Editor’s Note — TRO wants to remind it’s 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
A Cheapskate’s Guide to Dublin, Rich in History and Beer
My instructor, a woman named Áine, urged me on: “Do it for your country!” A group of us that had booked a traditional Irish games experience through Experience Gaelic Games (35 euros, about $42) stood out on a green field one hot afternoon in northern Dublin. Áine, having taught us the ways of hurling, a lacrosse-like game possibly as old as Ireland itself, was now instructing us in the ways of Gaelic football, which is played…
— New York Times
Europe's Most Beautiful Mountain Towns
The sun is back in the sky, the temperature is soaring again and - on the basis of the first 72 hours at least - August looks set to echo July in being a month of hot weather. Enough already, you may well think. Oh for a gentle breeze to soften the unrelenting rays. Oh for a little airiness to take some of the sting out of the afternoon. What you need, if that's the case, is to get higher. To go up in the world. To head for the hills.…
— Telegraph (London)
Tours and Activities
9 Tips for Americans Traveling to Iceland
Ice and volcanic fire long ago sculpted this country into an otherworldly masterpiece, leaving behind a geological time capsule with all sorts of dramatic flourishes: Monstrous craters. Bright blue icebergs. Countless waterfalls. Even bubbling pits of earth spewing steam and sulfur. This is why so many fantasy features have filmed here, including Game of Thrones and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It’s also a big reason tourism here…
— USA Today
Swim With Manatees — Legally — in Crystal River
On a recent trip with my in-laws, my husband and I decided to do something different, something that would capture the interest of my animal-obsessed sister-in-law. After searching for what seemed like hours on Groupon, we came upon Manatee Tour and Dive in Crystal River — about 87 miles northwest of Orlando — which offers the chance to swim with manatees. Decision made.Manatee Tour and Dive in Crystal River…
— Sun Sentinel
Cruise
10 Unusual Cruise Ship Amenities
Cruise industry folks know that vacationers have literal boatloads of sailing options to choose from these days, inspiring the trend to outfit ships with the most whiz-bang attractions and amenities at sea. Today you'll find souped-up ships oozing outrageous features -- such as amusement park-worthy diversions (racetracks with hairpin turns), high-tech innovations (robot bartenders) and Instagram-worthy settings (from ice bars to…
— CNN
Tips for Cruising With Kids
Cruises score big points with families, offering up value, adventure and convenience (see the world and unpack once!). You also get a something-for-everyone atmosphere where diverse diversions appeal to babies, teens and kids in between -- not to mention good ol' mom and dad. So how to make the most of an at-sea getaway with the gang? The stress-free key is to properly prepare and plan before you travel. Check out these…
— CNN
Transportation
Best Hotel and Airline Reward Programs
To join or not to join a travel/hotel rewards program, that is the question. There are countless options out there, but which is worth its weight in perks? U.S. News & World Report recently released a list of the top travel rewards programs. The airline algorithm factored in ease of earning free round-trip flights, network coverage, flight availability, airline quality rating and additional benefits. The hotel list considered ease of earning a free…
— Chicago Tribune
With Re-Regulation Now On Congress' Agenda, Airline Bosses' Hubris Soon Could Be Exposed
The (mostly) men who run this country’s big airlines probably didn’t study Greek mythology en route to their engineering, law and/or graduate business degrees. More’s the pity. Had they done so they might have saved themselves and their airlines the pain of creeping government re-regulation, which could be visited on them very soon. In Greek mythology Daedalus was a master inventor -- the Leonardo Da Vinci or Thomas…
— Forbes
Lodging
Airbnb is Hosting the Sleepover of a Lifetime on the Great Wall of China
More than 1,800 years in the making, 21,000km in length and one of humanity’s most incredible feats of engineering, the Great Wall of China remains high on many people's bucket lists. Those seeking a more immersive experience are in luck, however, as Airbnb has launched a competition for four lucky winners and their guests to stay overnight on the historic wall in a custom-designed house. This once-in-a-lifetime…
— The Independent
There's a New Way to Save on Hotels - but You'll Have to Be Fast
Everything in life comes down to timing. Especially a good deal. The booking app HotelTonight released a new feature this week that lets users in on personalized deals, if they can catch them. Once a day, the “Daily Drop” will appear in the HotelTonight app. Based on the user’s booking and hotel preferences, they will be granted a deal, available for the specific dates and city users are searching for. The deals will be at least 30 percent…
— Travel+Leisure
Other and Odd
Nine Budget Strategies for Your Next Vacation
Want to travel like the pros? Better start pinching your pennies, pesos and pounds. While it's true that money can buy you an elite — easy, even — adventure anywhere, those who travel for a living genuinely enjoy the challenge of bargain hunting. Riding public transportation, couch surfing and sampling street food immerses you in the day-to-day life of any city — and that's what traveling is all about, right? We talked to four travel…
— The Washington Post
The Best Places to Travel to Are the Ones Where No One Cares You’re There
As someone tasked with providing travel advice for readers, I often feel like I’m on a fool’s errand. After all, one person’s dreamy beach vacation, city break, or cruise ship cabin is another person’s overpriced packaged holiday, stressful urban jungle, or touristic nightmare. Who am I to tell them where to spend their precious time off? That said, when people on the internet and in real life seek travel advice, virtually no one says they…
— Quartz
Today in History
Columbus Sets Sail
On this day in 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail from Palos de la Frontera, Spain with three ships: the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. His great quest for a western route to Asia from Europe had found no support from Portugal or from Italian princes. However, the queen of Spain agreed to fund…
— Travel Research Online
Press Releases of Interest
SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS VACATIONS® EXPANDS PORTFOLIO HOTEL AND SAFARI LODGE PROPERTIES ACROSS AFRICA
South African Airways Vacations® (SAA Vacations ®), the leisure vacation division of South African Airways, adds 12 new hotel and safari lodge operators throughout popular destinations in Southern and Eastern Africa. The expanded portfolio includes five star properties in the coastal cities of Cape…
— Travel Research Online
Agent Perspectives
Capturing the Essence of a Very English Christmas
by Paull Tickner Friday August 03, 2018
Bustling and co lourful Christmas markets in historic settings, treasure-filled castles and stately homes in full festive mode, carol singers, sparkling and highly decorated Christmas trees, mulled wine, mince pies, and ice skating outdoors at famous London attractions. Welcome to an exciting series of tour ideas that can be gift-wrapped to generate valuable extra commission in the run-up to Christmas in Britain.
My top story brings together 5 Christmas markets in London, Winchester, Salisbury, and Bath which can be given extra festive flair by adding one or more of my After Dark Tours. December also sees the appearance of outdoor skating rinks at several famous heritage sites in London and they’ll appeal to families on the move.
I couldn’t resist creating a programme where you can meet a…
— Travel Research Online Read the rest of this article »
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Deck Plans
Crystal Offers Savings For Select Voyages
Crystal Cruises ’ new Book Now Savings program offers reduced fares featuring limited-time savings up to $2,000 per suite on hundreds of Crystal voyages, with fares increasing once the designated expiration date is reached. Book Now Savings are available on select 2018, 2019 and 2020 voyages aboard Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity, as well as on Crystal River Cruises and the line’s yacht, Crystal…
— Travel Research Online Read the rest of this article »
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Mike's Morning Missives
Marketing Mistake #2: You Don’t Know Why Your Customers Buy
Let’s use an example to “drive” this mistake home.
If I asked you what attributes you look for when shopping for an automobile, you would give me your personal buying criteria. These are your feelings based on your particular wants and needs when shopping for an automobile. If I asked someone else what it is they look for when they shop for a car, chances are they would give me an entirely new set of “requirements.”
You may say style, while others might find themselves drawn to acceleration and over all speed. Another might be looking for gas economy, while a third might mention the overall price of the vehicle. A fourth might be interested in the audio effects and the base in the onboard sound system.…
— Travel Research Online Read the rest of this article »
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Soundings
Royal Caribbean Changes the Non-Refundable Deposit Program
by Susan Schaefer Friday August 03, 2018
Last year when Royal Caribbean launched the new non-refundable deposit cruise fare, it included two incentives. The first was a lower cruise fare. The second incentive was an onboard credit of $25 to $100 per room, if the booking was created 6 months or more before sailing.
On August 1, 2018 Royal Caribbean sent an email to their travel agent partners advising of a change to the non-refundable deposit program. Effective November 1, 2018 non-refundable deposit bookings will no longer earn an onboard credit, regardless of how far before sailing that they are booked. According to Royal Caribbean, their analytics and research over the past year has shown “that the onboard credit was not influencing the consumer’s buying decision.”
The good news is that they did give…
— 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

Small Group Touring through Europe
Thursday, August 23, 2018 at 1 pm EDT/10 am PDT
Do you have clients interested in the concept of an escorted tour but no desire to travel long days in a large bus? Look no further! Join us for an informative webinar about Back-Roads Touring Co and give those clients an option they will love! Back-Roads Touring Co, a London based tour company, has specialized in leisurely paced scheduled departures through the UK, Europe, and Asia for the last 28 years. This webinar will cover their touring portfolio, including their newly released 2019 schedules, all the selling features you’ll need to know to sell their destinations, and give a more in depth look into the unique travel experience provided to your clients.
Register Now ➠

The Best Kept Secret in River Cruising
Tuesday, August 7, 2018 at 1 pm EDT/10 am PDT
You’re invited to come learn about the Best Kept Secret in River Cruising with The SCENIC Group and Travel Research Online! In this session we’ll hear a bit of backstory of this amazing organization, how it’s grown to such incredible size with their diverse offerings no matter the type of client, and hear secrets culled from top-producing travel professionals of ways they’ve been Successful with SCENIC! The SCENIC Group owns SCENIC Luxury Cruises, SCENIC Eclipse, and Emerald Waterways. This webinar will focus primarily on the Luxury Brands of the company’s river and ocean going ships.
Register Now ➠
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