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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
How to Get Close to Alaska's Wildlife
Wildlife abounds in Alaska’s untamed wilderness. Look out for the Big Five: bears, moose, Dall sheep, caribou and wolves. The throngs of wildlife that course below the glacial waters, and glide above them, are legion too. Bald eagles soar overhead, whales breach in the sea and salmon make a dramatic journey upriver every…
— Telegraph (London)
High Society: El Alto, Bolivia, Steps into the Spotlight
Most travellers never give El Alto a second thought. Bolivia’s second city, home to the highest international airport in South America (and fifth-highest in the world) at 4,061 metres, it is a place visitors fly into before being whisked to La Paz, the de facto capital, 15km away and 421 metres lower. Yet, El Alto is emerging from the shadow of its…
— The Guardian
Tours and Activities
Where Tourists Can Get Legally High in Canada
You can smell it on the breeze. Something funky, fresh and earthy. After years on the margins, its true believers are going public, and if you listen in bars and cafes from Ottawa to Vancouver to Montreal, you’ll likely hear talk of the new nationwide manifesto. There are idealists and sceptics, and those who still haven’t made up their mind. Who can…
— The Independent
SeaWorld: Jack Hanna, Craft Beer Fest, Christmas Celebration Set for November
SeaWorld Orlando has unveiled a few details about events scheduled for the theme park next month, including quality time with animal expert Jack Hanna, a new festival that revolves around craft beer and a jump-start on Christmas celebrations. Hanna, a frequent speaker at SeaWorld, will make appearances at the park’s Nautilus Theater…
— Sun Sentinel
Cruise
From Zip Lines to Surfing Pools, 30 Cruise Ship Attractions That Will Blow Your Mind
There was a time when the most exciting thing on the top deck of a cruise ship was a small pool. Or maybe a shuffleboard court. But those days are long gone. Today's cruise ships are floating mega-resorts loaded with deck-top amusements that would have been unthinkable just a decade or two ago. In addition to multiple pools and hot tubs…
— USA Today
American Cruise Lines Ups Growth Pace with New River Ships
The American Song marked a new era for American Cruise Line as she launched service earlier this month from New Orleans as the first in a series of at least five new modern riverboats. “The economy is red hot good,” said Charles A. Robertson, CEO of American Cruise Lines. “That helps. There is much greater awareness for river and small ship…
— Cruise Industry News
Transportation
Will Your Face Be Enough to Get You on a Plane?
Facial recognition may soon be coming to an airport security line near you. Earlier this week, the Transportation Security Administration released a 23-page report outlining changes it is proposing on how passengers are screened before boarding their flights. Key among those changes is the proposal that passports and other forms of…
— New York Times
The Secret to Avoiding Checked Bag Fees Every Time You Fly
Gifts aren’t the only thing to bust your budget this holiday season. Most major U.S. airlines have recently raised their checked bag fees, which means transporting presents home may cost a little bit more this year. American Airlines baggage fees, JetBlue Airlines baggage fees, United Airlines baggage fees, and Delta baggage fees all increased…
— Time
Lodging
The 8 Coolest Tree House Hotels in Central America
Whether you spent your youthful years in a tree house or pining over one, hotels around the world are here to turn your nostalgic childhood reveries into adult realities. Make no mistake, though: These rustic retreats perched in the trees are not the wobbly contraptions cobbled together in your backyard. While they may let you live like a kid…
— USA Today
The Hilton Effect: The Hotel Looks Back on Its Trillion-Dollar Global Impact
A few weeks ago, I stowed away on Norwegian Air’s Fill A Plane campaign, where they transformed their brand-new Boeing 737 Max passenger plane into a cargo jet and filled it to the brim with supplies bound for a UNICEF outpost in Chad. After a long flight from Copenhagen to N’Djamena, we unloaded the plane. While the 13 tons of supplies—2,000 water purifiers, 1,000 doses of antibiotics, 35,000 packs of rehydration salts, and more—were headed to the…
— Fast Company
Other and Odd
Everyday Legal Things in Australia That Could Land You in Jail Abroad
I was already more than halfway to Tokyo when I realised I was carrying a stash of hardcore narcotics in my carry-on bag. My stomach flipped as I made the unpleasant discovery while rifling through my bag during a brief stopover. As images of Schapelle Corby and Banged Up Abroad flashed through my mind, I quickly shoved the contraband in…
— Escape
Air Canada's Close Call in San Francisco Could've Been 'Worst Aviation Accident in History'
Safety officials say a near collision of airliners in San Francisco last year was a few feet from becoming the worst crash in aviation history. The National Transportation Safety Board issued a final report Thursday on the incident in which an Air Canada jet nearly crashed into planes lined up on the ground at San Francisco International…
— USA Today
Today in History
The London Beer Flood
They say too much beer is bad for you. Meux's Brewery Co Ltd was a London brewery located at Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Street, one of the city's poorer districts at the time. On October 18, 1814 a vat of beer 22 feet high and containing approximately 135,000 gallons…
— Travel Research Online
Press Releases of Interest
Captain Belinda Bennett Awarded the 2018 Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service by HRH Princess Anne as the First Black Female Captain in the Commercial Cruise Industry
Charting a course to success in the cruise and maritime industry, the Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service has been presented to Captain Belinda Bennett of Windstar Cruises, as ‘the first black female captain in the commercial cruise industry.’ Captain Bennett was given the award for services to the promotion of the maritime…
— Travel Research Online
Mike's Morning Missives
Lifetime Value
 A mistake that many sales professionals make is that they are shortsighted when it comes to evaluating their customers. With the blame pointing toward a tough economy, too many sales people try to rush the sale to fatten their wallet. As competitive as this may sound, this aggressive behavior is the shortest path to failure coupled to a less-than glowing professional reputation.
I would like to suggest that you approach this new customer-thing from a different angle. Take a futuristic view. Try becoming the exception by seeing new customers as the potential annuity they truly represent.
— 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
Explore the wildlife of Patagonia with Australis on a journey to
Wednesday, November 14, 2018 at 1 pm EST/10 am PST
Set sail with Australis Cruises on a journey of discovery and learn about the wildlife that inhabits this region. Find out why your nature-loving clients should consider a journey with us. Patagonia is perfect for anyone interested in seeing landscapes and habitats largely untouched by man for thousands of years. With a huge variety of birds, sea life and more this region is sure to please wildlife lovers and bird watchers alike. Australis delivers our guests to even more via the pristine and remote waterways of the Patagonian Fjords. Otherwise inaccessible by most other methods, our custom built ships are designed to navigate these areas in safety and comfort. Our all-inclusive rates include meals, open bar and excursions allowing you to get up close and personal with our landscapes with tremendous value.
Register Now ➠
Scenic Eclipse, the World’s First Discovery Yacht
Thursday, October 25, 2018 at 3 pm EDT/12 pm PDT
Scenic Eclipse, the World’s First Discovery Yachts, launching in January 2018, has captured the imagination of cruise fans everywhere. The “6-star” luxury mega yachts, carrying just 228 guests, (200 in the polar regions) marries luxury, discovery and safety. The ships intimate size allows for docking in smaller ports; its GPS dynamic position technology allows it to ‘anchor’ in areas where the use of a real anchor would make it off-limits and its innovative zero-speed stabilizer fins are 50% larger and provide even greater stability.
Register Now ➠
ARGENTINA FOOD WINE COUNTRYSIDE
Wednesday, October 24, 2018 at 1 pm EDT/10 am PDT
Hosted by: Mercedes Bassi “Wine & Gastronomy” coordinator and Ariel Cohen, National Institute of Tourism Promotion, and Aerolineas Argentinas.
Register Now ➠
The Art cities in Flanders-Belgium
Thursday, October 18, 2018 at 3 pm EDT/12 pm PDT
Flanders, the northern Dutch speaking part of Belgium, continues to surprise visitors with its wide array of culture, gastronomy, cycling and lifestyle & fashion opportunities. Join us for this webinar to learn more about the six major art cities where visitors can have these unique travel experiences: Brussels, Bruges, Antwerp, Ghent, Mechelen and Leuven. Learn why each city is different and find out about the highlights in 2019.
Register Now ➠
Experience the mystical magic of the ‘Happiest Country on Earth’
Wednesday, October 17, 2018 at 3 pm EDT/12 pm PDT
Experience the mystical magic of the ‘Happiest Country on Earth’ with Drukair Royal Bhutan Airlines & Drukair Holidays.
Register Now ➠
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