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Monday August 14, 2017

Destinations

Explore 6 Premier League Destinations
The 2017-18 Premier League season begins today, with Arsenal taking on Leicester City, and there is a full slate of games throughout the weekend. But the cities that host the 20 teams, spread throughout England, have much more to offer than just soccer…

Is Mallorca Europe's Most Underrated Island for a Walking Holiday?
Mallorca, the largest of the Balearic Islands, gets a bad rap. But the island is also home to some of the most beautiful and historically interesting walking trails in Europe…

Hawaii Secrets: 6 Spots You've Been Missing
If you’re anything like me, the beach can get a bit boring after a while. So it’s worth digging a bit deeper and discovering some hitherto hidden Hawaiian gems, even if you’re not venturing far from Honolulu. Here are six things to check out when you tire of the sand between your toes…

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Tours and Activities

From Canopy Walk to Gator-Filled Waters, this Florida Park Offers Wildlife Aplenty
Sarasota county' 29,000-acre Myakka River State Park boasts birds, reptiles and one of the country' few treetop walks…

Take A Little Walk With Me: DCR's Healthy Heart Trails Entice Bodies Into Motion
Truth be told, we weren’t thinking much about fitness when we headed to Sullivan’s in South Boston for the spring ritual of burgers and fries. But the day was so nice that we took a post-lunch stroll out to Castle Island…

13 Fun Things to Do in Curaçao Right Now
Conveniently sitting outside the hurricane belt, just 50 miles east of busy Aruba, laid-back Curaçao boasts vibrant architecture and history, multicultural neighborhoods, white sand beaches and iridescent turquoise Caribbean water. Here are 13 of the most fun things to do there…

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Cruise

Another Norwegian Cruise Line Ship to Get a Deck-Top Race Track
Norwegian Cruise Line on Sunday revealed that its soon-to-debut, Alaska-bound Norwegian Bliss would feature a two-deck-high racing course where passengers compete against each other in electric go-carts — a first for a vessel based in North America…

The Secret To Eating On A Cruise Ship
Drinking and dining is big business on the world’s cruise ships, but how do the mountains of provisions in each vessel’s pantries translate to cruise food in 2017?…

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Transportation

Shanghai's Subway Looks to New York, but Not for Everything
Chinese officials are quick to say that New York has a model public transport network, albeit one they aspire to emulate more closely in some respects than others…

Drink-Fuelled Air Rage still Threatening Safety, say Cabin Crew
A year on from a new code of conduct designed to curb drunkenness on planes, cabin crew report it has had little effect. The Unite union, which represents 30,000 UK cabin crew, says a major survey of members showed more than three quarters had witnessed alcohol-fuelled air rage since the new rules took effect in July 2016…

Spirit Airlines Sued Following Death of 90-year-old Former Baggage Handler
The widow of Nazem Amine, a former baggage handler for Spirit Airlines, has filed a federal lawsuit against the company over an injury her late husband suffered on the job…

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Lodging

Mexican Authorities Seize Illicit Alcohol in Crackdown at Resorts
Mexican authorities swept through 31 resorts, restaurants and nightclubs in Cancun and Playa del Carmen in recent days, suspending operations at two for unsanitary alcohol and in the process discovered a sketchy manufacturer that was supplying tourist hot spots…

Hotels Find Alternatives to Room Service
Traditional room service is becoming a service fewer travelers are demanding. Instead, they are looking to be able to order food the way they do at home. And hotels are responding by forming partnerships with food-delivery services such as Peapod and Grubhub…

These Millennial Pink Hotels Are What Vacation Dreams Are Made Of
Rome, Marrakech, and even the South of France have pink palaces that come with luxurious digs…

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Other and Odd

Nepal Floods: Elephants Deployed in Rescue Efforts
Dozens of elephants and rafts have been deployed to rescue nearly 500 people trapped by floods in a popular resort in southern Nepal, officials say…

Today in History

Social Security Act
On August 14, 1935, President Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act to provide a government pension system for the retired…

Editorial Musings

Combatting “fake news” with some new “real news” from Mexico
by John Frenaye
Monday August 14, 2017

A few weeks ago, I wrote a column on “fake news” in the travel industry. The media had resurrected a story about a tragic death in Mexico of a young woman who was found dead in a resort swimming pool. The story came to light for a second time because a lawsuit was filed. There was rampant speculation about the cause and one of the causative actions was leaning towards the resort utilizing tainted liquor. Not so fast!

After the lawyers made the accusations, the Mexican government went to work.

In the latest sampling by the Federal Commission on Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris), laboratory tests of the alcoholic beverages of the hotel Iberostar Paraiso del Mar were found to be normal, ruling out allegations…

  — Travel Research Online
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Mike's Morning Missives

Out of the Mouths of Babes

I once spotted a headline that read, "Young entrepreneur has business bean for marketing coffee."

The article was about a ten year old "yoot"*** named Stephen who was running a three person business from his front lawn while learning about the rudiments of turning a buck. Little does he know that what he was learning will serve him well for the next 50 + years.

**** (youth/youngster) - if you haven't seen the movie My Cousin Vinny, do yourself a favor and rent it before it goes out of…

  — Travel Research Online
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Publishers Corner

Sales Training for Travel Professionals
by Richard Earls
Sunday August 13, 2017

What type of formal sales and marketing training have you undertaken? If you look at most professions, the sales people are continually taking sales courses on a regular basis. In travel, however, sales and marketing often take a back seat to destination courses and product knowledge. Too seldom do you see real sales and marketing training in our industry.  Even at industry trade shows, "sales seminars" usually end up being more product knowledge in disguise. How important do you think formal training in sales and marketing is and how have you invested in it in the past?
When something goes "wrong" in a proposal to a client, you can often trace the problem back to the sales skills necessary for a…

  — Travel Research Online
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One-to-One Interviews

Katrina Roberts, Travel Agent and International Tour Leader, Cook Travel

Hailing from Auckland, New Zealand, Katrina Roberts is one of the top performing travel agents for Cook Travel, a boutique travel consultancy that specializes in Business and First Class travel. Having spent the last 16 years in New York City, Katrina handles business and first class travel for large scale corporations, law firms and advertising agencies, both in New York and in New Zealand, and even the travel of various celebrities; from Nick Cannon to Paula Abdul. She got her start as a travel agent fresh out of tourism school, which led to her spending the last 14 years specializing in travel to the South Pacific as an International Tour Leader with Cook Travel.

  — 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!


Upcoming Training Opportunities


It Takes Two to Tango!

It Takes Two to Tango!

Thursday, August 24, 2017 at 1 pm EDT/10 am PDT

Do you know how to sell Argentina?

Register Now ➠


Discover the Best of Canada by Rail this Winter

Discover the Best of Canada by Rail this Winter

Wednesday, August 23, 2017 at 1 pm EDT/10 am PDT

Canada is the perfect winter destination and is a must-see for your clients. From snow-capped mountains to frozen waterfalls, holiday festivals to activities both adventurous and serene, Canada truly is the quintessential winter wonderland. What better way to connect all of Canada’s fabulous destinations and wintry scenes than aboard one of Canada’s premier trains. Join Canada á la Carte and VIA Rail Canada for an educational discussion on winter rail vacations in Canada.

Register Now ➠


Let Your Clients Discover the Beauty of China on Xiamen Airlines

Let Your Clients Discover the Beauty of China on Xiamen Airlines

Wednesday, August 16, 2017 at 1 pm EDT/10 am PDT

Refreshing Fujian, beautiful Xiamen – China’s unique city has been recently voted the prettiest and greenest in the whole country! Located on the south coast in the Fujian Province, Xiamen offers a fine mix of city, cultural, and beach attractions. With origins dating back 5,000 years, trade has been the lifeblood of Xiamen, and the city has grown on the commerce from merchants, both Chinese and European, who used Xiamen as their ‘Gateway to China’.

Register Now ➠







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