TRO Travelgram: Travel articles influencing your clients, from top consumer publications... Sponsor

Monday January 14, 2019

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

Swap Venice, Bali and Barcelona for the 'undertouristed' destinations of 2019
If there were a competition to find the Word of the Year in the tourism sector, there’d be only one serious contender for 2018: overtourism. From Barcelona to Bali, the Indian Ocean to the Adriatic, 2018 was the year that people in the world’s most coveted, visited and Instagrammed places said enough was enough. Islands in the Philippines and Thailand were…

Five things to do at Mount Washington
Sitting down to strap on my snowboard, I take a moment to soak in the dazzling winter scene at the 1,588-metre summit of Mount Washington. Trees are drenched in buckets of heavy snow, mountain peaks glisten as far as the eye can see, and the ocean sparkles in the distance. It feels like I’m on top of the…

Please support TRO and our Suppliers! The FREE resources and tools available to you are paid for by supplier sponsorship.

Tours and Activities

A Family Ski Adventure in the Himalayas
Gulmarg. That’s exactly where I was taking my family for a ski trip. Gulmarg is Kashmir’s underdog ski resort, tucked in the snowy Himalayas, a place of magnificent skiing and no frills. Few foreigners visit, for reasons I will get into, and as we drew closer, I began to wonder if this was such a great idea. I looked out the window. It was now dark and snowing, and we…

Best snorkeling spots in the Caribbean
Unlike scuba diving, which requires more gear and more courage, snorkeling is a breeze for underwater sightseers. All it takes is a mask and a tube, a pair of fins, an inflatable life vest and a sense of adventure. Add snorkeling to sun, sand and sea and you’ll hear a whole lot of oohs and aahs courtesy of spectacular submerged landscapes, the occasional shipwreck…

Please support TRO and our Suppliers! The FREE resources and tools available to you are paid for by supplier sponsorship.

Cruise

Cruise secrets: Former cruise ship worker reveals shocking way companies CON passengers
CRUISES are well-known for offering a smorgasbord of onboard entertainment. However, a former cruise ship worker has revealed an alarming way some cruise companies try to con passengers when it comes to live music. Cruises a very popular way to spend a holiday for many Britons. They are a way to explore the world without moving from hotel to hotel.…

Cruise passengers gag over Carnival’s proposed in-cabin food fee
It turns out there is such a thing as a free lunch — at least for now. Carnival Cruise Line, which bases its Ecstasy pleasure ship at the Port of Charleston’s Union Pier Terminal, announced this month a plan to start charging passengers for room service meals that previously were included in the company’s “all-inclusive fares.” The plan was to charge between $2…

Please support TRO and our Suppliers! The FREE resources and tools available to you are paid for by supplier sponsorship.

Transportation

Flying Will Become More Dangerous as Government Shutdown Continues, Airline Pilots Warn
The effects of the latest government shutdown are being felt across the US. The air-transport system on which America depends is also feeling the pinch. On Wednesday, the Air Line Pilots Association International (ALPA) sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to end the shutdown. “I am writing to urge you to take the necessary steps to…

50 incredible rail journeys for 2019
I am such a sucker for all things rail that I still find myself whooping with delight whenever I take a train that stops at the swish new Blackfriars Station built – yes that’s right – directly over the Thames. For stations with a view of the water (and the city for that matter) they don’t get much better than…

Concourse at Miami International Airport to reopen Monday despite government shutdown
Miami International Airport will reopen Concourse G Monday despite the government shutdown, airport officials said. The terminal closure was prompted by a shortage of Transportation Security Administration workers Saturday. TSA concluded it didn’t have enough screeners to keep the security checkpoint operating there amid a spike in unpaid workers not showing up for…

Please support TRO and our Suppliers! The FREE resources and tools available to you are paid for by supplier sponsorship.

Lodging

The secret to getting a hotel room upgrade? Ask for it
When it comes to a hotel room upgrade, ask and you shall receive. That's right, a polite request can sometimes do the trick, which surprises frequent guests like Allan Jordan. It might surprise you, too. After all, for years everyone thought the color of your loyalty card determined the chance of a hotel room upgrade. And while status still can make a…

Boy leaves beloved bear behind, Hawaii hotel sends it on adventures
A little boy left his beloved teddy bear behind after a family vacation in Hawaii—but he ended up “both mystified and completely enthralled” by the hotel’s response. Anna Pickard got in touch with the Grand Hyatt Kauai after returning to the family’s Bay Area home sans bear, and not only did the hotel locate and return the toy, it sent the bear on some grand…

Please support TRO and our Suppliers! The FREE resources and tools available to you are paid for by supplier sponsorship.

Other and Odd

Flat Earthers plan a cruise that uses charts of a round planet to navigate
Flat Earthers from around the globe disc are planning an all-out cruise for the 2020 Flat Earther International Conference. Promised to be the "biggest, boldest, best adventure yet," the cruise will bring like-minded people together who all believe the planet is a disc protected by an ice wall barrier. There's only one tiny hole in this plan — the cruise ship relies on…

After 6 months of travel I made a critical addition to my packing list that's become my most essential tool
As Business Insider's international correspondent, I've spent the last year traveling through more than a dozen countries. For the trip, I brought just a carry-on suitcase and a backpack, which I meticulously packed (and repacked) with everything I thought I'd need for the trip. But during my first six months on the road, I kept…

Today in History

Albert Schweitzer is born
A man for all seasons, Albert Schweitzer was a theologian, musician, philosopher, and physician. He received the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize for his statements and activities on behalf of the philosophy of "reverence for life", after founding the Lambaréné Hospital…

Editorial Musings

2019 Resolutions: Getting Certified
by John Frenaye
Monday January 14, 2019

Last year, Travel Pulse listed some resolution that travel professionals devised for 2019. Last week, we spoke about getting the word out. And this week, I wanted to tackle another outstanding resolution—getting certified. Easier said than done. Maybe!

The problem is, that certification in the travel industry has always been like trying to nail jello to a tree. No one ever agrees who should be the certifying agency, or what the criteria should be, or what it even is that should be…

  — Travel Research Online
Read the rest of this article »

Publishers Corner

A Talent for Practice
by Richard Earls
Sunday January 13, 2019

"I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious." ~ Albert Einstein

Talent.  You have it or you don't... Right? Isn't talent the reason Bobby Fischer was a grand master chess player at 19?  Isn't talent why Bill Gates was a boy genius and is now the world's richest man, or why Tiger Woods was a child golf prodigy? Is talent why some people seem to be natural born successes and others struggle up and down the steep slopes of the Pareto Principle their entire life, never breaking into the top 20% of their chosen field?

Maybe…

  — Travel Research Online
Read the rest of this article »

Mike's Morning Missives

It’s Your Business…Do Something About It

There is a thin line between “customer service” and being a doormat. The painful truth is you can’t be all things to all people. It is time to make a few hard decisions.

If there is one common complaint I hear more than any other is, “Potential clients contact me to milk me for as much information as they can, before they head out to book their own vacation on the internet.”

Fasten your seatbelt and prepare for a blast of reality: It is your business and you can run it any way you choose. If you have a fee, the best time to explain this arrangement is upfront. Nobody likes surprises. Not me. Not you.…

  — Travel Research Online
Read the rest of this article »

Upcoming Training Opportunities


Small Group Touring through Europe

Small Group Touring through Europe

Thursday, January 17, 2019 at 3 pm EST/12 pm PST

Join us for an informative webinar as we learn more about Small Group Touring with the newly rebranded, Blue-Roads Touring Co! Within this webinar, we will uncover the story behind their new North American name, Blue-Roads Touring Co, explore their 6 key selling features to help you sell more effectively and efficiently, gain insight into their European and Asia tour portfolio, and finish with an exciting announcement on a new destination coming this summer!

Register Now ➠


Best National Park Vacations

Best National Park Vacations

Wednesday, January 16, 2019 at 3 pm EST/12 pm PST

Join Vacations By Rail’s Best National Park Vacations webinar and uncover the top-rated adventures and experiences to America’s treasures and natural wonders.

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