Destinations
Splendid Isolation: 50 Amazing Holidays to Escape the Modern World
Many studies show contact with nature can reduce stress and improve mental health. For a beneficial getaway, visit some of the planet’s truly wild places…
— Telegraph (London)
Blink And You'll Miss Buellton, But Here's Why You Don't Want To
Blink and you’ll miss Buellton, Calif., a tiny town a two-hour drive north of Los Angeles. But, if you pull over, you’ll discover a place with a series of quirky, fascinating attractions that take a nice picture and a tasty, if not unexpected, cross-cultural experience…
— The Huffington Post
In Copenhagen, Life at the Speed of Hygge
Copenhagen is one of the lower key capitals of Europe. But it’s a city one quickly feels at ease in. It’s clean (the harbor is even swimmable), easily navigated, and perfectly accessible on foot and bike…
— Boston Globe
Tours and Activities
Your Guide to Picnicking in Boston
Boston’s got many swaths of lawn for a casual, outdoor meal — and plenty of places to find perfect to-go picnic provisions. Here are five al fresco picks — for where to plop down your picnic basket, as well as recommendations for where to grab the goodies…
— Boston Globe
A Sushi Crawl Through Vancouver
The playful, anything-goes sushi culture that has been cultivated in Vancouver has allowed invention to thrive. When it comes to unconventional sushi, the city that bred the California roll has hardly rested on its laurels. Here are the best places to experience the uniquely delicious results…
— Vogue
Water Ride vs. Roller Coaster: Now You Don’t Have to Choose
Enter the water coaster. These coasters — which have been increasingly cropping up at water parks around the world — combine the hills of a roller coaster with the splashy fun of a water slide. Here is a guide to distinct water coasters that may appeal to slide lovers and roller coaster enthusiasts alike…
— New York Times
Cruise
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak to Headline Cruise
Call it the cruise for Apple fans. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak will headline a voyage to Antarctica in December on luxury line Seabourn's 450-passenger Seabourn Quest…
— USA Today
Pacific Explorer: 5 Things you Need to Know about P&O Australia's Newest Ship
She’s amazed the world with her athletic talent and her bubbly personality. But young Aussie surfer Sabre Norris was the one who was amazed when she boarded…
— Escape
Transportation
Airlines Try Biometric Identification for Boarding and Bags
Two United States air carriers, Delta Air Lines and JetBlue, recently began passenger trials in biometric identification, a technology that verifies a person’s identity through fingerprints, facial features or other physical characteristics…
— New York Times
Norwegian adds Europe Flights from Chicago, Austin; fares start at $174 One Way
Norwegian Air already bills itself “world’s fastest-growing airline,” and the European budget airline is backing that up with yet another round of expansion from the United States…
— USA Today
Something New is about to Take Off at Airports: Full-Service Gyms
The first outpost of a company called Roam Fitness is the newest vestige of the hospitality industry’s response to growing demand from stressed-out travelers tired of sitting endlessly on airplanes, in cabs, and through business lunches…
— Boston Globe
Lodging
Four Seasons at Ten Trinity Square Review: This Might Just be London's Best Business Hotel
We are so spoiled for magnificent old buildings in London that it’s all too easy for a masterpiece to go unnoticed - as proven to me by the Four Seasons at Ten Trinity Square…
— The Independent
Amanzoe, Peloponnese: On the Trail of Literary Legends in the Most Luxurious Hotel in Greece
We were based at Amanzoe, a hotel-resort of fabulously incongruous modernity revealed, after a gruelling journey, with all the force of myth. Amanzoe is as high as high-concept hospitality reaches: the site includes a library…
— Telegraph (London)
4 Top Bali Airbnb holiday Rentals for Families from $200 a Night
Taking the family to Bali is the perfect way to escape the winter blues and it doesn’t have to break the bank. Forget trying to score the best deal on a hotel or resort because Airbnb is the perfect option for finding a place with all the comforts of home plus the luxury of your own villa and pool…
— Escape
Other and Odd
Can an American Tourist in London Keep Calm and Carry On After Recent Terrorist Attacks?
After the March knife attack outside Parliament and the Manchester bombing in May, Bernard Donoghue, director of London’s Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, said that the organization noticed a slight dip in visits to central London attractions…
— The Washington Post
Travel Agents? No. Travel ‘Designers’ Create Strategies, Not Trips.
Some travel portfolio managers, like Gonzalo Gimeno, founder and general manager of Elefant Travel in Madrid and Barcelona, and Susan Farewell, the owner of Farewell Travels in Westport, Conn., make house calls, during which they get a read on family dynamics and make suggestions about possible destinations…
— New York Times
Today in History
The Roswell Incident
On July 8, 1947 The Roswell Army Air Field issued an unusual press release indicating that on July 7th, the day before, some of its personnel had located and removed a crashed “flying disc” from a local ranch…
— Travel Research Online
Mike's Morning Missives
Give Great, Fantastic and Incredible
 Do you feel comfortable when asking your customers, “How was your experience with us?” You should be, but I am betting that you aren’t. The reason for that is you are afraid you might hear something you don’t want to hear. Yet, the truth of the matter is that you are in total control of this scenario. It is entirely up to you to make your clients, customers and guests feel very special.
Here is how you do…
— Travel Research Online
Read the rest of this article »
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Soundings
Cruising Over the Holidays
by Susan Schaefer
Friday July 07, 2017
The term “ove r the holidays” often conjures images of Christmas trees, Santa Claus, fireworks, champagne, and crazy cruise fares. The two weeks around Christmas and New Year’s Day are the two busiest, thus most expensive, times for cruising. But those aren’t the only holidays that people plan their vacations around. Of course there’s Thanksgiving, and Memorial Day and Labor Day are holiday weekends that bookend the busy summer season. Even this past 4th of July weekend is a perfect example.
Independence Day this year landed on a Tuesday. Many people took Monday off and created a nice four day weekend. Cruise itineraries encompassing that weekend were sold out weeks ago. So imagine my surprise when a client called me on Monday, June 26th wanting to waitlist…
— 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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Cartoons
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Upcoming Training Opportunities
Universal Orlando Resort™ Three Parks. Endless Awesome.
Thursday, July 20, 2017 at 2 pm EDT/11 am PDT
BECOME AN EXPERT IN AWESOME.
Register Now ➠
Discover the Top Properties and Activities in South Africa
Wednesday, July 19, 2017 at 3 pm EDT/12 pm PDT
Join South African Airways and a2b Destination Marketing and discover the beauty and essence of Southern Africa. We’ll discuss flight options, top-selling activities, and cover four remarkable properties in the region.
Register Now ➠
Find the Ungoogleable!
Thursday, July 13, 2017 at 1 pm EDT/10 am PDT
In this day and age, the internet is accepted as the standard repository of all knowledge and wisdom – but when it comes to travel, things change quickly, and there are many things that are still truly ‘un-google-able.’ Through years of practice, determination, and passion for travel, we’ve built our expertise about international travel planning into something you just won’t find in search results.
Register Now ➠
Discover the Best of Banff Lake Louise This Winter
Tuesday, July 11, 2017 at 3 pm EDT/12 pm PDT
The Banff Lake Louise area is the one destination your clients must visit in winter. It is the quintessential winter wonderland with no shortage of exciting activities ranging from the adventurous to the serene.
Register Now ➠
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