|
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
Nine Best Destinations for the Ultimate Ethical Animal Experiences
As an animal lover, the temptation to get up and close and personal with wildlife can be strong. While it may be difficult to accept, it’s important to recognise that your presence may actually be doing more harm than good to an animal. Projects offering physical contact with animals, such as holding or posing for photographs, are usually suspect and should be avoided.…
— The Independent
Asia's Capital of Connection
Once a small fishing and farming village, Hong Kong is now among the world’s busiest ports and most important centres of trade. The city, an autonomous territory of China, has been both a part of Imperial China and the British Empire – giving it the East-meets-West vibe that locals love. “Hong Kong is a busy metropolis still steeped in Chinese tradition,” said seven-year…
— BBC Travel
Tours and Activities
National Parks to Beat the Heat This Summer
Summer doldrums bearing down on you? This might be the perfect time to lift your spirits and lower the mercury by exploring the majesty of our national parks. Those 59 parks – and indeed many of the 417 lesser designated sites set aside by the National Park System – offer a plethora of opportunities to marvel at the jaw-dropping wonders of our natural world, far from…
— USA Today
Best Water Parks in the Country
August is upon us, and that means the heat will be brought. Of course, you can always counter the warm temps with a trip to a water park. As it happens, TripAdvisor has released its Travelers' Choice Awards for the top water parks in the country. Luckily there are a handful in the Midwest within driving distance of Chicagoland. So read on, and splash…
— Chicago Tribune
Cruise
What is the Future of the Expedition Cruise Market?
While operators like Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International are creating large vessels that are akin to floating Las Vegas-style resorts, small ship operators are differentiating themselves by offering access to remote destinations, unique shore excursions and a boutique hotel-style onboard experience. “Experience is everything, so cruise guests want to explore…
— Cruise & Ferry
Virgin Voyages, New Adults Only Cruise Line, Releases 3 New Videos of First Ship
Virgin Voyages, the new adults only cruise line from business mogul Richard Branson, has released three new videos showing more features of their first cruise ship, Scarlet Lady. This first video gives a better look at the outside of the cruise ship. The outdoor decks are lined with cabanas and plenty of chairs, perfect for taking in the view as you cruise the Caribbean.…
— Cruise Fever
Transportation
United Airlines Is Expanding Its Brand Colors Outside Of Its Iconic Rhapsody Blue
Chicago-based United Airlines is updating the colors in its brand as new product changes come down the line at the carrier. In addition to the trademark Rhapsody Blue that United now employs across its website, employees and airplanes, new colors branded as United Blue, Pacific Blue, Premium Purple, Runway Gray, Sky Blue and Atlantic Amethyst are being added to the…
— Forbes
Peanuts? No, thanks. Pretzels? I'll pass. Airlines Step Up Vegan, Gluten-free Meals
Traditional airplane snacks like pretzels just don't cut it for Nikita Joshi, a 24-year-old biomedical engineer from Youngstown, Ohio. "I try not to eat a lot of gluten stuff. I'm not allergic," she said, adding that she feels better when she avoids the "heaviness" of bread products and often just buys a fruit cup at the airport before a flight. She used to bring peanut butter…
— CNBC
Lodging
New Boutique Hotel Celebrates African American Culture in the Big Easy
A boutique hotel in New Orleans is changing the face of hospitality. The Moor is the first in a planned series of openings from Homage Hospitality, a brand co-founded by Howard University graduates Marcus Carey and Damon Lawrence. Boutique hotels are a dime a dozen in New Orleans – and the US – so what sets Homage properties apart are their twin goals of celebrating…
— Lonely Planet
10 Travel Writers, 10 Favorite Hotels
What makes a hotel your favorite? The favorite? Every traveler has a different criteria: some love grand properties with opulent décor, while others prefer small places with a personal touch. The service, the food, the rooms and the setting usually figure in too. If you’re lucky, you’ve stayed at a handful of hotels that you consider to be exceptional. They’re the sort of places you’re…
— New York Times
Other and Odd
A New Wave of Spirits-Driven Travel
While restoring the 1887-vintage Old Taylor Distillery in Frankfort, Ky., Will Arvin and Wes Murry, partners in the business, discovered abandoned train tracks on the property and a passenger depot once used by visitors arriving to tour the bourbon works. When it reopens in the fall, after a 40-year hiatus, as Castle & Key Distillery, the gin and bourbon brand will use the…
— New York Times
The Top 25 Travel Experiences of 2018 Just Announced
Every year, the world’s top luxury travel agents and advisors gather for a week in Las Vegas for networking, education and meetings with hotel companies, cruise lines and the best tour operators. It’s put on by Virtuoso, the best-known consortium of luxury travel agents, and these folks are such big hitters that the CEOs, Presidents and top executives of global brands like…
— Forbes
Today in History
Alfred Hitchcock is born
On August 13, 1899, Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock was born. The groundbreaking filmmaker pioneered many innovative film techniques, dominating the thriller genre for most of his career. Even today he remains one of the most renowned filmmakers in the world; his distinctive…
— Travel Research Online
Press Releases of Interest
Collette Launches New Line of Explorations Tours Amidst Centennial Celebration
Collette, North America’s longest running tour operator, continues to lead the way in innovation with the launch of their newest line, Explorations. This line of 20+ tours enable travelers to experience unique and immersive experiences that take them far beyond the surface of the…
— Travel Research Online
Editorial Musings
The TSA: Government Employees? Or Broadway Actors?
by John Frenaye
Monday August 13, 2018
Ever since the  inception of the Department of Homeland Security, I have been a skeptic. As I watched the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) evolve since the attacks in 2001 it always seemed to be a reactionary organization and one run with a decided absence of logic.
Let’s talk liquids. Can we be real here? There are plenty of liquids that can do a LOT of damage without a lot of quantity. There are plenty of liquids that can be mixed and not have an immediate reaction that can do a lot of damage. So why the restriction? OK, if someone is coming on board a flight with a 55 gallon drum—we need to talk. But a full-sized tube of toothpaste? A bottle of shampoo?
Let’s talk electronics.…
— Travel Research Online
Read the rest of this article »
|
One-to-One Interviews
Insight on Agent Income with the Host Agency Reviews Team
 Host Agency Reviews recently surveyed hosted travel agents on their income and demographics for the second year in a row. After compiling the data, they published an article on the findings. We at TRO decided to interview everyone involved in the gathering of info and publication of the article, as we found it to contain previously unexplored insights into the travel agent community. Enjoy.
— Travel Research Online
Read the rest of this article »
|
Publishers Corner
The Best Time to Market Your Travel Practice
by Richard Earls
Sunday August 12, 2018
The best time t o market hard is before you need to do so. I was looking back over my Publisher’s Corner articles from the depths of the “Great Recession” and a number of them were warning not to neglect marketing during the slump. After all, there was less “noise” coming from other agencies and it was a good time to gain market share. The idea was when the economy picked up and the pent-up demand for travel released, clients would remember the agencies who had never stopped marketing. Marketing during bad times allows you to capture market share. Hopefully you took the advice and you are now absolutely swamped with business.
But there is a better time to market: now.
— Travel Research Online
Read the rest of this article »
|
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
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 ➠
|
|
|
Use TRO every day to find travel guides, e-postcards, and other resources you can personalize and send to your clients.
|
TRO Travel Specials
|
|
You can answer this one yourself: Who do you want to spend time with?