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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
Beyond Budapest: 5 Day Trips From Hungary's Capital
While Budapest is a truly majestic place, there's so much more to Hungary than its hugely popular capital. You could spend days in the city and barely scratch the surface, but if you have the time, it's worth hopping on a train, boat or bus to explore more of this compact country on a day trip. Here are five destinations beyond Budapest that are worth adding to your itinerary while you travel in…
— CNN
Nevada's Great Basin National Park Unfurls Rugged Vistas in the Daytime, Expansive Sky at Night
If you have never heard of Nevada’s Great Basin National Park, that’s understandable. It is the fourth least-visited national park in the continental U.S. despite having a colossal cavern and stellar dark skies. It’s so remote that the nearest commercial airport isn’t in Nevada but 240 miles away in Salt Lake City. I discovered, to my delight, that the lack of visitors — about 90,000 a year — means unspoiled campgrounds and quiet alpine trails devoid of the crowds you’ll find elsewhere in…
— LA Times
Tours and Activities
The World's 20 Greatest Modern Landmarks
Deyan Sudjic, director of London's Design Museum, chooses 20 of his favourite modern landmarks - "great pieces of architecture and design that define our times, but also 20 places in which to experience city life at its most…
— Telegraph (London)
The Essential Things to Know Before You Visit New York City
New York City can be an intimidating place. It’s loud, crowded, and there seems to be some kind of unwritten code of conduct that only locals can understand. But even though New Yorkers get a reputation for being the chilly “I’m-walking-here” types, we're generally a pretty nice group of people. Here, our rules for making your way around…
— Conde Nast Traveler
Cruise
Plantours Outlines Big River Cruise Expansion
Four new vessels are going to enter the fleet, and for the first time Plantours will also expand its activities to Southern Europe through the inauguration of one ship on the Douro River. All this means a significant boost for Plantours, which today operates six river vessels along with the ocean-going Hamburg, branded as 'Germany's smallest cruise…
— Seatrade Cruise News
Opening the Doors to Russia on a River Cruise
When my wife Jane and I decided to put together a trip to Russia, we were met with two reactions. “Why would you want to go there, that’s too dangerous,” or “Wow, I’ve always wanted to go to Russia.” We took a group of 18 people from Douglas County through Travel Leaders/Fly Away Travel, and ventured onto a Viking River Cruise from St. Petersburg, Russia, to Moscow, covering about a thousand miles in two weeks. But what we found was nothing like what we had…
— News-Review
Transportation
The World's 25 Longest Airline Flights
Singapore Airlines is set to take back the “world’s longest flight” title this fall, when it launches non-stop service between Singapore and Newark. With a distance of 9,534 statute miles (via Great Circle Mapper), the new Singapore Airlines route will knock Qatar Airways’ 9,032-mile run between Doha and Auckland, New Zealand, out of the top spot once it begins in…
— USA Today
'Complete chaos' at Dublin Airport after PA system gets stuck on evacuation mode
Passengers flying from Dublin Airport described scenes of “complete chaos” after a PA system in departures got stuck on evacuation mode. The airport confirmed on Friday morning there had been a “fault” with its sound system at a boarding gate area in Terminal 1, but that no evacuation was…
— The Independent
Lodging
An Enduring Paris Hotel in a New Light
Is it Parisians who are most looking forward to the reopening of the more than century-old Hotel Lutetia, on Paris’ Left Bank? Or is it the property’s loyal overnight guests? It’s hard to know for sure. “The Lutetia — it isn’t like other luxury hotels in Paris that locals don’t go to unless they have to,” said Apollonia Poilâne, the head baker and chief executive of the celebrated Paris bakery…
— New York Times
Treehouses, Lookout Towers and Other Unusual Places to Stay in Washington State
Washington state has unusual places to stay that are the envy of those across the country. It may take some planning, but staying at one of these unique places will give you much more in the way of memories than another overnight at a run-of-the-mill chain…
— Seattle Times
Other and Odd
My Grandfather Wrote a Moroccan Travelogue in 1920. Almost a Century Later, I Set Out to Re-create His Trip
It was October 1920 in Paris and my grandfather, a young Swiss engineer named Louis Schwob, couldn’t contain his excitement. After just a few months on the job, his boss was sending him on a fact-finding mission to build a dam on the Oum er Rbia, one of Morocco’s largest rivers. “I was a kid again, ready to embark on a fabulous and scientific Jules Verne adventure,” he wrote under the pen name Louis Dautheuil.…
— The Washington Post
You Can Make Sure the Tower of London is Locked for the Night
For nearly 700 years, the semi-secret Ceremony of the Keys has shuttered the Tower of London each night. But “you won’t find many pictures or videos of what happens,” said Mark Anderson, a yeoman warder and our guide for the night. After being on a waiting list that’s usually a year long, a group was admitted at precisely 9:25 p.m. from the site’s main entrance Middle Tower. Then Mark, a Beefeater dressed in resplendent red as the overnight watchman, led visitors through the Byward…
— LA Times
Today in History
CNN Launches
On this day in 1980, the Cable News Network, CNN, launched at 5:00 PM EST. The channel's innovations, especially its 24-hour continuous news broadcast, would set a precedent for news in the decades to come. CNN's comprehensive coverage of the Persian Gulf War was instrumental in catapulting it to the forefront of American news…
— Travel Research Online
Press Releases of Interest
Celestyal Cruises Announces Appointment of Mary Woody As Business Development Manager for the Central U.S. Region
Piraeus, Greece: Celestyal Cruises today announced the appointment of Mary Woody as Business Development Manager for the Central U.S. Region. Ms. Woody is a business development manager with more than 20 years’ experience in the cruise industry. Ms. Woody is based in Kansas City, KS, and will report to Gordon Dirker, Vice President, Business Development, Celestyal Cruises, Inc., beginning May 28, 2018.…
— Travel Research Online
Agent Perspectives
Value vs. Price: An Interview with Crystal Seaton and Rob Stern
by Joseph DeLoach
Friday June 01, 2018
Earlier thi s month, Crystal Seaton did an interview with ABC 11 on the advantages of booking getaways with a travel agent. This brought up the changing face of the travel industry, and how it affects consultants and agents. Today, we are interviewing Crystal Seaton and Rob Stern on how travel agents can increase their publicity and let the public know the perks of using travel agents.
— Travel Research Online
Read the rest of this article »
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Mike's Morning Missives
Whose Idea Was That?
 I have found over the years that the most powerful word in the English language is the word “love.” Tell somebody that you “love” them and you are sure to get their attention. The second most powerful word that comes close is the word “idea.”
You tell somebody that you have an “idea,” and I can virtually guarantee you that their response will not be, “That’s too bad. Pass the ketchup.”
Ideas by their very nature are intriguing and most people who are still capable of fogging a mirror want to hear what you have in mind. This doesn’t infer that they will endorse your idea, or even think that it is plausible, but they will want to hear it. Let’s assume for the moment that this…
— Travel Research Online
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Soundings
The 2018 Hurricane Season
by Susan Schaefer
Friday June 01, 2018
Officially, it� 's here. Hurricane Season starts on June 1, and goes through November 30 every year. Of course, hurricanes happen year round; they’re simply more prone to occur during the 6 month period of June 1 - November 30. Hurricane Alex popped up in January 2016. I remember the shock expressed by clients and friends, that a hurricane could “happen so early.” I was repeatedly explaining that hurricanes happen anywhere and anytime.
This year the hurricanes have held off so far. We did have one named storm in the days leading up to hurricane season, Alberto. Fortunately, he never made it past sub-tropical storm status. He still brought a lot of rain, with flooding in some areas, but not the devastation that a hurricane can cause.…
— Travel Research Online
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Deck Plans
Queen Mary 2 Returns to New York for 2018 Season
Cunard’s flag ship ocean liner Queen Mary 2 returned to her homeport of New York for her 2018 Transatlantic Season. Following her World Cruise season, QM2 will resume her regularly-scheduled service across the Atlantic, a route that began 178 years ago.
Traveling by sea between New York and England, for seven nights in the North Atlantic, passengers have the time to explore passions, crafts, creative expression, and work on projects that range from journal writing and sketching, to polishing screenplays, musical scores, and…
— 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
Compete with Costco Travel & Win!
Thursday, June 14, 2018 at 3 pm EDT/12 pm PDT
Have you ever experienced helping a client plan a vacation only to have them call you and say they booked with Costco, Sam’s Club, or BJ’s because of a better deal? It’s the worst! Nothing is more frustrating and makes you feel more helplessness than when that happens. So what can you do about the low prices, amenities, sometimes rebates cleverly disguised as gift cards that are a thorn in your side? The answer - a lot more than you might think!
Register Now ➠
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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