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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
The 'most chilled out' countries in the world revealed
Indonesia is the most chilled out country in the world followed by Australia, a new study has revealed. Researchers came up with a list of the most relaxing nations by analysing a number of factors including the personal rights of citizens, noise and light pollution, temperatures, the number of public holidays and the number of spa retreats. Claiming third place in…
— Daily Mail
In search of my grandmother in Mexico
If I closed my eyes, I could see her. It was Friday evening in July 1956. Thirty-one and travelling alone, my grandmother had just arrived at Mexico City’s Hotel Geneve. She’d be tired; she would have just stepped off a five-day bus journey from Toronto. More than 60 years later, I could relate. Twenty-six and travelling alone, I had listless bags under my eyes, and I…
— BBC
Tours and Activities
The Rise of Halal Tourism
Muslims now make up one of the fastest-growing segments of the global travel industry. In response, hotels and tour operators are increasingly trying to meet their dietary and religious needs. For one of the fastest-growing sectors of the global travel industry, there is no pork on the hotel dinner menus. There are flights with no alcohol on the drink carts, resorts…
— New York Times
10 great European art anniversaries in 2019
From 100 years of Bauhaus to 500 years since Leonardo’s death, a host of landmark art events and exhibitions open around Europe this year. It is 350 years since the death of Rembrandt van Rijn. There is a year-long programme of events in nine Dutch cities, focusing on Rembrandt and the Dutch golden age…
— The Guardian
Cruise
MSC Cruises Releases More Details on Private Island Ocean Cay; Expect Food Carts & Local Shopping
MSC Cruises has released more details about Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, the line's private island in the Bahamas, set to open in November. The island's features will include: Seven distinct beaches with lifeguards on each. Sun beds will be available on every beach, and some will also have cabanas. Each beach is being designed to have a unique appeal; the…
— CruiseCritic.com
Disney Cruise Line inks 10-year deal with Port of Galveston
Disney Cruise Line is getting more comfortable away from Florida ahead of its fleet expansion. The Port of Galveston signed a 10-year agreement for an increase in presence from the cruise line, which has sailed seasonally there since 2012. Disney Magic or Disney Wonder, the line’s smallest and oldest ships have dabbled in Galveston sailings almost yearly since then,…
— Orlando Sentinel
Transportation
Here are the planes being built to bring back supersonic travel
It's been over 15 years since Concorde was up in our skies flying faster than the speed of sound but there are some working to bring supersonic transport back for commercial use. CNBC takes a look at the companies currently developing supersonic passenger…
— CNBC
These Airline Innovations Will Change the Way You Fly
Facial scanning, by-the-hour flight pricing, and flying cars from aviation-led venture capital groups. Buy ticket, get on plane, try (and fail) to sleep, land: The basic nuts and bolts of flying haven’t changed since the advent of aviation. But this year, thanks to a handful of aviation-led venture capital groups, the finer points are evolving. Last November, Air France and…
— Bloomberg
Lodging
North Korea may be close to opening beach resort in 2019
North Korea could open a beach resort complete with a water park and other amenities as soon as this year, part of a plan to fuel tourism to the region. Satellite images released by 38 North, a website monitoring activity in North Korea operated by the Washington, D.C.-based policy research group The Stimson Center, show the additions of a water park with water slide,…
— USA Today
How robots are taking over hotels
Room service at Healdsburg’s Hotel Trio just got a reboot. Midnight snacks and calls for extra towel are no longer handled by flesh-and-blood hotel staffers; they’re delivered by a 4-foot-tall robot that looks like a roving Diaper Genie and chirps like R2D2. The robot, named Rosé (like the wine), delivers everything from food and cocktails to ice and toiletries — whatever…
— San Francisco Chronicle
Sunny Beach, a resort that skirts Bulgaria's Black Sea, is the cheapest place to travel in 2019
Bulgaria might not be at the top of your travel bucket list, but, according to the UK-based Post Office, it should be. For its annual Worldwide Holiday Costs Barometer report, Post Office analyzed the prices of essential travel items such as food and sunscreen in 42 destinations around the world. The site then named the most cost-efficient travel spots of the…
— Insider
Other and Odd
Bookstore pulls Miami travel guide over 'racist' description of 'blighted' neighborhood
The publisher of a series of travel guides has apologized after its Miami guide was found to include a “racist” description of the Coconut Grove neighborhood. As the Miami Herald reports, the offensive section was discovered by Eden Sherman, an employee at Books & Books, an independent bookstore in nearby Coral Gables. As a resident of Coconut Grove, Sherman…
— Yahoo Finance
Legendary great white shark swims with divers off Hawaii
A great white shark, believed to be one of the largest on the planet, has been spotted by divers as it fed on a whale carcass off the coast of Hawaii. The divers, who captured remarkable footage of the encounter, say the shark is Deep Blue -- a 20-foot-long female. The creature approached the team's boat to scratch herself on Tuesday, and was flanked by two…
— CNN
Newlywed, 37, erects SCAFFOLDING outside Tui shop as part of protest
A furious newly-married husband has erected scaffolding outside a travel agents over his claim the holiday firm 'ruined his dream Greek wedding'. Scaffolder Jason Cooper, 37, booked a wedding venue on the idyllic Greek island of Zante for his big day through the travel company with his wife Sarah, 33. He had booked the two-week holiday and wedding for 100 guests…
— Daily Mail
Today in History
Eastern Airlines Ceases Business
The 1980's were not kind to the legacy airlines. Deregulation brought onto the market a number of upstart airlines such as People Express. Legacy airlines like Eastern Airlines suddenly faced competition from the first wave of so-called "no-frills" carriers. Eastern was the largest employer…
— Travel Research Online
Agent Perspectives
Victoria, The Favourite, D Day and Alice in Wonderland
by Paull Tickner
Friday January 18, 2019
As you, and man y of your clients, may have seen on last Sunday’s Masterpiece screening of ‘Victoria’, my top story will help you to convert their interest in fiction into reality UK On Location tour. As I’ve successfully run it for a Public Broadcasting Station, I can offer you a programme that works extremely well as a customised small group tour.
You’ve probably read about ‘The Favourite’, the historical period comedy-drama film starring Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz. Acclaimed at the Venice Film festival, what you may not know is that Hatfield House, just north of London was the chosen filming location. Use the link in my second story for a closer…
— Travel Research Online
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Deck Plans
My Top 5 Aspirational Cruises For 2020
A few months ag o, I wrote about my Top Five Aspirational Cruises For 2019. Having been on my first cruise in six years in November, with another coming up in just a few days, I am constantly looking at what I may be able to do next. Part of what makes travel so exciting is going to dream destinations and places that you may never imagine being able to…
— Travel Research Online
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Mike's Morning Missives
Transcend Public Opinion (Part One)
 Over the years, the sales practice has appropriately earned a pretty poor reputation. To grasp the scope of the negative predicament salespeople have created try this exercise: Walk over to the person nearest to you (spouse, friend, co-worker, stranger...it doesn’t matter) and ask what word immediately comes to mind when you say “salesman.”
Did you hear any of these very predictable responses: Sleazy; crooked; fast talking; unscrupulous; dishonest; shifty; lacking trust; lacking ethics; liars; car lots; insurance; egotists; manipulative. I’m sure you can come up with a few thoughts of your own...perhaps even based on a previous personal experience.
I am aware that some of you salespeople will take exception to this exercise. The words that come to your mind might include honest, trustworthy, friendly, helpful, courteous,…
— Travel Research Online
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Upcoming Training Opportunities
You CAN Compete with Costco Travel!
Thursday, January 31, 2019 at 3 pm EST/12 pm PST
Nothing is more frustrating than when your client tells you they called Costco.
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