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Editor’s Note — TRO wants to remind its Travelgram readers the articles presented here are meant to assist you in remaining informed and prepared to discuss travel news of the day with clients.
Destinations
35 Beautiful Cities You Must See In Your Lifetime
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but even the grumpiest tourists will struggle not to be moved by the aesthetic delights of these cities, from jewels of the Silk Road to modern…
— Telegraph (London)
10 Tips for Your First Visit to France
On my most recent visit to Paris, I kept running into a delightful woman from Indiana on her first visit there. Wonderstruck by the city’s charms, she was doing everything right — picking up French words, conversing with every local she could, and enjoying the great artistic and cultural…
— Vancouver Sun
Tours and Activities
15 Vacations for Animal Lovers
Swimming with dolphins is so passe. Enter, summing with pigs. And drinking wine with a giraffe. And taking a selfie with a flamingo. There are a ton of trips and tours perfect for animal lovers of all kinds around the world, and we've handpicked 15 of the best zoological adventures you’re sure to go wild…
— Chicago Tribune
Cherry Blossoms and Beyond: Go on a Nature Meditation in Japan
In Tokyo, the cherry blossoms were blooming. We couldn’t spot them from our bedroom on the 36th floor of the swishy Mandarin Oriental, where we had just landed after a 12-hour flight, but we could see dozens of people on the sidewalks below filing towards Kitanomaru Park, a green space near the Imperial Palace known for its sakura. The crowds were carrying blankets and wine on the way to hanami parties—picnics under the cherry blossom trees, held in celebration of the short-lived…
— Vogue
Cruise
7 Packing Tips To Make Your European River Cruise Hassle-Free
One reason why river cruises have garnered such popularity in recent years is that they offer an easy way to travel. With new vessels, new itineraries, and more active shore excursions, river cruises are attracting more new passengers than ever before, including millennials and solo travelers. As the peak season for river cruising (April through October) gets underway, here are a few packing tips to lessen the angst of getting ready for your…
— Forbes
In the Market for a Boat? This Much-loved Cruise Ship is for Sale for $55m
If you are planning on buying a boat, a beloved cruise ship is for sale for US$55 million (€45.33 million). We jest, of course, as that figure would be out of most people’s reach, but former passengers and cruise ship aficionados may be interested to learn that the boat formerly known as the Carnival Holiday and now the MS Magellan is currently on the…
— Lonely Planet
Transportation
What It's Like on the New Millennial Airline That Serves Craft Beer, Cocktails and Organic Coffee
Air France launched a boutique airline last summer targeted at a slightly younger clientele (18 to 35) – and Joon certainly has a number of millennial-friendly perks, including its selection of alcoholic drinks. Passengers can enjoy organic food and drinks, high quality alcoholic beverages – including signature cocktails designed by Paris’ Experimental Cocktail Club and craft beer – as well as a comprehensive digital entertainment…
— The Independent
Inside the Most Overlooked Part of the Airport
If you’re one of those travellers who’d rather stay anywhere but an airport hotel, you’re missing out. Once just crash pads for tired travellers, these days, airport hotels are flying into new territory, becoming a destination in their own right. Here are 10 of our picks around the…
— Escape
Lodging
Historic Train Stations Converted Into Hotels
Once grand reminders of how interconnected the United States had become, train stations across the country slowly fell out of use and into disrepair in the 1960s and ‘70s when new transportation technology outpaced them. Luckily for some train stations, though, dedicated investors decided to revive these historic landmarks in their respective towns and…
— USA Today
The Rise of Co-working Hotels in Asia
As remote working becomes more mainstream, your "office" can be at home, by the beach in the Maldives or at a cafe in Sydney. According to a 2017 report by Global Workplace Analytics and FlexJobs, the number of telecommuters in the US workforce has increased 115% over the past 10 years. It's not just managers and human resources representatives who are adjusting to the work-style shift.…
— CNN
Other and Odd
Bans on Plastic Straws Are Growing. But Is the Travel Industry Doing Enough?
Global momentum has built in recent months to ban plastic straws and replace them with biodegradable paper ones. But cruise lines and luxury resorts are lagging. The United States goes through over 500 million plastic straws every day, according to Eco-Cycle, a United States-based nonprofit recycling organization. They get used for only a few minutes, but potentially last for hundreds of years in the ocean, and are among the top 10 pollutants collected during beach cleanups. Plastic straws kill marine life and choke reefs and…
— New York Times
Today in History
Dedication of the Empire State Building
New York City's Empire State Building was dedicated on this day in 1931. The grand building was designed by the architectural firm of Shreve, Lamb and Harmon using earlier designs, for the Reynolds Building in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Construction began on January 22, 1930. The building's spire was designed to be a mooring mast and depot for lighter than air craft such as diragibles, but proved too dangerous after the first few…
— Travel Research Online
Press Releases of Interest
New 2018 Ship American Constitution Sails Chesapeake Bay for Inaugural American Revolution Cruise
GUILFORD, CT—April 30, 2018—American Cruise Lines is pleased to announce that its brand new cruise ship, American Constitution, just completed its successful inaugural sailing on Chesapeake Bay. The cruise departed from Baltimore on April 18th and passengers were thrilled with both the gorgeous new 175-passenger ship and the fantastic new 11-day, 10-night American Revolution…
— Travel Research Online
Mike's Morning Missives
Marketing Is Not For The Lazy
 Why is building a profitable business so difficult? This is an easy question to answer.
It became glaringly obvious to me over the years that most people are still not practicing the simple art of marketing with any degree of consistency. Because there was (is) so much print on the subject, people were not being introduced to the finer (simple) points of marketing in a fashion that was being taken…
— Travel Research Online
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60-Second Geography
Serene Switzerland with Shoretrips
by Joseph DeLoach
Tuesday May 01, 2018
Switzerland is well-known as being a neutral country, and full of fantastic ski locations. But, there is more to Switzerland than snow and the United Nations. Thanks to ShoreTrips, today’s geography lesson will show three destinations in the peaceful nation known as Switzerland.
 — Travel Research Online
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Outposts
Artistic Florence by TAP Portugal
by Joseph DeLoach
Tuesday May 01, 2018
Florence, Italy is known as the cradle of the Renaissance. This style and elegance has spread throughout the modern world, making its well-preserved culture a marker in the timeline of world cultural growth. The buildings in Florence were created to impress the gods, so they will work their magic on the lucky traveler who chooses Florence. This city is the place to rekindle a love for aesthetics, romance, and beauty.
The first thing you’ll notice about Florence is that everything is made with beauty in mind. The arched windows and domes of cathedrals reach toward heaven. They are functional art, housing museums and places of worship. A fine example of this is the Piazza del Duomo. Located in the heart of Florence, surrounding this plaza are…
— 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
Following the footsteps of Darwin in Patagonia
Thursday, May 10, 2018 at 1 pm EDT/10 am PDT
Visit Patagonia and explore the old stomping grounds of world-famous naturalist, scientist and author, Charles Darwin.
Register Now ➠
Why Flanders-Belgium should be among the top destinations in 2018
Wednesday, May 9, 2018 at 1 pm EDT/10 am PDT
Join us for this webinar about Flanders-Belgium and learn why it should be among the top destinations your clients can visit in 2018. Located in the north of Belgium, Flanders manages to surprise visitors with a huge range of opportunities for culture, gastronomy, nightlife, shopping, art, architecture and cycling. Flanders encompasses the art cities of Brussels, Bruges, Antwerp, Ghent, Mechelen and Leuven.
Register Now ➠
Auckland: Where all good New Zealand vacations begin
Wednesday, May 2, 2018 at 3 pm EDT/12 pm PDT
As North America’s leading Destination Specialist Wholesaler, Down Under Answers recognizes the importance for travel agents to recommend Auckland to their clients when traveling to New Zealand.
Register Now ➠
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