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Monday June 04, 2018

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…

Top 10 U.S. Summer Travel Destinations
TripAdvisor released its 2018 Summer Vacations Value Report, which is based on the top 10 U.S. summer travel destinations. For each destination, TripAdvisor determined the average nightly hotel rate and average weekly expenses per person. It appears summertime travelers will explore everything from hiking in Wyoming to the wild dunes of Rhode Island.…

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Tours and Activities

The 25 Most Beautiful Places in Japan
Ask anyone who has visited, and they'll tell you: Japan is easily one of the most stunning places in the world. The country offers a full range of nature and culture, from subtropical beaches to snowy mountains, futuristic skylines to ancient temples. And while you could spend a lifetime exploring all of the splendidly whimsical islands and cities, we suggest you start with this…

A Local’s Guide to Kraków: 10 Top Tips
It’s Kraków’s striking medieval old town, one of the finest in Europe, that attracts visitors, but the city’s youthful restaurants, bars and cultural hangouts are well worth checking out,…

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Cruise

Carnival Cruise Line Updating Its Casino Rewards Program
As far as I’m concerned, the casino has always been one of the most enticing reasons to book a cruise. There is no better way to end a long day of fun in sun than at a card table. What makes it all the more enjoyable is that card players on cruises tend to be much more friendly and chatty than you often get at a land-based…

Should Cruise Ships Be Allowed In Marine Sanctuaries?
In October 2002, the cruise ship Crystal Harmony anchored outside Monterey Harbor, ferrying more than 900 passengers ashore for the day before continuing on its way to Acapulco, Mexico. Later that night, 14 miles off the pristine coastline of Big Sur, the 790-foot-long ship dumped 36,400 gallons of sewage, gray water and oily waste into the Monterey Bay National Marine…

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Transportation

Rising Fuel and Labour Costs to Wipe $4bn Off Airline's Profits This Year
Airlines will make $5bn (£3bn) less profit than previously expected this year, and $4bn less than last year, according to new forecasts by the International Air Transport Association. The IATA expects airlines to report a collective net profit of $33.8bn in 2018, and said this would be a “a solid performance despite rising costs, primarily fuel and labor, but also the upturn in the interest rate…

How Far Have Fares Really Fallen Since the Golden Age of Flying?
Glorified armchairs, vast expanses of floor space and champagne for all: we sacrificed it long ago in favour of crushed knees, plastic tray tables, and ever-shrinking seats. But for all the measure of legroom we've lost over the years - from the industry standard of 34 inches in the 1980s, to an average of around 31 inches today - the price for a plane ticket has dropped…

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Lodging

St. Jane Chicago Now Taking Hotel Reservations
ichigan Avenue’s newest hotel, the soon-to-open St. Jane Chicago, is now taking reservations for stays starting July 1. Rooms are listed in the online reservation system for as low as $159 for certain days in July — not a bad price for a prime location in the historic Carbide and Carbon Building. For more than a decade, the art deco skyscraper at 230 N. Michigan Ave. had been home to the music-themed Hard Rock Hotel, which closed late last year to make way for St.…

This Gorgeous New Glamping Site Is the Best Way to See Mount Rushmore
Each year, 3 million people flock to South Dakota to get a glimpse of Mount Rushmore, the absolutely massive sculpture carved directly into the side of a mountain between 1927 and 1941 by sculptor Gutzon Borglum. And while it is certainly a sight to behold, area hotels can become more than a little crowded during the height of summer, which happens to be peak tourist season in the…

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Other and Odd

Bathe Naked With Strangers? Welcome to a Japanese Bathhouse
Japan is proud of its bathing traditions. For many Westerners, though, the fact that these traditions involve being naked with strangers is awkward at best, even though men and women bathe…

Bizarre Road Rules You Didn’t Know You Were Breaking in Europe
In Russia, Bulgaria and Belarus it’s completely illegal to have a dirty car. It’s just one of the strange road rules you probably didn’t know you were breaking in Europe and Australian holiday-makers are being advised to brush up on local road rules or risk unknowingly voiding their travel insurance or being caught on the wrong side of the…

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Today in History

Congress Passes the 19th Amendment
On this day in 1919, the United States Senate passed the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, prohibiting government from denying any citizen the right to vote because of that citizen's sex and thus granting suffrage to women - the right to vote.…

Press Releases of Interest

Central Holidays Introduces Rio & Iguassu Falls Special
Central Holidays is unveiling an amazing, value-packed Rio and Iguassu Falls Special – 8 days starting at $822 per person, double occupancy – the savings on this special are immense and actually even more significant as all elements are private – such as transfers and private touring. You are sure to see that if you try to book elements on your own the price would be far more – and that the savings Central Holidays is offering are…

Editorial Musings

Successful? Not Without These Three Steps
by John Frenaye
Monday June 04, 2018

Did you know that with more than 300 people living in the US, that The United over 27 million are entrepreneurs? And for the record, I really hate that word; but for this column, it is probably the most fitting. An entrepreneur runs most travel agencies. It might be a multi branch retail agency, or a very small home-based boutique one. While some of the challenges and nuances of both are different, the core concepts are held in common. There are three of them. And no matter if you are home-based selling $200,000 a year or own a corporate multi-branch agency with several hundred million in sales per year, you need to get these three right in order to succeed. And remember, 50% of businesses…

  — Travel Research Online
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Mike's Morning Missives

No Excuses!

In baseball batters miss pitches. In football receivers miss catches. Tall basketball guys miss free throws. Singers fail to make the cut. Talented people don’t get hired. The best proposal does not always win. Sales professionals miss deals. And you too, will miss whatever it is you do from time to…

  — Travel Research Online
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Publishers Corner

Three questions about your value
by Richard Earls
Monday June 04, 2018

At the heart of every business is what many call a “customer value proposition.”  Simply put, what value do you offer the customer?  Can you answer without hesitation the question “why should I use your services?” At countless trade shows and presentations, I’ve witnessed too many agents stumble over this important question.  Your value proposition should be a matter of muscle memory, not a pop quiz.

To assist you with developing your own answer, let’s consider three very important issues.

What do you…

  — Travel Research Online
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One-to-One Interviews

Christina Ernst, Travel Consultant and Business Owner, VIP Southern Tours

Christina Ernst began her career as a full time travel consultant in 1993 and opened her own travel agency shortly after in 1996. She graduated from Georgia State University from which she earned a Bachelor of the Arts Degree in German.

Throughout her career in travel, Christina has made and maintained excellent relationships  with domestic and overseas travel and tourism colleagues. She has visited over 60 countries including hiking in Brazil, polar bear viewing near the arctic circle, penguin watching in New Zealand and has visited the Alpine countries in Europe over 40…

  — Travel Research Online
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Support@

Travel Show Marketing Group: The 2018 Las Vegas Travel Agent Forum and beyond
by Richard Earls
Thursday April 19, 2018

The one certainty about trade show promotion is it is harder than it looks. The entire process must be a well coordinated and timed convergence of the right suppliers, the right speakers and a collection of travel professionals. This year, Travel Show Marketing Group’s Las Vegas Travel Agent Forum demonstrated how adept the group has become at putting together an exceptional travel agent trade show and received well deserved praise from both suppliers and travel professionals for their efforts.

The Stats: 900 travel agents in attendance with 130 Hosted Agents each whom boasted a vetted one million dollar annual production. More than 280 vendors were on site to exhibit, in total more than 1,700 travel professionals from across the world. 

The Conference Schedule: This…

  — 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!


Upcoming Training Opportunities


Compete with Costco Travel & Win!

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

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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