Top Dog Sales Secrets: Sincerity Breeds Prosperity
 “Closing With Confidence”
Top Dog Sales Secrets by Michael Dalton Johnson, page 55
I don’t want to sound hypocritical or appear guilty of playing games with word choices. I am extremely fond of the word “confidence” although often mystified by its “here today-gone tomorrow” nature. And as you know, the word “closing” is not my first choice.
Let’s address confidence first. How do you get it? How do you benefit from it? How do you lose it? How do you get it back?…
— 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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