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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
The 52 Places Traveler: A Road (and River) Trip Through Western Germany
“Google Maps, where have you taken us?” I screamed at my phone for maybe the fifth time in an hour. I was blindly following a disembodied GPS voice off the autobahn and onto a series of hairpin turns down a mountainside in southwestern Germany’s Black Forest. My travel companion, John Eligon, a national correspondent covering race for the Times who happened to be in…
— New York Times
The Best Last-minute European Breaks For the Bank Holiday Weekend
This historic capital is often overlooked in favour of bolder and more established European destinations, but to ignore it would be a mistake. The fortifications of the city’s Old Town have been Unesco-listed since 1994 and incorporate over 10 miles of underground tunnels for visitors to explore. Ancient buildings sit cheek-by-jowl with modern structures such as the…
— The Independent
Tours and Activities
High Heaven: Hiking Italy's Cottian Alps
The first day of my hiking trip in the Valle Maira in Piedmont, north-west Italy, begins with a hot, lung-bursting, heart-pounding three-hour slog up a steep path. I should have expected as much. The tour operator classes its new circuit in this Alpine wonderland as “Grade 3: Challenging” – and my one-day training hike along the Devon coast hadn’t prepared…
— The Guardian
Editors' Choice Awards: The Hot 30
So often, the magic of a trip lies in the offbeat, intimate discoveries that feel like they were waiting just for you. That’s the idea behind our first-ever Editors’ Choice Awards. These are the places, experiences, and keepsakes from our recent adventures that we have loved best and wanted to share with you. We think they’re all worthy of a trip — hopefully one that will yield some unforgettable discoveries of your…
— Travel+Leisure
Cruise
Photo Tour: Four Mid-Size Cruise Ships That Prove Bigger Isn't Always Better
Are the new mega-size cruise ships from major lines such as Carnival and Princess just too big for you? Don't despair. There still are dozens of smaller vessels in the fleets of the very same lines that offer a far more intimate experience. Our latest Cruise Ship Tour, in the carousel above, offers a look at four of the most enticing of these smaller vessels in the fleets of major…
— USA Today
Carnival Plans Sunrise for Spring
Carnival is giving Carnival Triumph a dramatic makeover next spring. In fact, the changes the line is making to the 1999-built ship are so sweeping that when she emerges from drydock, she’ll be given an entirely new name: Carnival Sunrise. This $200-million refurbishment will be of the stem-to-stern variety, affecting nearly every public space, stateroom and deck onboard.…
— Vancouver Sun
Transportation
Airline Passenger Convicted of Sexually Abusing a Woman On a Plane
A man accused of undressing and fondling a Spirit Airlines passenger while she was asleep could spend the rest of his life behind bars. Prabhu Ramamoorthy, 35, was convicted of sexual abuse on board an aircraft for digitally penetrating the victim, the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan said. His sentencing date is set for December 12, and he could…
— CNN
Airlines With the Best (and Worst) Food
Depending on which of these airlines you fly, you may get served a delectable meal on bone china or a snack box of junk food. Portugal’s national airline flies to numerous European and other international destinations, and meals are included on all flights for all classes, with the size depending on the length of the flight. What makes TAP’s food so yummy is a menu that focuses…
— Reader's Digest
Lodging
The New York Hotel That Lets You Really Experience New York
With a small discreet entrance hidden in the heart of the theater district, it would be easy to mistake the Chatwal for a playgoer’s hidden gem near the bright lights of Broadway, and in fact it is just that, a perfect spot for those taking in the world’s most famous live performance district. But the Chatwal is much more, a luxury boutique hotel that celebrates its Big Apple…
— Forbes
Airbnb Property Owners in France Face Discrimination Claim
Several French holidaymakers are preparing to file a discrimination complaint with France’s rights watchdog, claiming they were refused holiday rentals on online booking sites on the basis of their north African names. The French journalist Merwane Mehadji told a France Inter radio investigation that discrimination was happening when bookings were made. “I wanted to book an apartment or house in Marseille on Airbnb or Abritel,” he…
— The Guardian
Other and Odd
Have Tourists Ruined the World? We Visited the Most Demonised Destinations to Find Out
I stand perfectly still in the centre of Piazza San Marco. And I really mean perfectly still, for I am filming a documentary for The Telegraph and my director, Kathryn, has instructed me not to move a muscle for 15 minutes. A time-lapse unravels around me in slow motion. Selfie sticks bob above the crowd like gondoliers’ oars. Souvenir stalls are burdened like yaks with…
— Telegraph (London)
How the Gap Year Became a 'Gap Month' - and the Best Ways to Spend It
Who remembers the viral skit Gap Yah? Probably not Generation Z, which will be too young to remember it. Gap Yah (“I’m literally in Burma”) took aim at posh kids called Tarquin who went on “spiritual, cultural, political exchange things”. This was back (eight years ago!) when making fun of Old Etonians was as vicious as the internet got. But for Gen Z students, who…
— The Guardian
Today in History
The Theft of the Mona Lisa
On August 21, 1911 a patron of the Louvre Museum in Paris walked into the Salon Carré where Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa was on display for all to see. On this day, however, the famous painting was not on the wall where it had hung for the past five years. A search of the museum turned over no…
— Travel Research Online
Press Releases of Interest
COLLETTE ANNOUNCES INFORMATIONAL EXPLORATIONS WEBINAR ON AUGUST 23rd FOR AGENTS AND PARTNERS
Collette, global tour operator, will host a live, in-studio interactive question and answer session with Diana Ditto, director of product design on Thursday, August 23, 2018 at 2 p.m. EDT. This webinar will be focused on the relaunch of the much anticipated Explorations tour brand. The one-hour…
— Travel Research Online
Mike's Morning Missives
Marketing Mistake #14: You Don’t Use “What’s Next?” Thinking
 This is the second-to-last reminder in our marketing mistake avoidance campaign. This mistake infers that you see every piece of the business puzzle as an end to itself. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Here is a simple example.
You are introduced to an upcoming wedding and have been asked to help coordinate the honeymoon. You see a “honeymoon package” as a single product. A one-off opportunity. This is shortsighted. Not realizing it at the time, you are short-changing yourself big…
— Travel Research Online
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Independent Consultant
From Storefront Employee to Your Own Business: Who Owns Clients?
by Mary Stein
Tuesday August 21, 2018
Hi Mary ,
I'm working my way through the 7-Day Set Up and had a question about the piece on a Tale of Two Agents. I tried to comment directly on the page, but couldn't get it to post. (I'll have to check on that issue - probably a cookie setting).
I'm a little confused (and concerned) about the comment made in the piece on Wendy's World Travel: "Even if you worked in a storefront, those are the agency's clients and they don't go with…
— 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
How to Attract Affluent Clients
Thursday, August 30, 2018 at 3 pm EDT/12 pm PDT
The big mystery to many advisers is how to attract luxury and affluent clients. In this session I will share several proven strategies to attract your ideal luxury client.
Register Now ➠
Getting to Know The SCENIC Group – Scenic and Emerald Waterways
Wednesday, August 29, 2018 at 3 pm EDT/12 pm PDT
Please join Tom Van Dorn, Business Development Manager, Midwest, for an informative webinar presentation highlighting The Scenic Group brands – Emerald Waterways, Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours and the Scenic Eclipse – with a specific focus on the Scenic Eclipse: the World’s First Discovery Yacht. Enjoy learning what makes Scenic’s river cruises so special and truly all-inclusive, and learn about many of the features of the Scenic Eclipse that set a whole new benchmark in design innovation and luxury. With Scenic’s commitment to world-class safety, innovation in design and quality appointments throughout, the Scenic Eclipse will offer guests the experience of discovering the world in all-inclusive luxury!
Register Now ➠
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 ➠
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