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Thursday December 06, 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

36 Hours in Kailua-Kona
Travelers flying into Kona International Airport are greeted by a grim panorama: scorched earth and black, volcanic rock stretching from the sea to the mountains. Given all the apocalyptic footage issuing from Hawaii’s Big Island earlier this year, the scene seems to confirm the worst — except that much of this lava hardened hundreds, if not thousands, of…

Thailand's Famed Phi Phi Islands Are Running Out of Clean Drinking Water, Here's Why
Thailand's famed Phi Phi islands are running out of clean drinking water, a result of the massive and continual influx of tourists that have already inflicted enough environmental destruction to close the islands' most famous beach indefinitely. On Monday, a water study by scientists at Thailand's Kasetsart University found that the rising number of…

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Tours and Activities

A Tour of Eritrea: The Tiny African Nation You Never Thought You'd Visit
The silent Grundig wireless sets, empty wine bottles and tired musical instruments made for diverting lunch decor in Ghibabo. Young men and women at a neighbouring table chat, taking in the eccentricity of this restaurant and pizzeria in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea. “Ethiopian people,” says a nearby diner, pointing at a nearby group.…

Our Big Exotic Sleepover: A Single-Parent Tour of Egypt
Water buffalo call softly as the waters of the Nile lap at the boat. Kingfishers swoop in the dim light, silhouetted against a mosque on Aswan’s distant bank. Mia, 13, is in a huddle of kids on the upper deck of the wooden felucca, our home for the night. Thanks to some expert child-whispering by our Egyptian guide, Walid – and some instructions from…

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Cruise

Celebrity Edge: Nobel Peace Prize Winner Malala Yousafzai Helps Christen Ship in Florida
The most notable new cruise ship of the year now officially has a name. Celebrity Cruises late Tuesday celebrated the debut of its much-awaited, 2,918-passenger Celebrity Edge with an emotional naming ceremony at Florida's Port Everglades presided over by one of the world's most famous activists. Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala…

Royal Caribbean to Build Nearly $100M Cruise Terminal in Galveston
Royal Caribbean expects to bring some of its largest ships to Galveston after investing close to $100 million to build a new cruise terminal at the Port of Galveston. "When we're investing this heavily in the construction of a terminal and entering into long-term lease agreements, then that usually signifies that we will be bringing our ships such as the Oasis…

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Transportation

You Can Get Hit With a $11,000 Fine If You Drink Your Own Alcohol on a Flight
We asked flight attendant Celessa Dietzel the one thing she wishes everyone knew about flying. Following is a transcript of the video. It's just like a bar. You wouldn't bring your own booze into a bar. You cannot drink your own alcohol on an aircraft. A lot of people don't know this. You can bring your under 3.4 ounce or less little bottles, mini-bottles sealed in a…

Plane Seat Sizes Are A Response To Consumer Demand, Says Former United Exec
Jeff Foland is a a former executive at United Airlines and Hertz who has the consummate insider's understanding of why airlines do what they do. (Note that after this video was shot Jeff was named CEO of The Parking Spot.) In this video Jeff discusses some of the issues raised in the recent FAA re-authorization bill - namely seat sizes and baggage fees. …

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Lodging

Why Now is the Best Time to Get a Sweet Hotel Deal in Dubai
Dubai is jam-packed with five-star hotels, beaches, luxury malls and newly minted landmarks designed to be the biggest of everything – tallest building, largest indoor theme park, second-biggest mall, etc. It’s all part of the city’s aims to be the most popular tourist destination in the world by 2025. Already, it is the fourth-most visited city in the world, with a…

5 Great Luxury Hidden Gem Ski Hotels You Should Know About
America is awash in fantastic 5-star options for deep pocketed skiers traveling in style, and famous places like the Four Seasons Jackson Hole, Little Nell at Aspen and Vail’s Arrabelle routinely - and deservedly - make all sorts of best hotel lists. But there are some wonderful deluxe properties out there that fly below the radar of many traveling skiers and…

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Other and Odd

OpenTable Diners Name the 100 Best Restaurants in the USA
More than 12 million OpenTable diners have named their top restaurants in the USA. They range from restaurants with celebrity chefs to small, hidden gems. The verified diners reviewed more than 28,000 restaurants in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. New York had the most honorees, with 24 restaurants on the list. California followed with 15. Illinois…

Travel Websites See Profits in Selling More Than Just Flights
Booking companies and hoteliers are trying to sell travelers more online than just a place to stay, an airline ticket or a car rental. These web-based firms also want customers to purchase experiences such as parasailing excursions, food tours and aquarium adventures. The amount spent by travelers on tours, attractions, events and activities while…

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Today in History

The Thirteenth Amendment
On this day in 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution became law. The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude. It was the first amendment to the Constitution in over sixty years. The Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Lincoln…

Spotlight

Queensland with AAT Kings
by Joseph DeLoach
Thursday December 06, 2018

Making up most of the east coast of Australia, with a northern tip nearly touching Papau New Guinea,  Queensland’s official motto is, “Beautiful one day. Perfect the next.” The second-largest state in the Commonwealth of Australia is also the third-most populous, giving the traveler plenty of room to roam through its one-of-a-kind natural settings. Bordered only to the west, by the Northern Territory, and to the south, by New South Wales, Queensland also has plenty of coasts to lounge-out on or explore on an explorational walkabout. Today’s 60-Second Geography is brought to you by AAT Kings, providing guided vacations to Queensland and more around…

  — Travel Research Online
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Mike's Morning Missives

What About the Good Old Postcard?

Today I decided to focus on postcard marketing. There’s absolutely no better way to keep your name popping up in front of prospects than with a postcard. Postcards do the job they’re supposed to do. They communicate in short bursts for relatively low cost.

If you haven’t noticed, people have short attention spans. They also have enough to do, think about and screw up without you having to remind them of other things to do, think about and screw up.

Okay. We agree. Postcards are cool tools. This is because there are number of benefits supporting the postcard…

  — 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


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