Destinations
The 10 Best Things to Do In Fez
It’s easy to see why Fez’s walled medina (the oldest in Africa) is a Unesco World Heritage Site. Located in the foothills of the Middle Atlas mountains, it ranks among Morocco’s best preserved cities, complete with dusty streets, faded palaces and candle-lit riad…
— The Independent
Enjoy Machu Picchu Without the Four-Day Hike
It’s common knowledge that if you want to see Machu Picchu, voted one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, there’s a prerequisite four-day hike. And that’s kept us away for…
— Vancouver Sun
7 Best Places to Travel in April
April is a time when folks are feeling flush, so why not spend those much-deserved tax refunds on a trip somewhere exotic? As spring begins to emerge, it's the ideal time for a long-haul splurge, whether to Europe or…
— Conde Nast Traveler
Tours and Activities
Seychelles on a Budget - How BA is Bringing Luxury Holidays for Less
Bernard, my proudly Seychellois driver, was adamant. “Seychelles is much more beautiful than Mauritius.” When had he been to Mauritius, I…
— Telegraph (London)
Silicon Valley Tech Giants Get on Board With Tours
Once only grudgingly tolerated, it has slowly come to be embraced by the behemoth companies that drive it.…
— Boston Globe
Cruise
Gay Wedding Ban Sparks Cruise Boycott Call
The company was forced to stop allowing same-sex unions because at least nine of its ships are registered in Bermuda. The British Overseas Territory legalized gay weddings in May last year, but the law was repealed last month following a change of…
— BBC
European River Cruises Ply New Waters With Immersive Experiences, Exercise
River cruising in Europe is redefining itself with itineraries that are “curated” to individual tastes, a new emphasis on active touring options (snowshoeing in the Black Forest, anyone?) and staff positions like “adventure…
— Chicago Tribune
Transportation
Boeing Celebrates Delivery of Its Newest, Biggest 'Dreamliner' Yet
Boeing delivered its newest and biggest variant yet of its “Dreamliner” 787 widebody aircraft; the…
— USA Today
United Airlines Paid a Savvy Passenger $10,000 To Leave a Plane, Here's Why
A United Airlines passenger was paid $10,000 in travel credit to give up her seat on an overbooked flight at Dulles International Airport in Washington D.C on…
— Yahoo
Lodging
35 Quirky Hotels Around The World
From converted airplanes, trains and silos to ice caves and giant animals, these hotels are pretty…
— The Huffington Post
Other and Odd
Russia Proves a Challenging Destination for Some World Cup Fans
Several factors are appearing to dampen interest in visiting Russia for the 2018 World Cup, at least for soccer fans in the United States and…
— New York Times
Switzerland's Invisible Linguistic Borders
Multilingualism is to Switzerland what politeness is to the British or style to the Italians: a deep source of national…
— BBC
Today in History
The Death of Richard the Lionheart
Richard I was king of England for ten years, starting in 1189. The king spent only five months of that time in his kingdom. In March 1199, Richard I was in France suppressing a revolt at the castle of Chalus-Chabrol. On the evening of March 25th, he walked around the perimeter of the castle without his armor. On the castle walls, a young soldier aimed an arrow at the king and loosed the projectile, hitting Richard in the shoulder. A surgeon botched the extraction and the wound became gravely…
— Travel Research Online
Press Releases of Interest
ASTA Statement on Hilton Group Commission Cut
Alexandria, VA, March 23, 2018 – Zane Kerby, President & CEO of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), releases the following statement in response to reports that Hilton will follow Marriott International in reducing the commissions it pays to group and meetings intermediaries from 10 to 7 percent, effective October 1,…
— Travel Research Online
Editorial Musings
You never know when inspiration will hit--a travel movie fest!
by John Frenaye
Monday March 26, 2018
Inspiration. Us ually it hits me in the middle of the night when my glasses are nowhere to be found and my 2am “note to myself” look more like a chicken got into a bottle of ink than anything else. If not then, the shower is always a solid second. Both are rife for me forgetting about the latest great idea. But not this weekend. This weekend I was awake, dry, and armed with a pen and a place to use it.
The Annapolis Film Festival ** was in town. This is a relatively new festival (6 years) and it is fantastic. I always will take off the Friday of the festival to basically sit on my butt in the dark for 12 hours. It is fantastic…
— Travel Research Online
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Mike's Morning Missives
The Power of Stories
 Today is Wednesday and this happened to me just last night. The message was so BIG I just had to share with you.
A few days ago I received an email promoting a new book from a gentleman whose name I recognized. The book was free if I paid the postage and handling charge. The topic made sense and the price was right. I sent for the…
— Travel Research Online
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Publishers Corner
Filling the Pipeline
by Richard Earls
Sunday March 25, 2018
A key objective of marketing your travel planning practice is assuring a flow of new clients through the door. Retention of your existing clients is absolutely necessary and challenging in and of itself, but the acquisition of new clients provides for growth. If you are not taking measures to acquire new clients, attrition of your existing base will mean your business will decline over time.
Remember our discussion of the sales funnel? Typically, only a small percentage of your leads pan out into actual travel planning opportunities. In order to maintain the volume you need for a healthy business, your marketing activities must be robust and continual.
"Filling the pipeline" is the phrase often used to…
— 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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Upcoming Training Opportunities
NEW ZEALAND 101 WITH GOWAY AND TOURISM NEW ZEALAND
Thursday, April 5, 2018 at 3 pm EDT/12 pm PDT
What would be the major reasons to visit New Zealand? This makes for a long list. One has to say that one reason is nature at her best offering breathtaking landscapes of stunning and diverse natural beauty which include majestic and dramatic fjords, spectacular glaciers, rugged mountains, vast plains and farmland, long coastlines, wonderful sandy beaches and active geothermal regions plus so much more. The country also has history, culture and, not least, winelands producing excellent wines.
Register Now ➠
South Africa: A World in One Country
Tuesday, April 3, 2018 at 1 pm EDT/10 am PDT
Learn about South African Airways, the largest airline in Southern Africa. SAA offers convenient connections from more than 100 cities in North America and daily non-stops from New York JFK and daily direct service from Washington Dulles with connections to over 75 destinations on the continent.
Register Now ➠
An introduction to Australis Expedition Cruises and Patagonia
Wednesday, March 28, 2018 at 1 pm EDT/10 am PDT
Explore the “end of the world” during the first session webinar series. Navigating the Patagonian waterways for over 25 years, Australis offers passengers an exclusive look into remote areas of the region, that include visits to glaciers, sub-polar forests and a view of amazing marine and terrestrial wildlife.
Register Now ➠
Better Booking 101 with America’s #1 Airline Consolidator
Tuesday, March 27, 2018 at 1 pm EDT/10 am PDT
Are you ready to turn ticketing into your next paycheck? Then you won’t want to miss this webinar!
Register Now ➠
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