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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
Secret Europe: The 10 least-visited European countries
Leave the massive crowds of tourists behind in France or Italy, and make your next trip to one of the least-visited European countries. To compile this list of least-visited European countries, I used data from the annual UNTWO Tourism report, which tracks international tourist arrivals. Note that the organization does not have data on record for certain countries (including Belarus and Slovakia), so those nations were not taken into consideration for this…
— USA Today
Why You Should Swap Reykjavik for Akureyri, Iceland's Cutest City
With a population of only 18,000, it’s remarkably calm in comparison to Reykjavik, where the relentless stream of tourists can feel overwhelming. This year, Super Break launched the first direct charter flights from the UK, which means it’s easier than ever to reach Iceland’s second city.…
— The Independent
Tours and Activities
Bali's Top Secluded Beaches
Bali is an island in flux -- especially in the south. It's a maelstrom of construction: villas, roads, jetties, reclamation. A magnet for tourists for generations, the island welcomed over five million international visitors in 2017. So you'd expect pretty much every beach along the coast to have been colonized by sunbeds and invaded by travel groups long…
— CNN
Disney Reveals Location of Its 'Star Wars' Hotel
Where will the Star Wars hotel be located at Walt Disney World? The company now says it’s “under development” just east of World Drive, on the south side of Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme…
— Sun Sentinel
Cruise
Where Do Old Cruise Ships Go To Die?
On a recent four-night cruise to the Bahamas on the 2,758-passenger Carnival Victory, a lively crowd was downing neon drinks at an equally fluorescent bar in the ship’s multi-story atrium. The casino was packed and smoky. This was old-school cruising, and everyone was loving it. Most ships have an official lifespan of 30 years, the amount of time it takes for the asset to depreciate to 15 percent of its original book value. By that measure, the 18-year-old Carnival Victory has passed the theoretical prime of her…
— Bloomberg
Navantia Grows as a Cruise Ship Repair Specialist
Cruise ship overhauls and revitalization are becoming an increasingly large business for the world’s shipyards. With the scope of the work growing as the cruise lines move to update older ships and incorporate newer amenities into their existing fleets, the Navantia Shiprepairs facility in Cadiz, Spain has emerged as one of the leaders in this specialized…
— The Maritime Executive
Transportation
Airline Satisfaction is Up But We Want Better Inflight Entertainment
Satisfaction with airlines has increased for the seventh straight year, according to an annual travel survey — but passengers are still tough to please when it comes to inflight entertainment. Cheaper fares, bigger overhead bins, and investments by airlines in newer planes were some of the factors fueling the increase in customer satisfaction, according to the J.D. Power 2018 North America Airline Satisfaction Study, released…
— NBC
Amtrak Now Offering Assigned Seating on Acela First Class
Amtrak passengers in Acela’s first class section will no longer have to fight for a prime seat. The train service is now offering assigned seating in the first class section of its Acela Express train, which operates on the popular Northeast…
— USA Today
Lodging
Africa's Hotel Industry is Booming - But Only In a Small Number of Markets
The hotel sector in Africa is thriving, recording a steady improvement in demand and performance, drawing financier interest, and constituting an active segment of the real-estate investment market. But as a new study from real-estate consultancy Knight Frank shows, the current supply is concentrated in a small number of markets, with several nations hosting the largest number of hotel…
— Quartz
City Regulations on Airbnb Rentals Are 'Punitive' to Ordinary People, Co-founder Says
Home-sharing platform Airbnb has been increasingly under fire from city authorities attempting to limit residential rentals through the online marketplace. Arguing in the company's defense this week, Airbnb co-founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Nathan Blecharczyk told CNBC in Paris that this is largely a result of "misinformation" and hurts ordinary…
— CNBC
Other and Odd
5 Tips to Sleep Better on Your Next Trip
Getting some shut eye on a plane is a perennial challenge for travelers, but there are a few low-tech tricks that can make switching time zones and taking long haul flights a little easier. David Hamer, director of the Travel Clinic at Boston Medical Center and a professor of Global Health and Medicine at the Boston University Schools of Public Health and Medicine, shared some strategies for catching a few z’s at 30,000…
— New York Times
Kayak May Have Finally Figured Out How to Take the Pain Out of Planning a Group Trip
Planning a group trip, whether it’s with friends or family, can be stressful. Kayak is trying to take some of the effort out of it with a new tool called Kayak Trip Huddle, which allows users to invite the people they'd like to join them on a trip into the…
— Travel+Leisure
Today in History
Big Ben
Big Ben, the tower clock in St. Stephen's Tower that looks out over the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London began keeping time on this date in 1859. Designed by Edmund Beckett Denison, the clock was completed in 1854. Five years later, the tower was finished. The name "Big Ben" is of uncertain origin. The clock is highly accurate and regulated by a stack of coins balancing and weighting the clock…
— Travel Research Online
Press Releases of Interest
SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS OFFERS “SIZZLING SUMMER SAVINGS” FOR PEAK SEASON TRAVEL
Fort Lauderdale, FL (May 30, 2018) – South African Airways (SAA), the leading carrier from New York to South Africa with the only nonstop daily flight, offers “Sizzling Summer Savings” featuring the hottest fares of the summer for travel from New York (JFK) to Johannesburg, Cape Town, or Durban, South Africa. The fares start from $1,099* roundtrip (restrictions apply) and are available for purchase through June 06, 2018 for travel from June 1 to August 10,…
— Travel Research Online
Mike's Morning Missives
Have You Tried "Thinking" Lately?
 Contrary to popular belief, your biggest problem may not involve your failure to communicate.
A few years back, the movie Cool Hand Luke starring Paul Newman identified a universal concern as it pertained to the business world. In a famous scene, the feisty prison warden directed his wrath toward Newman and said in a threatening tone. ”What we have here, is a failure to communicate”.
This single scene may very well be responsible for the popular communication movement today. It is the “in” thing to blame most business problems on “communication” or the lack thereof. This, as far as I am concerned, does not properly frame the problem, nor do it…
— Travel Research Online
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Spotlight
Island Hopping with Celestyal Cruises
by Joseph DeLoach
Thursday May 31, 2018
The Greek islan ds number from 1,200 to 6,000, while the inhabited ones range from 166 to 227. Each one has the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean area, and beaches galore. Though, each also has its own style and culture. Today we’re going to look a few islands the traveler will enjoy in a relaxing and romantic way. Thanks to Celestyal Cruises, today you’ll learn all about why these islands are the perfect getaway.
— 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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Upcoming Training Opportunities
Gauchos, Penguins, and Glaciers - Patagonia by Land and Sea
Tuesday, June 5, 2018 at 1 pm EDT/10 am PDT
On this Australis webinar we are going to explore, in-depth, one of our most unique routes called “Gauchos, Penguins, and Glaciers.” During the webinar, Kathy Simpson will break the route down day by day and give a description of each days’ activities. She will also cover the details of this unique combination of both Land and Sea in one exciting experience.
Register Now ➠
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