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Thursday December 21, 2017

Destinations

36 Hours in Manchester, England
A visit here becomes an exercise in peeling back layers of sooty, hard-working history to arrive at a shinier, bustling and hopeful present…

Best Last-Minute Christmas Getaways for all Budgets
There's still time to get the hell out of dodge this festive season, with last-minute holidays on offer and even some seasonal deals to be found. Here are some of the best…

Cape Verde: The African Islands that the Whole World Wants to Visit
As a holiday destination, Cape Verde has plenty to recommend it. It’s a year-round sun spot with alluring beaches, volcanic hiking routes, and a lively music scene, not to mention direct flights from the UK at under six hours…

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Tours and Activities

Tips for a Non-Touristy Visit to Versailles
A trip to the Château de Versailles -- just 12 miles southwest of Paris -- is not to be missed. To make the most of your visit, follow our handy guide…

Dallas Done Right: Where to Eat, Drink, Stay, and Play in the Texas City
A travel guide to Dallas, Texas's third-largest city, including all the best restaurants, hotels, and concert venues for your trip…

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Cruise

Deadly Mexico Tour Bus Crash Sparks Concerns over Safety of Cruise Line-Sanctioned Excursions
The bus was reportedly carrying passengers from two Royal Caribbean cruise liners — the Celebrity Equinox and the Serenade of the Seas — when it flipped over on a two-lane highway, landing on its side…

Cruises: Glockenspiel Class hits High Note on High Seas
Glockenspiel class is the latest thing aboard the Ruby Princess, a ship that measures 68 feet longer than the Titanic and sails back and forth between Los Angeles and Mexico every week until they run out of forks…

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Transportation

Is That Seat Taken? Southwest Airlines Seat-Savers Drive Some Passengers Crazy
Despite repeated gripes about seat saving, the airline says it has no plans to create a policy that condones or forbids the practice…

Expert: New Route may have Distracted Engineer before Crash
Experts say it’s possible the engineer on an Amtrak train that derailed as it hurtled into a curve at more than twice the speed limit was distracted for an extended period of time before the train plunged off an overpass and onto a busy interstate, a key factor in the investigation…

New Year's Eve Flight Jets Around the World 'Twice' in 24 Hours
On New Year’s Eve, PrivateFly will charter an aircraft from Sydney, Australia to Honolulu, effectively allowing passengers to ring in 2018 not once, but twice…

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Lodging

What's Ahead for Hotel Guests in 2018?
No one knows what 2018 will bring, of course, but that isn’t stopping anyone from making predictions. Regardless of what happens, the takeaway is clear: Be on the lookout for surprises…

Checking In: Toronto's Bisha Is No Ordinary Boutique Hotel
Toronto’s sexy new Bisha Hotel reflects the midnight mood and downtown edge of the city’s electric entertainment district…

Preferred Hotels to Expand Next Year
Preferred Hotels & Resorts, one of the largest independent hotel brands in the world, will launch 14 new properties next year. The properties will be located from Houston and Charleston to Shanghai and Vienna…

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Other and Odd

Facial Scans at U.S. Airports Violate Americans' Privacy, Report Says
The Homeland Security Department is grappling with trying to catch foreigners who are illegally in the United States without trampling privacy rights…

These Ultra-VIP Services Are the New Frontier for a Less Stressful Airport Experience
Thanks to a range of new luxury airport services, travel this holiday season doesn’t have to be like The Hunger Games—it can actually be an enjoyable, relaxing experience…

How This Man tricked TripAdvisor into Listing his Shed as London's No. 1-Rated Restaurant
Oobah Butler built so much hype with his totally fake restaurant that people around the world called trying to get reservations…

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Today in History

Pan Am Flight 103
On December 21, 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 exploded en route from London to New York in Scotland airspace…

Mike's Morning Missives

Beware The Email

The subject of today's column deals with emails.

EMAIL DANGERS - I received an email from a person this week that immediately triggered my aggravation button (and this is hard to do I might add at my age).

I am sure it wasn't written in the way I interpreted it, and I like to think I am above such nonsense. Apparently, I am not. I was…

  — Travel Research Online
Read the rest of this article »

Luxury Travel Tips

Ten Tried-and-True Principles to Take to Market
by Mike Marchev
Thursday December 21, 2017

If you’ve been in business for more than a day and a half, you’ve probably been reminded no fewer than a thousand times that in addition to whatever business you think you’re in, that you’re in the marketing business.

Marketing yourself and your business has been, and will continue to be, the most-important element for your success. The time to ply this trade is right now. I fear that many of you just don’t know what to…

  — Travel Research Online
Read the rest of this article »

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


Everything Australia with Goway

Everything Australia with Goway

Tuesday, January 16, 2018 at 1 pm EST/10 am PST

Goway is your one stop shop for all your travel requirements to Australia. From accommodation to car rental, escorted tours to fully independent travel, we offer it all. Join Meghan Boyd, the Product Manager of the South Pacific Division on this educational webinar designed specifically to help you sell Australia.

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Use TRO every day to find travel guides, e-postcards, and other resources you can personalize and send to your clients.

TRO Travel Specials

Windstar’s Holiday Sale On Now – book by December 29

Business class fares to South Korea starting at 2281 usd

Xiamen Airlines Takes off from Los Angeles to Qingdao, China

Visit Britain During the Royal Wedding and Save Up to $300

Order the Full Range of Goway Travel Brochures Online!

Merry, Merry, Happy, Happy!

Happy Holidays from South African Airways Vacations

New air revenues for your agency and Travel Institute credits too!

Prepare your agency to market brilliantly in 2018

It's Christmas with Australis - $500 off your Trip

Vacation to Tahiti - Exclusive Agent Rates

Destination Wedding Content

Get Away from Winter. Visit Australia!

Discover big ideas for your travel agency in Las Vegas next April

Spread Holiday Cheer and Set Sail with Scenic’s December Offer

2018 Best of Costa Rica

Business class fares to Frankfurt starting at 2961 usd

Order the Full Range of Goway Travel Brochures Online!

There’s money in the air

Hotels.com TAI – The Obvious Choice for booking your Clients’ Perfect Stay

Belgian chocolatiers win Gold

Secret travel agent holiday deals inside

Brand new 2018 tours added. Book early to save!

Prepare your agency to market brilliantly in 2018

The Perfect Theme Cruise for History Enthusiasts

Thank you for a great 2017

Holiday Special: 40% off winter 2018!

Early Bird Gets the Lowest Fares to Paris on XL Airways